One of the first rules of decorating: mosaic art fireplaces are a focal point for the room. There’s a reason that even houses in warmer climates have them – and it’s really not about the warmth. They’re a great visual centerpiece, making decorating easier and setting the tone for the style of any home.

Done properly, fireplace surrounds can look stunning year-round. There’s a generous expanse of horizontal space that is perfect for some extra oomph – and mosaic designs is an easy way to achieve it. It can be added over existing surfaces like brick, and the results are incredible. If you ever doubt the impact of a fireplace, you’ll see that adding the right mosaic art can transform any space.

Why Mosaic Tile Art for Fireplaces?

You may have heard that mosaic wall art can be tough – but why is it so durable? Unlike other art forms that need special care and preferably climate-controlled surroundings, the materials that are used in mosaic tiles have already been through a process that makes them exceptionally resistant to heat, moisture, and other environmental conditions. They have, literally, been through fire already!

If you’re worried about how well mosaic tiles can hold up, remember that they are commonly used for floors, exterior wall decoration, swimming pool mosaics, showers, tabletops, and kitchen mosaic backsplashes. There are fine examples of tile work that are centuries old!

If you’ve not considered adding mosaic art to your fireplace before, you’ll definitely find our gallery of looks to be inspirational!

Echoes of Mid-Century

Strong geometric mosaic elements are part of Mid-Century Modern homes. Bringing out the strength of this look, these fireplace tiles rely on shape and mosaic pattern. Some of the key design concepts of this era are clean lines, a lack of embellishment, and simplicity. Danish Modern furniture is a good example of the look.

How can you incorporate the idea into your fireplace tile project? Think more about the pattern, and less about the colors. As a matter of fact, less is more, when you’re undertaking the transformation. You’ll see a predominance of blacks, whites, and browns used here. That’s not to say that you have to keep it dark – lighter tones are actually just as striking.

You’ll notice that a simple and neutral palette seems to feature prominently in Mid Century looks. The beauty of mosaic art is that the texture adds just the right accent, even with a color scheme that is monochromatic.

With the popularity of pottery, furniture, and other art from this era growing popular, adding these types of elements to a fireplace is a way to bring a whole room together. With the right bold pattern, it’s nice to let it be a statement, and keep everything else simple. When you’re dealing with black and white, it seems to make everything look crisper.

Adding even a border geometric mosaic to your fireplace will also reference the same aesthetic, without overwhelming a smaller room. Projects like this are an attainable DIY goal, moving a room into the 21st century while still enjoying your favorites.

Exotic Echoes

Mosaic wall art has been a traditional way to adorn interiors since ancient times. The brilliant colors, energetic contrasts, and motifs have remained popular today. Whether just part of an overall look that references Morocco or Mexico or as a stand-alone piece of art, it is another example of fireplace tiling that you can use in your own home.

If you’re perplexed at where to begin, we’ve gathered some examples that will run the gamut from bohemian touches to big statements. Ethnically influenced style can be just as wild or mild as you want it to be. Heavily layered swathes of patterns can feel just as exotic as smaller accent pieces in strong colors. There’s no one-size-fits-all take on this look. It can use your past travels from any country, combine it with any size of room or color scheme, and look marvelous.

Let’s look at the ways it can completely change the look of your fireplace.

The vivid blues of this treatment are definitely Moroccan inspired. But is it overwhelmingly ornate? No. The colors do a lot of the work, here. With the indigo blues surrounding the fireplace, the focal point is rather intense, but the graduated colors blend in the rest of the room’s art.

In this room, saturated greens keep it cool. Note how they used different sizes and patterns of tiles to highlight the structure of the fireplace. This is also a great idea for a project in your own home. Use the smaller tiles on curved elements, so that they can follow the lines of your fireplace. Larger, more dramatic mosaic field tile pieces can be applied to the upper sections, where there is more flat space.

Using the Moroccan design of flower mosaic art is another way to bring out the exotic in your fireplace tile work. It can be used as above, just surrounding the fireplace, or to outline other features, such as the mantel or chimney edges. It also combines well with solid color tiles.

In this treatment, vividly colored mosaic tiles evoke traditional South African Ndebele art. There is no need to seek out the right painting to hang over this type of fireplace – it’s already a statement!

A touch of traditional Islamic-style religious mosaic tile art also makes a fireplace niche into an appealing piece of eye candy that can be utilized for candles on special occasions. The wonderful thing about modern mosaic wall art is that the designs are already pre-set, and adding them as an accent has never been easier.

Beach Scenes

Fireplaces and cool nights on the coast are a perfect blend. While you may not think of your hearth as a spot to celebrate a beach house look – well, think again. There are some really stunning ways to always keep the best parts of the seaside lifestyle in your home year-round.

No matter what part of the country you live in, this look is popular. It’s casual, welcoming, and uses soft tones and interesting textures. Beach style isn’t just about the motif, it’s about a light, comfortable feeling for you and your guests.

From an actual beach house to your own retreat, using your fireplace to showcase the look is quite easy. Mosaic tile is available in literally any color you can think of, and the textures of mosaic wall art are well suited to the seaside look you’re looking for. Here are some ideas to get you started.

It’s always been tempting to utilize those buckets of shell finds, and this mosaic art uses several summer’s worth of beauties in a playful way. It’s a little bit of California, and a little bit of Italian grotto style art. It’s bold enough, even with the pale colors of the shells.

But, keeping all those shells dusted off may not seem like the most appealing prospect. Don’t worry, you can still get the same feeling with the right mollusco mosaic art motif. A look like this can accomplish what an entire mantel and carefully chosen room accessories would do. The color scheme is perfect for any room that’s done in the coastal style.

Not all beaches are sandy. For many of us, a day at the beach makes us think of smooth pebbles and sea glass. This swirling style utilizes rounded stones and driftwood that have been carefully placed all the way to the ceiling.

Here, a beach cottage uses a mosaic tile pattern that lets you see the waves, even as you look at the flames. The deeper tones and blues used here would work very well with many nautical motifs.

The great news is that this look is easy to reproduce in your own home, using a ready-to-use abstract bathroom backsplash waves mosaic that provides the same beautiful, eye-catching effect. You can even use these pieces over the existing brick.

ARTISTICALLY ELEVATED

Mosaic art can be anything you want it to be – but it lends itself particularly well to the whimsical and freewheeling. If you’re interested in making your fireplace a piece of art, animal mosaic art are perhaps the easiest way to accomplish your goal.

If you can dream it, you can create it. This tongue-in-cheek tile art keeps the spirit of a roaring fire alive even in the off-season. Sometimes, fireplaces aren’t functioning, but still an important part of the space. This is the perfect way to enjoy the spirit, if not the warmth, of your hearth.

This piece is an outdoor fireplace, but the concept can work anywhere. A riotous blend of colors and tile shapes almost distracts from the actual fire! Mosaic wall art is actually tough enough to be used outside. If you’re looking for ways to enhance your outdoor living area, it’s versatile and can withstand the elements.

You can reproduce either of these looks easily with a fire flame mosaic pattern. One like this can be customized to fit the dimensions of your own fireplace project.

This surround was done in 1901 and still looks fresh today. The colors and design are just as attractive to the modern eye. This particular piece was designed by George Washington Maher and was part of the Patrick King House in Chicago.

When you compare it to the free-spirited look of this fireplace, they really don’t seem that far apart, do they? The colors still are exhilarating, and they make this the centerpiece of the room.

What to Keep in Mind

If you’re considering a fireplace transformation with mosaic tile, you’ll need to do some prep work. For existing fireplaces, you should be able to apply the new tiles over flat surfaces such as brick or older tile. Once you’ve determined the correct measurements, you can select your favorite mosaic art and go through the mosaic installation process.

You might want to take some photos of your current fireplace to help you visualize the way that a new tile installation will look. Remember, this will be a focal point in your room – and picking the right design and colors will have some amazing impact in the space!

For more great ideas about how to transform your room with mosaic wall art, be sure to check out the nearly endless array of designs, colors, and motifs in our online mosaic art catalog.