A corner fireplace was probably a great idea back when we had really big tv’s that were as deep as they were wide. The corner fireplace created a great location to stick the tv and not invade your entire living room.
via BHG
I had the unfortunate luck of moving into a house that has a fireplace in its corner. What makes the situation even worse is the massive window right beside it, and weird half walls that limit furniture placement and have me hating this room and cursing all corner fireplaces in existence.
See how my corner fireplace was updated on a budget HERE.
via BHG
In my goal to embrace the corner fireplace I have been pinning living rooms with corner fireplaces. I want to write a disclaimer on each pin, so that when they get repinned people know how frustrating it is, and will not choose such a nightmare for their own home.
So, if you are building a new house, never put your fireplace in the corner of your room. But if you are buying a house that is already built, and the cost of renovating to get rid of that “thing” is unavailable to you, then here are some living rooms that work, in spite of the corner fireplaces they are stuck with.
This amazing transformation uses the existing furniture to transform the furniture layout into something that works. via BluLabelBungalow
Do you have a TV in the room? You have two options. Place the tv above the fireplace or place the tv on an adjoining or opposite wall, depending on your room configuration. I think you can make these rooms work, but it is always placing the fireplace as a side thought. Its much easier to decorate for holidays, events, and just everyday when you have a very clear focal point.
Holly has a corner fireplace too!
I love this furniture layout with a corner fireplace and wish my living room were big enough to duplicate it. via Emily Clark
This photo is totally staged for a real estate listing but the layout works. Notice the lack of a sofa, replaced by a much smaller love seat.
The following pictures are what I tend to see the most often. It works, but not the best option available. This is why I recommend we BANISH corner fireplaces forever.
Comments & Reviews
Linda says
Who knew that so many people have corner fireplaces! I was beginning to think I was the only one. My living room is tiny compared to these, but there are some good ideas.
Brooke says
Mine is tiny compared to these as well.
becca says
What do you recommend for corner fireplace in a small living room… North section of the room is an opening to the dining room with 21ft half walls of either side (the house was built in the early 1900s), the fireplace sits in the corner of the north “wall” and the east wall – which is a full wall with a piano window, the South wall is window, and the west wall has the opening to the entryway at its conjunction with the south wall. I current have a couch and loveseat in there and the tv in on the fireplace. I’d like to get that off, but I don’t know how strange things… Help!
Brooke says
Can you send me a picture? [email protected]
Delores Fraysier says
Mine isn’t Tiny but you have to walk through it to get to the other side of the house so I can’t float any furniture. I had mine like the Alice Lane house but I have sense acquired more and bigger furniture. If I won the lottery having that thing moved and turned into a real wood burning fireplace instead of gas would be on the top of my list..
Krystal says
THANK YOU! My biggest problem area is my corner fireplace/funny tall angled wall/where-do-I-put-the-tv? room! Thank you for the ideas!!! One question… I have my tv against the wall next to the fireplace and I feel it TOTALLY competes with the fireplace as the focal point. Any suggestions?? Other than hiding the tv in an armoire I just don’t know what to do.
Brooke says
I debate this all the time. Which one does your furniture focus on? Email me a pic? [email protected]
Tracy Gould says
We have a corner fireplace that we have hung our tv on it. We have an open floor plan and I struggle with furniture placement. Biggest problem my husband overly large recliner. I need help. Constantly moving furniture and not happy ever.
Jamie says
I am emailing you a picture of my living room right now! I have a massive living room with a corner fireplace. I have tried everything and am still not happy with the layout 🙁 Why didn’t I realize this when I was looking at this home?!?
Kimberly Vinson says
Hi, Great arrangements! I was wondering if you could tell me where the media console is from in the 1st after picture you have listed above? Thanks
Brooke says
It is the Blake Grey Wash 68″ Media Console from Crate & Barrel.
Danielle L. says
Thanks. I still don’t know what to do. Hubby bought a new giant leather couch and chair when I want to go with something lower for the low windows. Half wall and weird openings here ply the cold air and ducts. Ugh!
http://wernerhomes.com/PDF/Model%20Homes%20PDF/Birchwood.pdf
Don’t get me started on the rest of the house layout!
Annette says
Great to see others are also looking for solutions to this problem – I am also in the “I hate corner fireplaces” camp. I live in a hundred year old home with not 1 but 4 of these ‘things’!!
Natasha says
My corner fireplace living room is our ugliest space because I’ve lived with it for 5 years without investing in new furniture to suit it’s corner fireplace. It’s the exact layout of the photo taken from above – with almost that much space. It’s also our ‘family room’ so that means HOURS of TV watching going on in there – at least 2 immensely comfortable spots need to face the TV. Its open to the kitchen AND one wall is the nicest view in the house (don’t want to block it with a couch). Thanks for showing some ideas of what others have done with their spaces… makes me feel less alone! Oh -and I think your decorating skill level goes to 10 if you tackle and conquer a room with a corner fireplace!
Sue Carnell says
I’m just about to add a corner fireplace to my living room. Having read your comments, I really hesitating! Was planning on the TV next to the fireplace. The room is 14′ wide. Seems too narrow to put the fireplace on the side wall. Any ideas will be appreciated!
Brooke says
Do you have a sketch or floor plan of the space? It really makes a big difference with window locations and how it opens to other rooms. I would love to take a look at it. Email me? [email protected]
Heather says
LOL,The house I just had built has a corner fireplace and I didn’t think anything of it. Now my large leather sofa with chaise presented a challenge but I’ve made peace with it. Now I’m just trying to decide if I can flank the fireplace with a couple smaller chairs. There are windows on both sides and it doesn’t jut out much from the wall so not sure it will work.
Johanna says
Oh my gosh corner fireplaces have & still are the current bane of my existence in this home!! Short of building new walls, and removing old ones, it’s looking like unless I buy new furniture, I’m going to have to arrange my living room in the opposite wall area, and ignore the fireplace tothe area. 🙁
kathie says
Can I send you some pic of my living room with a corner fireplace for some ideas? I have several obstacles to work with, first the corner fireplace,then a tv wall entertainment center and wall of Windows plus the room being open to the kitchen, I would so appreciate any help!
Brooke says
Yes please do! My email – [email protected] I would love to take a look.
Gwen Oliver says
Hello,
These are all great ideas but I still need a little help on mine. I just moved into a condo and bought a chesterfield sofa. I have an open floor plan and vaulted ceilings, however I am at a loss for how to arrange furniture with my corner fireplace. It’s to the point where I’m shopping paralyzed(!) and I haven’t bought anything new for my living room other than my couch because I’m afraid I’ll make a huge mistake and I’ll have buyers remorse, and the list goes on…Would you mind if I sent you a picture of my living room? I would really appreciate any help or suggestions you can provide. Thank you!
Gwen says
Hello,
These are all great ideas but I still need a little help on mine. I just moved into a condo and bought a chesterfield sofa. I have an open floor plan and vaulted ceilings, however I am at a loss for how to arrange furniture with my corner fireplace. It’s to the point where I’m shopping paralyzed(!) and I haven’t bought anything new for my living room other than my couch because I’m afraid I’ll make a huge mistake and I’ll have buyers remorse, and the list goes on…Would you mind if I sent you a picture of my living room? I would really appreciate any help or suggestions you can provide. Thank you!
Brooke says
Yes please send me a picture! Let me know what stores you like to shop at as well or what you have access to! I wouldn’t want to recommend something you can’t get.
joy says
oh no! we are buildiing a home and we just decided to put the fireplace in the corner??? Is there a situation where a cornerfireplace works well? If the room is larger, does a corner fireplace work better?
Brooke says
Yes, it can work! Eespecially if the room is larger or depending on window placements. Don’t worry! I am sure it will look great!
Katie says
I have the corner fireplace problem as well! It’s an open floor plan and its open to the kitchen and has a big window and patio door right next to one side of the fireplace! I have lived here a year and still have no ideas of what I can do. Would you mind if I sent you a picture so you could take a look? I would really appreciate any help or suggestions you can offer!
Jen says
It sounds like I have the same problem that Katie does! Would love to pick your brain about some possibilities before I buy new furniture. Would it be possible to email you a floor plan? I love your couch choice but am not sure it would fit in my long narrow open concept room.
Laurie Redding says
could you please send me ideas! I live in an apt and my living room is not tiny but small. I also have a sliding glass door on one side and an open floor plan.
Thanks!
Angela Wright says
Oh how I hate our living room with the corner fireplace! So happy I found your blog while googling on how to decorate it. Mine is a long thin rectangle, and if it were standing on it’s short end, the entrance is bottom left and the fireplace it top right. It was built in 1958 and when we remodeled in 2000 (and discovered the ordeal of moving the fireplace) we had the smoke damaged brick recovered with stone. Because of the stone there is no way to now mount a flatscreen into the stone w/o permanently damaging the stone. So it’s opposite the fireplace on the wall to the right of the entrance. It sucks and now that our kids are tweens and teens they are physically large and we’re having an issue with enough seating for the 5 of us to watch a family movie. How I wish I could have a sectional but the damn fireplace (and narrow width of the room) is messing me up.
Tracy Gould says
We recently moved into a condo with a corner fireplace. At first I was in love until we moved in. We have been here 3 months and I have moved furnitre 12 times. Can I send you some pics of our living room/dining room/kitchen? Our t.v. is also hung above the f.p. Please let me know if you would be willing to help me with furiture placement suggestions. Thanks so much!
Brooke says
I would love to look at it! Send me an email, [email protected] and I will see what I can suggest.
Ashley fontes says
My living room is small, with the horrid corner fireplace, next to full sliding glass windows that we are turning into French doors. Opposite to the glass doors is a half bar. We also have a piano we want in the room….. Tv is above the fireplace currently. Help.
Stephanie says
If I send you a photo of my disaster could you give me some ideas? I feel like I have tried everything and still stuck with awkward arrangements. Would really appreciate it!
Brooke says
Yes for sure! Be as specific as you can and I will give you some options. [email protected]
Genevieve says
I thought I was alone in the universe, until I saw this post on Pinterest! We were so thrilled to find a brand new home in our budget when we were house shopping 3 years ago, in a market flooded with 70s spit levels that were falling apart. We completely failed to notice some of the (now) glaringly obvious flaws and layout challenges! I have yet to make peace with our family room with corner fireplace, I still find myself glaring at the hideous thing, just stumped about what to do to make it less of an eye sore! And WHAT are you supposed to do with the adjacent walls!?!? I’d love to send you pics and gather your input as well, although I’m sure you are busy. We mounted our television above, but it still seems so wrong, and I just don’t know where to begin!
Genevieve says
I thought I was alone in the universe until I saw this post on Pinterest! Our corner fireplace is such an obstacle for me, I don’t even know where to begin to make our family room un-awkward, let alone functional, welcoming, attractive? I’m stumped. And what are you supposed to do with the walls adjacent to it? Ours is such a builder fail, in my opinion… I’d love any input or guidance you could offer, if I may email you?
Brooke says
You are not alone!
jennifer says
Hello, would you take a look at some pictures of my living room? I bought a house almost a year ago and I still haven’t been able to decorate it well. It makes me upset that I didn’t see the difficulty of decorating a room with a corner fireplace and now I don’t even want to spend time in my living room. Can I send you some pictures of my living room and you can give me some ideas?
Hazel says
Those photos look really amazing. I have white sofas and I was very reluctant to place them near the fireplace because I am afraid they would get dirty soon. last month we bought a sectional ( http://www.surplusfurniture.com/en/fredericton/livingroom/sectionals/bulldozer-black-2pc-sectional/ ) and that is now placed near the fireplace. This blog has really given me a lot if ideas, thank you so much for this!
Karen Recco says
I have a pretty large family/living room. The problem that I have is the location of the fireplace. Originally the room was two separate rooms. The previous owners took the wall down. I now have 4 columns and a fireplace in the corner of the room. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Andrea says
I totally hate my corner fireplace. It drives me crazy and I don’t know what to do. We also have an L shape sofa that does not work for the small space. Plus, we have a toddler who love to play in this space. Please I would love to have some ideas to make this space inviting and kid friendly. Specially because is the space that our guests see at first sight and is terrible.
Brooke says
Can you send me a picture? I would love to send you some ideas. [email protected]
Jenny says
I am sending you a SOS email. I need your help with my corner fireplace in new home I am purchasing. I have sectional that’s one year old and brand new TV console I’d like to use if possible.
Lynne says
Hi Brooke, Found your site while searching Pinterest for ideas on how to furnish my “open concept” area which has a corner fireplace – room looks similar to the first room featured at top of this page, however one end of the fireplace is right beside large opening to sunroom. I have a new sectional (may be a mistake) but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what to do with this room – and it’s pretty large. Is it possible for you to help and do you offer your service for a fee? I could send a picture if you would like.
Rosemary Elmond says
Thank you for addressing this. I have tried three completely different arrangements in our rectangular family room with a corner fireplace and they all leave awkward space somewhere! So frustrating, the family room is adjacent the eat in kitchen plus has one window next to the fireplace and a French door on the other side of it. Help, please.