What types of fireplaces are there - types, shapes, samples in private homes (with photos)

Every person wants to make the space in their home as cozy, comfortable and enjoyable to live as possible. Interior design, furniture, curtains and textiles, decorative elements and accessories help us with this. One of the favorite decorative elements of many city residents is false fireplaces, which are safe analogues of real systems with live fire.

Anyone can build a fake fireplace, there is nothing complicated about it, and the most important thing is that it can be created from completely different materials. We have already talked about how to build a New Year's fireplace from cardboard boxes, and today we will talk about how to build a false fireplace from polystyrene foam.

White fireplace replica with beautiful finishes

How to choose cardboard?

The quality and appearance will depend on the material and type of cardboard boxes. If you take the packaging from under the TV, the “false fireplace” will be narrow without much of a recess in the place where the burning wood is located. Therefore, wide boxes are most often used, at least 50 centimeters deep. It is also advisable to use the most durable cardboard, in which case you can make a wooden stand on top.

Choose durable cardboard

If you want to make a more complex design, it is recommended to prepare 2 more boxes of different sizes. This will expand the scope for creative ideas. It is also worth making sure that the drawings are easily applied to the paper. They must be clearly visible, since in case of an error, you will have to look for new material.

Complex design of several boxes

3 types of “false fireplaces” are often used, namely:

1. Christmas with New Year decorations.
2. Corner hearth.
3. Standard wall.

For each of them it is necessary to select a certain amount of materials and types of cardboard boxes. To make the structure more stable and reliable, you can place a wooden frame inside. This will be relevant in a family with small children.

Christmas wall

Style selection

Depending on the overall interior of the selected room, as well as on your personal wishes and preferences, you can choose one of the most suitable portal styles:

Advice: when finishing the foam frame, do not forget that its design should be combined and harmonize with the overall style of the living room or any other room.

Important: this material is quite light in weight, which is why to decorate its surface, choose materials with a similar low weight. This will ensure that the integrity and stability of such a portal is not compromised.

The photos presented in this article will help you decide and choose the most suitable style and design method.

How to make it in honor of the Christmas holidays?

To make a Christmas hearth, you will need only 3 cardboard boxes, one of them should be large and the other 2 should be smaller, but identical. The first is installed at the center, and the others at the edges. Next, the items are glued together with tape or reliable glue.

Creating a frame for a future fireplace

If there are no boxes of the same height in the house, they are trimmed. At the same time, the upper part should not have any dips.

It is advisable to use the same room where the fireplace will be installed, where the spruce will be located, this will create more comfort and a festive atmosphere.

The first thing you need to do is remove the front part of the wall from the large box, which is located in the middle; this is where the combustion hole will be located. The fireplace can be placed on a pre-prepared border, so it will look much more impressive.

Fireplace border

If you want to make artificial bricks, you can use thin foam. It needs to be marked and rectangular shapes cut out, slightly smaller than a standard brick (if the size allows, you can use the original dimensions of the stone).

DIY decorative brick

Now you can start gluing the foam. The bricks must be placed in a checkerboard pattern so that the masonry is as close in appearance as possible to the real thing. After the work has been done, the glue must harden, only after that the work can be continued.

Gluing foam to the fireplace

Now you can start painting. It is advisable to prime in several layers so that all parts have the same color . The border is usually painted yellow, and the bricks red or gold. If the owner wants to make a fireplace not only for the New Year holidays, you can buy brown paint.

How to decorate a New Year's fireplace?

To decorate the Christmas hearth, various toys and natural materials are used, for example:

• Spruce branches.
• Cones.
• Balls.
• Rain.
• Christmas socks for gifts.
• Fruits.
• Candies.
• Bells.
• Figures of Father Frost and Snow Maiden.
• Snowflakes made of paper.
• Illuminated garlands.

Toys and decorations for the Christmas fireplace

You need to use the right colors. It is recommended to use jewelry in green, red, gold, blue or white, as well as their shades.

Advantages of artificial fireplaces

False fireplaces have a number of advantages :

• The decorating process involves budget-friendly, but beautiful and unusual materials.
• A fake fireplace can be made from many types of building materials that are available to everyone.
• A false fireplace is an inexpensive way to decorate the living room space in an apartment . You will only need money to purchase the necessary building materials, and you can carry out the installation yourself .
• There is a unique opportunity to periodically change the decor of a false fireplace, be it painting or adding a new part .

How to make a wall one?

This species is common among people living in apartments. It does not take up much space and fits well into any interior. To make a wall fireplace from cardboard boxes, you will need the following tools and materials:

• stationery knife;
• sponge, brush or other precision painting tool;
• reliable glue (Moment or glue for plastic products is recommended).
• construction tape;
• putty or water-based white paint;
• cardboard boxes (if possible, large packages from under a refrigerator, wide-screen TV or washing machine are more suitable for the fireplace).
• paper;
• pencil or thin marker for drawings;
• ruler;
• foam for creating a stand and other decorative elements.

When creating a drawing on paper, it is advisable to indicate not only the main building products, but also decorations.

Sometimes the owner does not have a couple of large boxes, but has many medium ones. In this case, you can carefully glue them together and do almost the same thing.

When the sketch is ready and applied to paper, you can begin to transfer it to cardboard boxes. For convenience, main and auxiliary lines are drawn with different colors of pens or markers.

Think through every step so you don't miss anything

Next we make a combustion hole. To do this, take a knife and cut it in the center of the box. It is very important to remember to leave part of the front wall at the top and sides so that you can glue it to the back and cover the empty space.

Finishing work

After the work on creating the main frame is completed, you can begin finishing. You can use anything here, depending on the idea. Usually it is covered with original wallpaper or tracing paper. If there are people in the family who draw well, you can apply beautiful patterns or draw themed drawings in honor of a holiday.

Use your favorite material to decorate the fireplace

If you want to make a standard fireplace, you can use foam bricks, just like with the Christmas fireplace. We remember that artificial stones can be glued not only on the outside, but also on the inside, where the flame usually burns.

To decorate the front part, you can purchase special figurines in the form of flowers, angels and other things in the store. They are made from lightweight material, so they never fall off, even when using regular PVA glue.

Decorate the fireplace with various decor from the store

To install a shelf on top, you must first glue the baseboard along its edges. In this case, it is advisable to use as original products as possible. As a shelf, you can use a wooden sheet made of plywood or other material, the main thing is that it is not too heavy. If the frame is not further strengthened, there is a risk of structural failure.

Measurements of the mantelpiece should be taken only after the baseboard has been installed; if you cut it to fit the dimensions of the fireplace itself, it may not fit.

Painting

Almost 90% of people who make a fireplace for an apartment out of cardboard with their own hands paint it with white water-based paint. But if you approach the issue more creatively, you can give the hearth a vintage look and use ordinary putty for drywall (after applying it, you need to dry the coating with a hairdryer).

If you still decide to just paint a homemade fireplace, you can use a simple brush, and a sponge is necessary to cover the most difficult to reach places with paint.

The easiest option is to just paint it white.

The wall one is almost ready, all that remains is to decorate it. You can install a photograph of a real flame inside, and put real or homemade firewood in the firebox. Sometimes people place candlesticks on a shelf, it looks very impressive and gives an antique feel.

Decorate with all the holiday paraphernalia

Ideas for decorating a fireplace made of foam plastic

After making this decorative element step by step with your own hands, you definitely need to decorate it. There are many ideas for this, for example, if the fireplace was created for the New Year, then you can use any little things related to the holiday for decoration.

The mantelpiece can be decorated with a garland of Christmas tree decorations and pine branches

A miniature Christmas tree and tinsel on top of the fireplace would look nice

You can use various themed pendants and figures

You can also hang Christmas stockings as a traditional decoration.

Making a corner

The layout of some apartments involves the formation of a corner part in the most visible place. As a result, the family thinks for a long time about how to decorate or hide this defect. One solution is to make a corner fireplace. The design is not overly complicated, so all family members can take part in the work.

DIY corner fireplace

To begin, you need to prepare the following materials:

• Transparent tape.
• LED strip, garland or battery-powered candles for decoration.
• Construction knife and large scissors.
• Self-adhesive film or wallpaper with a brick pattern.
• Cardboard box, above average size.

The first step is to measure and determine the amount of cardboard that will be needed to completely cover the corner. If the fireplace is smaller, it will look like it is pushed into a corner. If the problem part is located at the transition from one room to another, the design will not only create comfort, but also avoid impacts on doorways.

Calculate the correct measurements for your future fireplace

How to decorate?

When the triangle is ready, it needs to be firmly glued with tape. If the design allows, the fireplace is covered with self-adhesive film. To decorate a homemade fireplace, you can use wallpaper with various patterns.

Make a rigid frame for stability

Now it's time to start making the shelf. If you don't have plywood or other suitable hard material on hand, leftover cardboard will do. The only condition is to make it more durable; you need to use several layers. To finish the stand, self-adhesive wood effect is usually used.

Feel free to cover it with themed wallpaper and decorate it

Next we are decorating the inside. To make a homemade fireplace glow from the inside, previously prepared electronic candles, garlands or LED strips are used. They can be folded inside and covered with artificial firewood, which will create a burning effect. This hearth can also serve as a night light.

Recommendations: how to choose a fireplace

So, you have decided to make your home more comfortable and warm by installing such a heating device. A serious question arises: how to find the optimal option. To do this, first of all you need to decide on the purpose for which you are purchasing it:

• To decorate your design, give preference to electric or bio fireplaces. They can also be used as a heater in cold weather.
• To enhance heating, it is better to use a gas model.
• As the main source of heat, you need an option with high energy efficiency. The fireplace stove corresponds to these characteristics.

Also, in the selection process, it is worth taking into account aspects of the equipment’s features, first getting to know each option, its pros and cons. Please note that installation of the device should not be accompanied by difficulties during its operation. Therefore, it is worth considering the location of the unit in advance. The financial aspect cannot be ignored either. This is an important component, due to which in some cases it is necessary to abandon some options.

Making a solid base

The lower part of a homemade fireplace, which serves as a stand, must be strong and rigid, since in addition to the entire weight of the structure, it must withstand all objects placed on the hearth over a long period.

You can strengthen the lower border using additional inserts; they will be secured inside the cardboard frame. Such “ribs” can be placed along the entire length at certain intervals or simply glued randomly along the entire bottom.

Strengthen all parts for structural reliability

The reinforcement inserts must be the same height, otherwise the weight will be distributed unevenly, which will affect their holding capacity.

The lower part in the form of a stand should always be longer and wider than the main structure of the fireplace, by about 100-120 mm. To make a support, you can use the 2 simplest and most effective methods:

• cut out two identical sheets of cardboard (bottom and top). “ribs” are glued onto one of them to support the fireplace. Here you can use double-sided tape or glue;
• find a flat box with sides and install reinforcing inserts inside.

An easy way to do it yourself

How to decorate a stand?

Like any other element, the stand needs decoration. The simplest thing you can do is to choose original side panels for it, cover the cardboard with self-adhesive tape with a pattern, wrap it in wallpaper or paint it. But there are other, more original ideas.

Self-adhesive with a pattern in the design of the fireplace

If the homemade fireplace was made in honor of the Christmas holidays, the base can be painted red or white and wrapped in rain and garland.

Step by step creating an imitation

For standard, people often use wide baseboards with beautiful patterns. They can be bought at any hardware store and installed in the lower and upper parts of the fireplace; it always looks very beautiful and complete.

Elegant fireplace with wide baseboard

A homemade fireplace of any kind can be made by anyone with no experience in construction. Also, such a hearth will make your apartment or house more comfortable, and during the New Year holidays it will create the necessary magical atmosphere. It is worth noting that Christmas or other photographs next to the fireplace always turn out spectacular and memorable for a lifetime.

Decorative fireplace

Making a fireplace that everyone will love

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The style of a false fireplace

When creating a decorative fireplace made of polystyrene foam, you should definitely adhere to some style. It is best that it harmonizes with the overall idea of ​​the interior of your room. In this case, a false fireplace placed in the living room or other room will certainly become the main accent. When decorating and building, you can start from four main styles:

• Classic style. If you like simple shapes, clear boundaries and strict contours, then it is best to focus on the classic style. A decorative fireplace made in this design will fit perfectly into most interiors.
• Modern style. Unlike the classics, when using the modern style you will need to use your imagination. The distinctive features of this trend are: original color combinations, interesting and unexpected shapes, mixing classic and modern trends. Fireplaces in the Art Nouveau style are in most cases exclusive, clearly matching the design of the room.
• Minimalism, urban and hi-tech styles. Modern styles are distinguished by technological design, simple contours and calm and cool tones in the design. When decorating a false fireplace, glass and metal elements can be used. A built-in bio-fireplace burner can be an excellent addition to your decorative portal. However, in this case it is necessary to strictly adhere to fire safety rules.
• Country styles, Provence. These styles are characterized by natural finishes, homely warmth and comfort, lightness, naive simplicity and grace. When decorating a false fireplace made of foam plastic in these styles, you should definitely use wooden elements.

False fireplace with candles in the firebox

Note that a false fireplace made of cardboard and polystyrene foam is quite lightweight, so if desired, it can be easily moved around the apartment, placed in different places and even rooms, taken out on holidays and put away on weekdays.

At the same time, even before the construction stage, it is advisable to immediately decide where the decorative fireplace will be located, because the location can affect its shape and appearance.