5 Fireplace Surround Ideas That Work in Chicagoland Homes
The best fireplace surround ideas for a Chicagoland home come down to five materials: stone, tile, wood, marble and concrete. Each suits a different kind of house and asks something different of you in upkeep. Choose the material first, then match the mantel to the fireplace, then plan the rest of the wall around both.
Two words first. The surround is the material that frames the fireplace opening. The mantel is the shelf, or the full frame, above and around it. The hearth is the floor in front.
Five fireplace surround ideas that work in Chicagoland homes
1. Stone: stacked veneer or a smooth slab
Stone is the surround most people picture. It brings texture and weight to a room. Stacked stone veneer is thin-cut stone laid in layers for a rugged look; a smooth honed slab gives a calmer, modern face. Veneer is the practical choice, because it is light enough to go on an ordinary framed wall, which is what makes a floor-to-ceiling stone wall possible. Eldorado Stone is one veneer line we work with. Stone holds heat and gives it back slowly, and it needs little beyond dusting and, on some stones, an occasional sealer.
2. Tile: the most choice for the least depth
Tile gives the widest range of looks for the least thickness on the wall. White subway tile reads as classic, a large porcelain tile in one color reads as modern, and a patterned or hand-glazed tile makes the surround the feature of the room. Ceramic and porcelain shrug off the heat around an opening and years of cleaning, and they do not stain the way some natural stone can. Because tile is thin, it is also the easiest surround to change later.
3. Wood: warmth, with one rule
Wood brings a warmth that stone and tile cannot. A reclaimed beam over stone suits a farmhouse or a ranch; a painted, paneled full mantel suits a colonial or a bungalow; a floating shelf is the simplest of all. The one thing to know about wood is that it burns. Every fireplace comes with a clearance figure from its maker, the distance anything combustible must stay from the opening. That figure decides how high a wood mantel can sit. We check it against the unit before anything is cut, and it is why a wood surround is nearly always paired with a band of stone or tile right at the opening.
4. Marble: the formal choice
Marble is the formal surround. White marble with soft gray veining suits a traditional or a transitional living room; a dark green or black marble makes a smaller, bolder frame. Marble handles the heat well. What it does not like is acid: a spilled drink or a harsh cleaner can dull the polish, so it wants a gentle cleaner and a sealer every year or two.
5. Concrete: quiet and modern
Concrete gives the calmest modern look of the five. A cast surround can be one smooth piece, a set of large panels, or a long floating hearth in pale gray, and it pairs especially well with a long linear gas fireplace. Concrete is heavy, so a cast surround is planned and supported as part of the installation rather than added later. If the wall cannot take it, a concrete-look porcelain tile gives a very similar face at a fraction of the weight.
The five materials side by side
| Material | Suits | Upkeep | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone veneer | Rustic, farmhouse and transitional rooms; full-height walls | Dusting; a sealer on some stones | Light enough for a framed wall |
| Tile | Any style, depending on the tile | Wipe down; keep the grout clean | The easiest to change later |
| Wood | Traditional, farmhouse and craftsman homes | Dust; refinish over the years | Must respect the clearance figure |
| Marble | Traditional and formal rooms | Seal every year or two; mild cleaner only | Acids dull the polish |
| Concrete | Modern rooms and linear gas fireplaces | Wipe down; a sealer | Heavy; plan the support with the install |
Matching the mantel to the fireplace
The mantel is the piece that most decides the style of the wall, so start from the house you already have.
- Traditional and colonial homes: a painted or stained full wood mantel with a molded shelf, over marble, brick or smooth stone.
- Modern homes: a floating shelf or no mantel at all, over large tile, concrete or a smooth slab. A linear gas fireplace suits this best.
- Farmhouse and rustic homes: a reclaimed beam or a distressed timber over stacked stone, shiplap or brick.
- Transitional homes, which describes a lot of houses in the western suburbs: a simple wood mantel with clean lines over neutral tile or limestone.
Then let the fireplace and the room decide the rest. A tall traditional gas or wood fireplace wants a mantel above it. A long, low linear unit usually looks better with none. In a small room a slim mantel keeps the wall from crowding you; in a big room with high ceilings a substantial one gives the fireplace presence.
Size the mantel and the surround to the fireplace, not the other way round. The face of a gas fireplace or insert has a fixed size and the surround has to meet it cleanly, so we measure the unit before the stone or tile is ordered. Our mantels and surrounds page shows the styles we build and install, and the mantels and surrounds range has the full mantels and shelves on display in the showroom.
The whole feature wall
A surround and a mantel can stand alone on a painted wall. Or the whole wall can be the design: stone or plaster from floor to ceiling, built-in shelves either side, the television above or beside it, lighting picked out. That is a feature wall.
Start with the room. In a large room a full-height wall with a wide hearth gives the space a center. In a smaller room the same treatment can swallow it, so keep the stone or tile to the surround and let paint do the rest. Choose one material to carry the wall and let everything else be quiet: stacked stone veneer from floor to ceiling is the classic version, smooth plaster with no mantel is the modern one, and painted brick sits between the two.
If you want the television above a gas or wood fireplace, tell us early. The heat rising off the opening sets how high it can sit, and some gas fireplaces are built to keep the wall above them cool for exactly that reason.
Built-ins are the last layer. Shelves or cabinets either side give a wide wall a shape and hide the vent run and the gas line on a new install, which is why we design and install the fireplace, the surround and the wall as one job. The gallery shows finished walls in local homes and is the quickest way to find the one you like.
Updating a surround without rebuilding the wall
If the fireplace works and the wall is sound, you rarely need to start over.
- Swap an old mantel for a new beam or a clean shelf.
- Reface a tired brick surround with tile or stone veneer laid over the brick.
- Paint or limewash brick you want to keep.
- Fit a gas insert into an old masonry opening. It is often the moment to redo the surround, because the insert’s face and the new surround are sized together.
Usually the new material sits flush with the face of the fireplace or the insert; the fireplace manual’s clearance to combustibles governs the finish, and it still applies to any wood.
Common questions
What should go above the mantel?
One thing, not five. A mirror, a single large painting or the television all work, and each looks better with a little space around it. Keep the shelf itself fairly plain so the surround, not the clutter, is what you see.
Can the television go above the fireplace?
Usually, with two conditions. It has to sit above the heat that rises off the opening, and it should not be so high that you crane your neck from the sofa. A linear gas fireplace built to keep the wall cool, or an electric fireplace, makes it easiest.
Do I have to remove the old brick to change the surround?
Not usually. Tile and stone veneer can be laid over sound brick, and paint or limewash transforms brick you want to keep. Brick only comes out when it is damaged, when the opening is being resized for an insert, or when you want a flush modern wall.
Does the hearth have to match the surround?
No. A wood-burning fireplace needs a noncombustible hearth in front of the opening, but the material is your choice, and most direct-vent gas fireplaces do not need one at all. Many people run the same stone or tile through both; others use a contrasting slab of slate or bluestone as a base under a lighter surround.
Talk it through in the showroom
A Fireplace Store and More is at 1202-B 75th Street in Downers Grove, open seven days. Bring a photo of the wall or the opening, or just the question. We size it, quote it in writing and install it with our own team. Book a showroom or in-home visit, ask for a written estimate, or call (630) 241-1919.