How to create a cosy fireplace ready for winter

Winter is the time of year when there is nothing better than spending an evening cosying up in front of a roaring fire and drinking a mug of hot chocolate. We have a few ideas to help you create the ultimate winter snuggle space in front of your fireplace, ready for the colder nights ahead.

Install a wood-burning stove

Over recent years, wood-burning stoves have soared in popularity and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. After all, they are much more efficient and safe than open fires and there is nothing more relaxing than watching the flickering flames and hearing the crackle of the wood as it burns.

Wood-burning stoves come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, so it’s easy to find one to suit your space. Just make sure that if you live in a smoke-controlled area, the stove is DEFRA approved. If logs are hard to come by where you live, you could always go for a multi-fuel version for added flexibility.

Having the right hearth can really make a difference to how homely your room feels. Whether you opt for stone, slate or tiles, make sure your hearth meets safety regulations as well as being non-combustible. For example, it also has to be at least 12mm thick for some stoves and thicker for other stoves. Check the manual before ordering a hearth.

If in any doubt, get in a professional!

Having a natural oak fireplace beam or oak surround in your home not only looks great, the natural wood can provide an extra feeling of warmth.

All of our oak beams and oak fireplace surrounds come in a range of different colours and finishes, so you’re sure to find one that perfectly suits your space. Just make sure you install your oak beam or surround far enough away from the stove, so that it meets building regulations. You could use heat shields and/or insulated flue pipe to decrease the distance between the stove and the oak beam. Your stove manual should be able to give your further information on the distance needed but if in doubt, contact a HETAS registered installer.

Faux leaf garlands weaved together with LED fairy lights, strung along an oak fireplace beam, look wonderful at this time of year. If you’re feeling crafty, you could even create your own mini felt pumpkins to add to the display.

Painting the walls around your chimney breast – or even painting a feature chimney breast – can make a real difference to how cosy your room feels. While many of us stay away from dark colours, painting one wall in a darker shade (a dark rich green or a navy blue, for example) can help to make your room feel super cosy. If you have a larger room, you could go the whole way and paint all of your walls to make the whole space feel warmer and more welcoming.