You can still make a non-functioning fireplace a stunning focal point by filling the firebox with artfully stacked logs. Not only does this create a beautiful, natural texture, but it contrasts beautifully with the white brick and tile of the fireplace. The rest of the room is equally as gorgeous with illuminated pine garland draped across the mantel matching the glowing tree placed nearby.
24 Ideas for How To Decorate a Non-Working Fireplace for Christmas
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Published: October 4, 2023
Updated: November 14, 2023
When the holiday season rolls around each year, I always envision curling up in front of a cracking fire with my family as we watch our favorite Christmas movies. Unfortunately, our home lacks a fireplace, so I’m left looking for an adequate substitution. Thankfully, crafty and resourceful home designers have addressed this problem by adding faux fireplaces or accessorizing non-working fireplaces to replicate the look.
My favorite approach is to use candles and warm, glowing lights to mimic the look and feel of flickering flames. Whether tucked into the empty firebox or draped across the mantel above, carefully placed light can illuminate a room and give you all sorts of warm feelings. I also love using pine boughs, beaded garlands, and hanging stockings to bring the seasonal flair home.
If you’re like me and are stuck thinking about how to decorate a non-working fireplace, you’re in the right place! Read on for all the best ideas and prepare the deck the halls like never before.
02 of Vintage Faux Fireplace Decor
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Small decorations can make a big impact when used thoughtfully along a faux fireplace. The warm wood of the wooden mantel creates a gorgeous contrast against a white shiplap wall where vintage snowshoes are hung on the wall above. Pine garland and a string of fabric candy canes work together to achieve an unforgettable vintage display.
03 of Black and White Christmas Decoration With Vintage Accents
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Black and white Christmas decorations make a serious statement, especially when paired with a white brick fireplace. Especially notable is the vintage trunk placed inside the fireplace with a grapevine wreath and ceramic container filled with pine logs. The blend of vintage and modern has captured my attention with its stark contrast and warm antique touches.
04 of Long Stone Fireplace Decorated for Christmas
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A long stone fireplace can seem a little dated compared to our modern homes with soaring ceilings. Yet this cozy scene is elevated with contemporary accents, including a patterned chair, metallic Christmas trees along the mantel, and a large stone container tucked into the fireplace. Rooms with small ceilings benefit from being painted a light color to prevent it from feeling too closed in and small.
05 of Luxurious, Elegant Fireplace Scene
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If you want the glow of a fire but aren’t able to light your fireplace, consider filling the firebox with warm lights to mimic the effect. The glowing lights are gorgeous, but my favorite part of this scene is the lush garland with red berries that fills the mantel above, and the golden bells hung nearby. When paired with the red and white stockings and holly sprig painting hung on the wall above, the overall look is luxurious and elegant.
06 of How To Decorate a Non-working Fireplace for Christmas
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Mantels are one of my favorite places to decorate simply because of their visibility and how they draw your attention as soon as you enter a room. Even if you only have a simple white mantel, you can still accessorize it in such a way as to become a decorative focal point. This faux fireplace is an ideal example, with brass candlesticks filled with glowing white candles, pine garland, and knit white stockings.
07 of Black, White, and Red Dining Room Decor
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It’s clear that this homeowner drew inspiration from the non-working fireplace to decorate the rest of this dining room, with the oversized black mantel echoed in the black placemats on the table. The decorative white curtain covers the firebox, matching the gray walls with white molding around the rest of the room. White dishes strongly contrast with the black placemats, while pine garland and pops of red are seen throughout the space.
08 of Stacked Log Detailing in White Brick Fireplace
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A farmhouse home isn’t complete without a fireplace, but older homes may have issues with the fireplace or chimney that may mean it can’t be used. If that’s the case, don’t leave the space empty! Instead, pack it full of logs to remind your family of the organic crackle of a fire. This seemingly minor detail makes a big impact when paired with burlap through pillow and wood accents around a white living room.
09 of White and Green Fireplace Decorated With Trees
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Don’t leave a non-working fireplace empty! Use the space as an additional canvas to adorn, adding simple decorations to your home’s overall look. Even tucking a few simple wooden trees inside is a great way to create cohesion with the white candles and green garland lined up on the mantel above. Miniature trees and stockings continue the white and green theme seen around this cozy living room.
10 of Faux Mantel With Wood Slab Insert
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- home.with.lawrenceandgrace
My dream home will definitely have a fireplace in the bedroom, especially for those cold winter nights. But until that day comes, I’m inspired by adding a thrifted mantel to a wall in our primary suite, like the one pictured here. The wood slab insert helps make the design look like it’s always been in the room, while the window frame decor, wooden sign, and natural grasses displayed in vases accentuate bedroom’s the warm brown walls with white trim.
11 of White Living Room Fireplace
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An all-white living room is the stuff of dreams for me, especially with two preschoolers running around. Someday, though, I hope my home can look as peaceful and serene as this space that’s designed with white walls and a vertical shiplap fireplace. The interior of the firebox is finished with gray brick, while the taupe mantel is accessorized with a draping garland and white knit stockings. A white sofa, rug, and ottoman are paired with a knit blanket and through pillow for a modern, elegant room.
12 of Firebox Accessories for a Cohesive Design
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The firebox of a non-functional fireplace can be a focal point in its own right with the proper accessories. Signs, wrapped boxes, and sprigs of pine accented with red berries will draw your attention to where you would normally find glowing embers. But don’t forget the mantel! Matching accents, including a pine garland and wooden frames, will create cohesion, with monogrammed white stockings as the final touch.
13 of Faux Fireplace With Stacked Logs
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Sometimes, a faux fireplace is a once-functional space that has fallen into disrepair, and other times its design is purposefully only meant for looks. This example of a non-working fireplace is definitely the latter, with a white hearth and mantel displaying a stack of logs and hanging white, knit stockings. The pine garland and modern trees across the mantel adds a natural, organic accent.
14 of Vintage Mantel With Classic Yuletide Decor
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I always want my fireplace to be the first item guests see when they enter my living room. To achieve this, I’d like to mimic the decorative mantel and cut logs used to make a statement here. The antique wooded sign, glowing white candles, and deep red bottle brush trees accentuate the distressed, vintage design on the mantel. Two white knit stockings finish the look, keeping with the classic design.
15 of Fireplace Storage Solution
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No fireplace? No problem! Use two white shelves to create your own fireplace mantel where you can hang your stockings each year. I’d probably do just what I see here and use the empty space to tuck in a simple wicker basket filled with blankets while decorating across the top with a garland and hanging stockings.
16 of Rustic Farmhouse With Pops of Blue
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White shiplap and whitewashed brick are the perfect materials to use when trying to achieve that ideal farmhouse look that is both rustic and cozy. Both materials work together in a white living room accessorized with wooden houses, distressed blue shutters, and a blue leather armchair. Other blue accents around the room are placed perfectly to design a cohesive scene with a stunning color palette.
17 of Clean and Bright Christmas Scene
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Thanks to their elegant, warm glow, white lights are my favorite look for Christmas trees. I adore the white theme in this living room, from the white ornaments to the wicker rocker and the white shiplap accent wall. The rustic mantel helps the whole design feel rustic and vintage, yet clean and bright, with help from the snowy scene visible out the nearby French doors. Simple Christmas decorations, including a garland and antique toys, add just the right touch.
18 of Modern Farmhouse Meets Vintage Christmas
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An empty firebox can draw your attention upon entering a room, but not always in the way you may want. Instead, use the space as decorative storage, such as this basket filled with a white knit throw and matching accent pillows. It blends perfectly with the white brick fireplace, mantel, and knit stockings, while miniature trees and a round mirror accessorize the top. The white shiplap paneling makes the modern farmhouse design meet a vintage Christmas feel.
19 of Book Pages for Fireplace Decor
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I am an admitted bibliophile, so I absolutely want to take a page from the book of this home designer who used old pages to decorate the interior of their non-working fireplace. Not only does this small detail add interest, but it’s also a unique addition that is sure to make a lasting impression. The vintage white mantel, white knit stockings, and vintage mirror that decorate the space all harmonize together into a homey, old-fashioned look.
20 of Herringbone Detailing for Faux Fireplace
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If you really want to make your non-working fireplace pop, add a background that emphasizes the textural difference against the mantel and floors. This faux fireplace’s rustic wood herringbone pattern is simply stunning, especially when combined with the rustic decor arranged across the top of the mantel. Warm glowing candles, layered mirrors, and repurposed shutters accompany green garland, red beaded garland, and patterned stocks to round out the vintage scene.
21 of Simple, Minimalist Holiday Cheer
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I often get caught up in overthinking my design ideas, weighing pros and cons, and trying to see the whole picture all at once. But I need a reminder that simplicity is sometimes the best solution to my decor dilemma, and I don’t need to overcomplicate things. Case in point: the bare white walls and minimalist mantel in this living room are accented with only a few items, all in white. The glowing lantern in the fireplace is my favorite piece seen here.
22 of Rustic Farmhouse Fireplace Decor
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Shiplap and farmhouse go hand-in-hand, as seen in this festive living room. The fireplace features a woodcut panel that makes the firebox look full and organic, matching the floating wood mantel above. A draping garland, a chalkboard sign, and small wooden trees are the ideal pairing for a natural and rustic design.
23 of Faux Fireplace With Stonework
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When it comes to having a non-working fireplace in your home, sometimes it’s due to disrepair or the cost of upkeep. Other times, homeowners want the look of a fireplace with a mantel without the bother of maintenance. A great solution is to create a built-in mantel and decorate the firebox with stone or brickwork, then accent the space with decorations that create a cozy, welcoming Christmas scene.
24 of Disguised Fireplace With Large Planter
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One popular strategy to decorate your fireplace is placing an accent piece in the firebox to draw attention and make it beautiful. Another possibility is to hide or disguise an unused fireplace by placing a large potted plant in front to hide it from view. This approach draws the focus to the planter itself, especially when it matches the flocked garland and Christmas tree that decks the halls of your living room.
