A "Culinary Hearth" Is the Kitchen Renovation of Your Dreams
If there's one thing that every designer agrees on, it's that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where day-to-day life happens, from late-night homework sessions to anniversary dinners, birthday celebrations, and memorable parties. It goes without saying, then, that you want your kitchen to feel welcoming and cozy, right? And if there's one thing synonymous with soul-warming comfort, it's a fireplace.
"A kitchen fireplace gives this old-world charm that draws in the family—and guests too," says Louise Copeland, founder of L.B. Copeland Interior Design. "It’s the perfect spot to gather, share stories, and relax in the warmth. It’s not just functional; it turns the kitchen into the true heart of the home, a cozy spot where everyone feels welcome to hang out."
Originally placed in kitchens for utilitarian purposes, most homes no longer rely on an enormous fireplace to cook their daily meals or provide warmth—but that doesn't mean that it's not a welcome addition to the space. From historic homes that hold relics of years past to newer builds looking to add charm and comfort, a kitchen fireplace can instantly up the cozy factor in your cook space, inviting diners to linger longer and helping the room flex between functionality and ambiance.
Looking to stoke the flames of inspiration? Below, we're rounding up 15 gorgeous kitchen fireplace ideas, straight from the industry's top pros. Our takeaway? Nothing burns brighter than a home thoughtfully designed for cozy comfort.
More cozy design inspiration:
Add Subtle Seating
To make it easier for your sous chef to take a load off after all that slicing and dicing, style a small seating area near your kitchen fireplace so they can take a load off while keeping an eye on the stove. In the kitchen fireplace idea in quaint farmhouse by LB Copeland Interior Design, two petite stools offer a front-row seat to the action.
Fill It With Firewood
If you find yourself with a nonfunctional fireplace in the kitchen, don't fret. The focal point can still be a great way to add visual interest and texture to your room. Instead of leaving it empty, consider piling it high with firewood, a selection of plants, or another creative addition (like books!).
Choose a Bold Surround
Remember, your fireplace has a lot to compete with in your kitchen, from upper cabinetry and appliances to a gorgeous tile backsplash. To make sure it doesn't get lost in the shuffle, opt for a prominent mantel or firebox surround, like the antique stone design seen in this kitchen fireplace idea.
Select a Complementary Style
If a kitchen fireplace isn't original to your home, you want to be careful when selecting the size, location, and type of feature you add to your room. To ensure a natural fit, do a bit of research into what type of fireplace coordinates best with the architecture and age of your home, whether that's a brick beehive-style oven or a Colonial-inspired, cast-iron wood stove.
Echo the Shape Throughout Your Space
To further integrate your fireplace into your kitchen, echo elements of its design in the rest of your room, whether in the shape of the crown molding or the cabinet doors. In this stunning kitchen, designed by Banjo Beale and the team at deVOL, the curved arch of the fireplace opening is repeated on either side of the hearth for satisfying symmetry.
Related Story: 16 Crown Molding Ideas That Add Architectural Character
Coordinate Your Colors
In many cases, a kitchen fireplace idea will utilize natural materials and textures—most of which come in shades of gray and brown—so it'll be up to the rest of your space to marry those hues with the overall color palette. In this elegant cook space by architect Matthew R. Dougherty, a stone-clad surround melds perfectly with veiny gray marble and a metal range hood.
Make It Minimalistic
Does your kitchen boast epic sightlines, either into the rest of your home or the great outdoors? Avoid adding visual congestion to your space by selecting a fireplace that whispers instead of yells. In this home, a floating midcentury modern–inspired fireplace leaves plenty of room to enjoy the surrounding greenery.
Stray From Tradition
You shouldn't feel beholden to traditional design standards when deciding what your kitchen fireplace idea looks like. Think of the unusual placement as an opportunity to go bold with a tile surround or coat in a chic color, like the flowery pink seen here in a deVOL-designed kitchen.
Create the Best Seat in the House
You know the feeling when you walk into a cozy restaurant, get seated by the room's roaring fireplace, and immediately feel like you scored the best seat in the house? Pretty great, right? Emulate that experience in your own home by placing your dining table and chairs near your hearth. Even if you're just unboxing takeout, it'll still feel like a Michelin-star experience.
Mind the Gap
When designing a functional and effective cook space, there are a few general guidelines to keep in mind. One of the most important? Maintaining wide-enough walkways throughout the space, including around your kitchen island. Make the gap too snug, and you could be forced to shuffle around fellow cooks while juggling hot pans—a recipe for disaster. If you're working with an already snug space, choose a kitchen fireplace idea that has a slim mantel projection off the wall. In this room by Carpenter & MacNeille, a barely there surround of wood and brick still brings plenty of charm to the space.
Share the Love
Getting the opportunity to do a full kitchen renovation is exciting, especially considering it allows you the chance to include all sorts of extras, like—you guessed it—a fireplace. To make the most of the work (and money) the addition will entail, consider a see-through fixture that allows the room beyond to show through. In this charming home by KT2 Design Group, a multifunctional firebox shows love to both the kitchen and nearby living room, thanks to a dual-sided interior.
Set It to the Side
Let's be honest, there's a lot happening in the kitchen, and the addition of a fireplace might not be something you want to battle with among all the other appliances, cabinets, and pieces of furniture. Instead of putting it center stage, try adding a fireplace to the side of your kitchen, as seen here in a project by Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann of Our Food Stories. The resulting kitchen fireplace idea still brings that cozy factor, just without the congestion.
Level It Up
You spend most of your time in the kitchen on your feet, staring at things that are counter height, whether that's the food you're prepping on your actual counter or a nearby stove. The point is, if your fireplace is ground-level, you risk missing out on the relaxing vibes it can impart. To remedy this, consider raising your fireplace to counter height—like the stone design seen here in a project by David Michael Miller Design and Oz Architects—to bring the flames front and center.
Put It Next to the Real Deal
One surefire way to seamlessly blend your kitchen fireplace into the rest of the room? By positioning it next to your stove. The two will have natural synergy, and the common-sense location will lend the impression that the fireplace was a historical feature of a bygone era in your home—even if it wasn't. In this home by Rosa Beltran Design, a rustic brick design adds grit and a sense of history to the surrounding all-white cook space.
When in Doubt, Add a Stove
Stumped on how to use the shell of a former fireplace in your kitchen? When in doubt, use it to house your cooktop. Stove alcoves are having a moment in design right now, and this creative reinvention offers a seamless, low-effort way to achieve the look. In this space by deVOL, an antique stone fireplace and surround act as the main stage for cooking up cozy winter meals.
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