Victorian Fireplace Ideas For Your Living Room

Gothic and Rococo revival styles appeared frequently in furniture designs

In this guide, we share a wide range of Victorian fireplace ideas for your living room. From simple designs to ornate styles and decorative yet functional accessories that complete the look, there are plenty of options for beautiful antique Victorian fireplaces.

Queen Victoria’s reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, one of the longest in British history and there were lots of changes to typical interior styles during this time. You can see this variety in the changes to Victorian period fireplace designs between earlier and later years.

In part, the Industrial Revolution allowed mass production to flourish, giving the emerging middle classes access to decorative items that had once been exclusive to the wealthy.

Gothic and Rococo revival styles appeared frequently in furniture designs, influenced by travel to the Far East, which introduced an exotic touch seen later in Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces.

Victorian fireplace ideas: Designs and materials

Victorian fireplaces stood at the heart of the home and served as the room’s focal point

Early and mid-Victorian fireplace styles featured ornate, intricate designs, often decorated with floral patterns that remain popular. This decorative approach mirrors the broader architectural trends of the Victorian era, which blended classical proportions with lifelike natural motifs.

The ornate patterns found on these fireplaces showcase the period's fascination with nature, seamlessly integrating into the living room. Then, later Victorian fire surrounds became more geometric and clean-cut, reflecting the skills of craftsmen at the time.

Victorian fireplaces stood at the heart of the home and served as the room’s focal point. Fireplace sizes varied depending on the space, with grander designs appearing in areas where hosts entertained their guests.

These fireplaces featured several different materials, such as marble and cast iron. This is a charming arched Carrara marble fireplace:

Many early Victorian cast iron fireplaces feature intricate designs inspired by plants and animals

In stark contrast, this huge Victorian arch rouge marble fireplace is a warmer, rusty red colour with light veining that truly stands out in any living room:

Many early Victorian cast iron fireplaces feature intricate designs inspired by plants and animals. This ornate Victorian cast iron Coalbrookdate fireplace, in a Robert Adam-esque Neoclassical style, has a high moulded shelf above a reeded panel, including a frieze decorated with birds, sprigs, stylised flowers and berries:

During the later Victorian era, when fireplace design underwent a significant shift, the typical style moved away from elaborate and ornate designs, instead embracing simpler aesthetics.

This change aligned closely with the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which subsequently set in motion the Art Nouveau movement. This cast iron Art Nouveau fireplace retains a foliate style but embraces simpler aesthetics:

This new approach celebrated the artisan's skill and expertise, contrasting with the earlier focus on ornate designs. The resulting fireplaces reflected a preference for understated elegance and a return to more traditional craftsmanship values.

Victorian fireplace ideas: Surrounding accessories

Antique fire baskets also provide visual appeal

Victorian fireplaces serve another purpose beyond framing the fire:

• They provide a place to display treasured items such as vases, family photographs or an antique clock.
• For example, this substantial Victorian black marble fireplace has a wide, moulded mantelpiece with plenty of room for decorations, with white coloured ones standing out in particular:

Many accessories complement the stunning look of a Victorian fireplace:

• Antique screens and decorative andirons or fire dogs add an authentic touch. This is a pair of impressive, very tall and sturdy Victorian antique bronze andirons in the Baroque style:

• Antique fire baskets also provide visual appeal, with a range of elegant antique fire basket styles coming into use over centuries, their designs changing accordingly with the times. This large fire basket from the Victorian era has a floral pattern and accompanying andirons in the style of 19th century British designer Christopher Dresser:

• Overmantel antique mirrors help to make rooms look larger and more impressive. This tall and elegant early Victorian overmantel gilt gesso mirror has a slender pilastered frame and ribboned pediment surmount:

Along with the ornamentation of the Victorian fireplace mantel, fire screens – which previously had solely functional purposes – gave Victorian women an opportunity to display their decorating skills.

Final thoughts: Victorian fireplace ideas for your living room

We hope this guide has given you some inspiration for how a Victorian fireplace could look in your living room, complete with stylish accessories to complete the look.

Looking beyond the fireplace, there’s the rest of the living room to consider too… We’ve also written a guide with a wide range of Victorian living room ideas.

For further inspiration, learn more about how to pick antique furniture for your living room and here are some Victorian interior design tips too.

For more than 50 years, Westland London has specialised in antique fireplaces. We have one of the largest collections of fine antique chimneypieces worldwide.

We have many beautiful Victorian period fireplaces while our entire collection spans the centuries. If you have any queries about an antique on our website, please contact us.