Replacing a fireplace surround around an existing electric fire

Replacing a fireplace surround does not always mean buying a new fire. If you are happy with your existing electric fire, a bespoke surround may give it a different setting, provided the design can accommodate that particular appliance and its installation requirements.

It is worth having that conversation before choosing a complete replacement. You may like the flame effect and controls already, while feeling that the wall around the fire looks unfinished or no longer suits your furniture.

Replacing a fireplace surround starts with the fire

Begin with the make and model of the electric fire, along with its instructions if you have them. The visible front is only part of the picture. Its depth, mounting arrangement, ventilation and access for maintenance all affect what can be built around it.

Send a photograph from the front and another from the side. Include the surrounding wall, skirting and nearby furniture rather than cropping tightly around the appliance. If there is a television or soundbar above it, make sure those are visible too.

The aim is to establish what can stay and what the new surround needs to accommodate. A surround should not be drawn simply to cover a gap before the appliance has been identified. Final suitability needs checking against the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact fire.

A real example from Solihull

In our Solihull project with an existing wall-hung electric fire, the customer wanted a more traditional fireplace feature without replacing his appliance. His brief was for a marble surround tailored to his own design preferences.

We prepared an initial design and made adjustments after his feedback. Once the second draft was approved, he returned to the showroom to compare marble samples and chose Blanco Micro Marble.

The drawings then went to our Birmingham factory, where the fireplace was made to his specifications. The finished Sedona-style surround gives the existing fire a defined mantel, uprights and hearth, changing how the whole wall reads.

The project page includes photographs before and after installation. It is a useful comparison because the fire is the element that stays; the new stonework provides the change. The product photograph at the top of this article shows the Sedona style, rather than that customer’s bespoke installation.

Decide what you want to change about the room

Try to describe the problem before choosing a design. Perhaps the fire looks too small on a broad wall. Perhaps you would like a mantel, or want a lighter material beside darker furniture. Those are different briefs and may lead to different proportions.

A marble fireplace can frame an existing fire quite closely or become a larger feature around it. Neither approach should be chosen from the fire’s width alone. Look at the chimney breast, ceiling height and the amount of wall visible on either side.

Think about the hearth as well. Its projection changes the footprint on the floor, so include it when checking the route between the sofa, doorway and any cupboards. Leave decisions about final dimensions until the room and fire have been assessed together.

Choose the finish alongside what is staying

Keeping the fire means its visible frame becomes part of the colour scheme. Bring that into the comparison, along with the flooring and furniture you intend to retain.

You can explore our colours and finishes before visiting, then compare physical samples. The Solihull customer chose Blanco Micro Marble, but that is one project’s answer rather than a recommendation for every room.

If you are also redecorating, agree the fireplace design before fixing the order of the remaining work. Ask what access and finishing work the installation will need so that new flooring or paintwork is not planned around assumptions.

Find out whether your fire can stay

Browse our fireplace surrounds for the shapes you like, then send us your fire’s model details and photographs. Tell us what you would like to keep and what you would like to change.

We can discuss the options at our Earlswood showroom near Solihull. A successful design starts with understanding the existing appliance and the room, then working out whether new stonework can give you the result you want.