Discovering storage in your home can be challenging, especially if area is at a premium. Built-ins around a fireplace add much-needed storage while keeping design and your favorite devices at the forefront. Whether you’re looking for closed storage to conceal cords, gaming equipment, and electronic devices or open shelving to display your memorabilia collection, built-ins around a fireplace can deal with both requirements.

Fireplace built-ins can be recessed or flushed, in proportion or unbalanced, and feature numerous surfaces based upon your style vision. Increase your house’s storage potential with these nine suggestions for fireplace built-ins, consisting of concepts for updating existing built-ins around a fireplace and options for building and setting up new fireplace cabinets and shelves.

Editor’s Note: Always keep safety at the top of your mind when designing and installing fireplace built-ins. Your local building regulations and ordinances may define products and required measurements to maintain noncombustibility.

1. Identify storage requirements.

Mantel-only fireplaces are one way to get a sliver of storage however keep an uncluttered look– an especially important goal in small spaces. Including decorative products to your mantel assists make your fireplace the centerpiece in any space. Usage little, color-coded stacks of books or accents in a contrasting color to draw eyes toward your mantel. Concentrating on mantel design allows you to easily change out products for each season and holiday, keeping your house fresh and joyful with very little effort.

3. Choose in between recessed and flush fireplace built-ins.

Lots of built-ins around fireplaces are stepped back by a number of inches to accommodate the depth of the fireplace while providing functional storage that isn’t too unwieldy. Other built-ins are in the very same plane as the fireplace.

4. Select balanced or unbalanced fireplace cabinets.

Where your fireplace is positioned will influence where your built-ins go and whether they are consistent on both sides. There are no guidelines: Do what works for your home and needs. Contemporary fireplace built-ins might work well simply to one side, especially if the design is streamlined and unfussy. Conventional homes may feel best with a balanced fireplace with built-ins on both sides.

5. Boost the base of fireplace built-ins.

If your fireplace hearth has a raised base at low-seating height, you may be able to extend that to both sides for low racks or drawers that add storage (and more seating, too). Including drawers below the prolonged seating is an easy method to increase living room storage.

6. Mix and match the base and racks of built-ins.

Hidden storage and open shelves work well together, particularly with fireplaces that are centered on a brief wall. It’s a look that’s frequently seen in conventional or cottage-style homes and can offer a space visual balance. Shelves on the side of this living room fireplace display vibrant accessories while assisting open up the area to make it appear larger than it is.

7. Close up storage as required.

Doors– those with glass, metal, or strong fronts– are another choice for built-ins around a fireplace and a method to include visual variety. Strong doors include and hide mess, while glass doors offer screen space. Don’t be afraid to mix and match closed doors with open shelves. Built-in cabinets around a fireplace are excellent storage for books and games, while the mantel and surface area of cabinets can provide a location to display photographs and decor.

8. Choose materials and design information.

Whatever fireplace integrated setup you select, utilize your home and your fireplace for cues on materials and information. Built-ins are an excellent way to duplicate particular style aspects– for example, a material or molding type found in other places in the space. In addition, integrating information currently present throughout your home in your fireplace built-in keeps your interior design constant. By doing this, your spaces have one fluid style and color pattern.

9. Install open shelves.

Open shelves are an easy fireplace integrated concept and a practical, adaptable method to get lots of storage. Open racks provide the chance to produce an in proportion fireplace with built-ins on each side.