If you are considering a fireplace, you may ask: how do I choose an antique fireplace? We look at how to choose an antique fireplace and what features to look for.

What style of antique fireplace do you like?

Fireplaces can be the final piece that will bring your whole room together. A focal point. So when you're picking your new fireplace for your freshly designed room, you want to make sure you do it right and make the best choice possible. 

There are hundreds of possible options, and it can feel incredibly overwhelming, but we're here to break it down for you. 

Everything from neo-classical marble styles to modern, warm woods, from Tudor to Modernist periods. Are you interested in painstakingly detailed inlaid fireplaces? Or do you want a more rustic stone surround? 

What To Consider Before Opening Up A Fireplace

How Do I Choose An Antique Fireplace?

What Size?

Of course, your new fireplace must fit into your chimney breast, this is obvious, but it's also important to think about how your fireplace will look in comparison to the rest of your room. 

It would be dreadful to finally have your fireplace ready to be installed, just to find that their sizes are incompatible.

You may also find it helpful to take pictures of your room from several angles, so you can imagine how the finished vintage fireplace unit will look once finished.

What style of surround?

There are many different styles of antique fireplaces available; it can be difficult to know what look or aesthetic to go with. If you have an older home with a more retro look, then you may want your fireplace to replicate what would have originally been fitted in your home.

What type of fireplace?

Okay, you've chosen your surround; what next? Now you need to think about what is going to go inside of it. If you really have a need to be period-accurate, then you're probably going to want to choose a fire grate or basket that will look like it has been built directly into your home. 

You need to ask yourself, is the fireplace actually going to be functional, or is it simply a decorative piece? If your fireplace needs to heat up your space, then a stove is always a fantastic choice, though it will look more rustic than other inserts from the Victorian era. 

Hob grates are very historically accurate, but they don't provide heat as efficiently as a full-cast iron insert. Simply for ease of use, you may want the fireplace to run off modern electricity or gas. In this case, then you will need to have a made to measure insert created specifically for your fireplace, so the insert will fit coherently.

Marble, stone, wood or metal?

When looking at vintage or antique fireplaces, the most obvious difference between styles, eras, prices, and more is the material. 

The main four materials fireplaces are constructed out of are marble, stone, wood and metal. As mentioned previously, you need to think about the room where your fireplace will be going. 

Do you need to choose a fireplace for a listed building?

One of the biggest hurdles you may come across when choosing and installing your antique fireplace may appear if you live within a listed building.

If you are residing in a listed building, then there is a good chance you will need to fill out a listed building consent form to be granted permission to replace the fireplace already installed. 

Listed building regulations should not completely halt your antique fireplace project, these problems can be overcome, but they may delay the project. 

So what you need to do is just be patient and seek advice if you're struggling with the formalities of the listing schedule and the listed building consent form.