The weather outside may be frightful, but these living room fireplace ideas are simply delightful. Admittedly, even those living in a temperate climate know that beautiful fireplace design makes a powerful first impression, regardless if you’re cozying up fireside in an armchair with a cup of cocoa or warming up a small living room on a chilly summer evening. This eye-catching design element can add major style (and extra heat) to a living room. A fireplace provides an instant focal point and frequently gives the space symmetry, as well as a useful perch to display art and other home decor.

Interior designers are seeing a shift from simple wood frames to emphasis on the fireplace surround. Bynn Esmond, principal designer of Bynn Esmond Designs in San Carlos, California, is also seeing plastered European-style fireplaces. “It adds another level of interest, texture, and a modern look that carry with it a traditional symbol of comfort, especially if it’s an open log-burning fireplace where you can hear the crackle of the flame,” she says. Alice Cheng, principal designer of Shialice Spatial Design in Los Angeles notes social media is influencing the popularity of “marbles with dramatic and fluid movement.”

Whether you’re designing around a traditional fireplace or something that suits contemporary living, know that ambiance is of the utmost importance. “In a large room, putting a too-tiny fireplace may [make it] look lost,” says Swati Goorha, principal of Swati Goorha Designs in New Providence, New Jersey, who urges clients to consider the scale of the room. If your existing room design contradicts this advice, you can consider adding a fireplace surround.

For inspiration, here 47 living room fireplace ideas from recent design projects and AD archives that range from mod midcentury woodstoves to ornate mantels to gorgeous black-and-white marble fireplace surrounds.