The 25 Best Fireplace Tile Ideas in 2022

No matter what room your fireplace occupies, one thing remains: your hearth will always be the heart of that room. A focal point for your space, the fireplace should be treated less as just a source of heat and more as a tool to bring the cool factor to your home. And speaking of cool, tile of all finishes, prints, and materials are our current chimney-covering of choice.

While tile can be seen as a strictly utilitarian addition to wet spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens, that doesn't mean it can't also be a gorgeous design complement to your fireplace. Ceramic or glass tiles can add a beautiful shine we're not used to seeing outside of a kitchen backsplash, making for an unexpected but beautiful addition to any living room or bedroom.

Whether you're looking to update an original chimney structure or add a classic hearth to your contemporary build, here are 25 stunning fireplace tile ideas to inspire your space.

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Line Subway Tile With White Grout

fireplace tile ideas — Photo: Amy Bartlam

If you're working with an outdated hearth, a couple of simple updates will modernize its look. This white-on-white subway tile facade, paired with glass fireplace doors feels fresh and looks right at home in this contemporary space.

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Enhance a Neutral Interior

If you're tired of looking at the soot-stained interior of your chimney (and no chimney sweep in the world can get it to look somewhat tidy), consider tiling the inside of your fireplace. Just be sure to opt for fire-safe tiles such as stone or ceramic.

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Try Sky-High Tile Installation

A living room with a sofa and tile fireplace — Courtesy of Charbonneau Interiors

If you're lucky enough to have high ceilings, why cut the potential of your fireplace short? (we mean this literally and figuratively). Instead, elongate the structure using a floor-to-ceiling tile installation to make your room look taller and more modern.

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Go for 50 Shades of Gray Chevron Tile

gray tile fireplace and blue chair — @devon_grace_interiors

Rather than install tiles in a been-there horizontal direction, turn them at a 45-degree angle to create a zig-zag pattern, also known as chevron. A chevron-pattern tile framing your minimalistic fireplace makes an original chimney look modern, especially in this mix of steel, silver, and dark gray tones.

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Add Blue and White Star-Print Tile

a living room with a fireplaces and sofa — Courtesy of Chelius House Of Design

A simple patterned tile place along the foot of your heart is just the touch of style your fireplace is missing. This star print tile placed on the step-up of this fireplace brilliantly ties this coastal décor together and ties in shades of blue and white fabulously.

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Play With Pearly Ceramic Tiles

tile fireplace in a living room — DESIGN: MINDY GAYER DESIGN CO., PHOTO: VANESSA LENTINE

In this living room, the pearlescent ceramic tiles add a beautiful shine that contrasts the matte blue built-ins perfectly. Furthermore, the way it ties in soft, sandy shades of taupe and beige without overshadowing the décor throughout the room is interior design at its best.

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Use Black Chevron Tile With White Grout

tile fireplace ideas — WHITTNEY PARKINSON DESIGN

If you're not thinking of your grout as an added design element, you're doing it all wrong. This gorgeous living room utilizes black chevron tile and white grout to create the look of a rug directly in front of the chimney. Creating contrast with grout truly makes this small area a true work of art.

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Use Oversized Gray Tile

tile fireplace in an open living room — DESIGN: KRISTIN GLANDON OF KG DESIGNS, PHOTO: EMILY KENNEDY

Oversized matte gray ceramic tiles with a subtle gradient are a dead ringer for concrete slabs. This minimalist fireplace brings a cool element to this rustic, traditional living room.

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Contrast Traditional Tile With Marble

This earthy eclectic living room maintains integrity through the design of the modern-meets-traditional fireplace. The traditional tile print contrasted with a slab of marble at the foot of the fireplace is the best of both worlds.

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Stack Royal Blue Subway Tiles

If color is your thing, don't compromise your style for a tile composition. This royal blue subway tile feels right at home in this colorful retreat.

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Compose a Black and White Pattern

When you start seeing your fireplace as an opportunity to create art, you'll turn heads in the best of ways. This head-turning design utilizes black and white marble tiles to create a basketweave pattern that's unique to this mantle.

The uniqueness of the room doesn't stop there—the cool tile pattern is accentuated by prints all around the room, including the wallpaper on the walls.

12 of 25

Grout White Picket Tile in Black

Tile fireplace with black painted walls — REBECCA ROLLINS

If you like the look of white subway tile with black grout, but you're looking for something a bit more unique, consider the picket tile shape. Long and narrow, with pointed ends, this style is a new take on the classic shape.

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Go for High-Gloss Subway Tile

fireplace with a tile wall — TYLER KARU DESIGN

Though we typically see tile only over certain parts of the mantle, this fireplace features floor-to-ceiling subway tile in a pearlescent sheen. If you have a similar setup that allows for a full-wall tile job, you'd be surprised how much this glossy finish reflects light.

14 of 25

Work Around Vintage Tile

If you're remodeling an older build, consider working around the home's most charming elements, like this vintage Spanish tile fireplace facade. The addition of shiplap and sea-inspired elements gives this living room a coastal feel, while still honoring the original tile.

15 of 25

Add a Spanish-Inspired Print

tile fireplace with mirror above — REBECCA ROLLINS

If you're working with newer construction, that doesn't mean you can't insert the old-old world charm you crave via a Spanish-inspired recreation. This white with grayish-blue print is just the look you want to make your casita shine.

16 of 25

Set a Serene Scene

If you're working with a serene color palette of soft beiges and airy whites, and you prefer not to disrupt your zen with a loud tile, this high-shine beige tile with a subtle wood grain adds a bit of sparkle in a subtle way.

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Faux the Wooden Look With Tile

Thanks to modern design technology, tile can come in all shapes, sizes, and prints. This oversized square tile boasts a faux lattice wood that would look perfect in a vineyard home or in a wine cellar.

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Make an Impact With White Penny Tile

tile fireplace and a gallery wall — Michelle Berwick Design

A delicate penny tile can surprisingly make quite the graphic impact. A white tile, paired with black grout looks modern on this sky-high black mantle, and looks right at home with bold art on the walls.

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Incorporate Modern Micro Tile on a Traditional Mantle

tile fireplace in a living rom — Sarah Fultz Interiors

If you love the look of a modern tile fireplace but refuse to bid adieu to your traditional mantle craftsmanship, this pairing is both sophisticated and luxe.

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Bathe in Black

You don't need a working chimney to get the feel of a traditional fireplace in your home. This faux fireplace uses black tiles in a chevron pattern with white grout to create depth and make the opening look larger.

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Try a Black and White Star Print

The classic black and white star print tile is surprisingly so versatile. While it has the ability to sway toward a vintage, Art Deco look, in this setting, it fits right in with eclectic decor.

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Warm Things Up With Sunburst Print

A living room with tile fireplace — White Sands Design/Build

Texture plays a major role in home design, as we all know, and when your fireplace is the focal point of your living room, playing with that design element is crucial.

We love how this space utilizes a tile facade, reclaimed wood mantle, shaggy rug, leather, and velvet to warm things up and create an inviting setting.

23 of 25

Tile With Matte Ceramic Stones

tile fireplace in a room with stone — Ashley Montgomery Design

While the thought of tile fireplaces may bring images of modern homes to mind, this tile chimney is proof you can enjoy the clean, stone look in other settings as well. This beige, ceramic tile boasts an old-world cottage feel in this luxury cabin.

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Pair Modern Chevron Tile With Old-World Craftsmanship

tile fireplace with a mirror above — Ashley Montgomery Design

If you're unsure of whether you fit better in a modern glass house or a rustic Tudor style suits you best, there's always a way to curb your in-between craving. This living room pairs a modern chevron tile in a steel color with the craftsmanship of a vintage mantle. The odd couple is both visually striking and unique.

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Keep Vintage Square Tiles

Whether you're working with existing tiles that just need a little love, or you're sourcing old tiles for a new renovation, these vintage square tiles are proof that brand new isn't the only option. This pre-loved mantle and fireplace is beautiful in its original state.

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