Straight from the Hearth: Beautiful Fireplace Surround Ideas

Your fireplace surround is rife with design potential—it just takes a little imagination. "Fireplaces often get overlooked as opportunities for a bold statement," says Lance Thomas of Room Service. "The layout of a space and the furniture arrangement is typically centered around the fireplace. They serve as a focal point of a room, which is why the fireplace surround should have a strong voice to firmly anchor the space."

What can you do to give your fireplace surround a bolder voice? "A fireplace surround offers a great way to play off and accentuate the architecture of a space," says Marie Flanigan of Marie Flanigan Interiors. "By bringing in new and unexpected materials—think marble, tile, brick, and slate—you can allow the beauty of the surfaces to take center stage."

Our experts say another way to play up a fireplace surround is to accentuate the display with décor. "While different structural materials can give a fireplace surround a certain mood or tone, the real design opportunity lies in choosing whether or not to highlight the area with lighting and accessories," says Wendy Yates of Abigail-Elise Design Studio. "It's also an opportunity to create a mini art gallery," adds Laurie Blumenfeld-Russo of Laurie Blumenfeld Design. "People love to gaze into the fireplace—it's a meditative experience. Why not layer some of your favorite objects around to enhance it?"

Searching for some more savvy ideas? Ahead, our experts share their best advice on creating a sleek and stylish fireplace surround, and here's what they had to say.