It’s hard to believe just a few weeks ago we had beautiful, sunny, fall weather. It looks like the crisp, grey days are here to stay; and it’s officially time to cozy up by the fire and enjoy the season!
Several of our clients have decided to remodel and revamp their fireplaces to create a centerpiece of the home just in time for the holidays.
Historically, fireplaces served practical purposes such as heating and cooking, but they have evolved to provide ambiance and add a focal point to any room.
In designing and remodeling a fireplace, there are many elements to take into consideration:
– Where the fireplace will be located?
– Amount of heat you need produced
– Size of the room since the scale is important
Once the structural elements of designing a fireplace are in place, many of the decisions are merely bared on your preference.
Wood-burning? Gas? Electric?
Many clients are changing their wood burning fireplace to gas or electric for convenience. The days of hauling wood inside from the cold outside are over; with a flip of a switch, you can have a roaring fire in seconds. If you have an electrical outlet, you can have an electric fireplace. The simplicity of installation is appealing to some clients.
Electric fireplaces are also a great alternative for someone in a small space or temporary location since it does not require ventilation and installation is just plugging it into the wall. Because of its realistic look and ability to produce heat, gas fireplaces had been considered superior than electric ones. However, there are now some very realistic and good-looking electric fireplaces. It’s hard to beat the crackling of a real fire, so if you enjoy making a fire (or even s’mores), the cost and maintenance routine of a wood-burning fireplace may be worth it.
What type of hearth?
Consider the height of your ceiling when making the decision on what type of hearth.
Flush Hearth – The hearth sits flush to the ground with the material on the floor in front of the fireplace.
This Wilsonville den features a flush hearth fireplace as part of their media storage wall.
Raised Firebox – The fireplace is raised up but does not feature a hearth.
This ADU has a fireplace on the living room wall. As a retired teacher, our client needed ample storage for her books. Put a piece of art above this fireplace, and it’s good to go!
Fireplaces provide a commanding presence in any room. They are an anchor for the furniture arrangement, a natural gathering spot, and exude a cozy ambiance. There are several ways to integrate a fireplace into your remodel. No matter if it’s existing or brand new, a facelift on a fireplace can go miles in terms of updating the look and feel of your home and for adding resale value.
Raised Hearth/Built-In Storage Unit
There’s always the design dilemma to feature a TV hanging over the fireplace. While a TV can takes away from the beauty of the fireplace, some clients like the option to have their media above a roaring fire. If possible, we’d suggest housing the TV in another location. The old-world idea of a relaxing fireplace can cause conflicting focal points when the TV is fighting for attention as well. Ideally, televisions should be at eye-level, so placing the TV above the fireplace can be a little high, but it’s your home – so anything goes!
This raised hearth fireplace also offers additional seating. If you’re lacking in seating for large groups and entertain a lot, a raised hearth in a living room remodel solves that.
This Lake Oswego home features a TV/Fireplace combination & flanking bookcases in a shallow living room
A wooden valance mimics the mantle and ties in the TV to the overall design of the built in bookcases.
Asymmetrical Design
We created a sheetrock niche to nestle the TV into the room which connects the contemporary fireplace in this Garden Home remodel.
Fireplace Materials
There are many different styles of not only the fireplace insert, but also the surrounding material. Whether you have a traditional home or a contemporary loft, the materials selected to create your fireplace feature will drive the entire room design.
Tile Fireplace Surround
Cultured Stone Surround – Utilizing a neutral color palette and impefect stones add dimension
This Lake Oswego living room remodel features a tile and cultured stone surround fireplace.
We have remodeled homes with clients adding, modifying or sometimes even eliminating a fireplace to cater to a better design in the room. There’s no denying that the fireplace is the ultimate gathering place for relaxing, entertaining and enjoying your friends and family’s company. We turn to Fireside Distributors for all of our fireplace questions and installs. Interested in creating a new fireplace design in your home? Let’s come up with a great design to maximize functionality and create a cozy spot for you and your family.