Before you start to design your fireplace, you first need to stretch your imagination!
You already have an image in your mind as to how you will use the fireplace! visualize that image!
Do you visualize it using as a gathering space for friends and family?
or Is it more of a romantic focal point? or both?
Perhaps you picture curling-up in front of the fireplace on a cold night! Indeed, you may be considering a fireplace as a primary heat source, or maybe it’s purely for decorative purposes!
Fireplace in a home is not just the place to retreat your family, but it can be a great focal point of your room! It is a structure made of stone, brick or metal designed to contain the fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambience they create & for heating a room. It will also add warmth and character to your space!
Have you ever thought, the people living in colder regions, who can’t afford fireplace in their homes – How would they survive in winters? People had to take extreme measures just to get through the cold and snow for months out of the year. In olden days, fuel came in the form of firewood, coal, or dried dung, depending on what a family could afford or was most easily available. The simpler houses would have one big fireplace made of brick or stone that people could walk into!
Here we give you some tips on how you can design your fireplace in your home and show-off some great aesthetics, no matter what interior style do you have!
01. Choose the Best Possible Fireplace Locations!
While thinking your fireplace’s use, you can probably imagine the spot for it! The most common fireplace locations are living room or a family room because they are the room most used! Some homeowners like a fireplace in the kitchen or the bedroom. Some even have one placed in the bathroom, though it sees less use in such a setting!
Your desired fireplace location will help you determine fuel type! If you are considering a wood-burning fireplace, you must choose an external wall. Contractors will also have to construct a chimney accordingly!
With new technology both in gas and electric fireplaces it now allows the contractors to build fireplaces into any wall or even without wall! A gas or electric fireplace can even stand in the center of a room!
Before you decide your fireplace location, also consider the other heating sources in your home. if you have central heating system installed, you must look for vents location and place your fireplace accordingly. If you don’t have a central heating system or in case of power-cut, consider placing your fireplace at the centre between your living and dining room, if you have open plan layout!
02. Fireplace Space Planning!
While selecting the best fireplace design and style you must have to consider the scale i.e. size of the fireplace with respect to the size of your space & overall interior decor.Now a days the good news is that the fireplaces aren’t just for the large living spaces, they can be designed for the urban compact spaces too. Nowadays your fireplace has become a piece of furniture in your room that can be moved around or rearranged when required!
03. Fireplace Variety:
Today you can look for the various fireplace options in the market; you no longer need a chimney. Fireplace manufacturers have developed systems that you can operate using either electric, ethanol or natural gas!
So the first thing you need to do is determine the type of fireplace that will work for your home. For example, if you are building a new home & you have a little more control over this, & you can incorporate a traditional fireplace wherever you want! If you want a fireplace for a more urban location, you may want to opt with a vent-less fireplace that doesn’t require the traditional chimney system. This is also the case when you are remodeling or upgrading a space, & you are limited to the existing architecture!
04. Fireplace Style:
Traditional Style – Natural Stone Fireplace
Traditional Style – Natural Stone Fireplace
Fireplace style must suit the style of your room. For example from a rustic retreat to an elegant countryside; no matter what style home you have, you can design your fireplace style that fits rightly with the overall style of your home decor.
05. Budget for your Fireplace:
You have to first decide the budget for fireplace before you buy or renovate. If you are remodeling your existing fireplace than it will cost you less but if you are installing a brand new fireplace than the cost will definitely be more!
Finalising the budget at the start will make the process of choosing the fireplace easier & less stressful. Installing fireplaces also involve a lots of hidden costs. Basically there are two costs to consider first – the cost of the actual appliance & the cost of the installation. Gas & electric fireplaces will offer the budget-friendly options with the least amount of remodeling involved to install them. Hence, if budget is a concern, you might lean towards those options.
Usually, people focus on buying a cheap gas fired or wood burning stove because all of the budgets is spent on installation. This means they have selected the wrong type of appliance! The appliance should always cost more than installation. Remember, talk to the sales consultants or visit the fireplace showrooms to see the various fireplace styles & the share of installation costs on the final amount paid!
06. Fireplace Surround:
The fireplace surround can consist of a variety of materials including concrete, wood paneling, brick & stone. The selection of the material will depend on the overall look you want to create to design your fireplace!While considering your fireplace surround, you also have to consider if there will be any overhang in front of fireplace to give an extra charm to a space. This can be a great look, depending on the setting, & what you want to showcase there! You can also add plants, pottery & other decorative elements to the room. If your fireplace is flush with the flooring, you need to decide what kind of material you are going to use between your flooring & fireplace.
07. Logs Storage for Wood Fireplace:
If you are going to place a traditional wood fireplace in your home, you should know where to store your logs. It should be near the fireplace, no need to track the wood remnants throughout your room. Generally, it is located on sides of the fireplace for easy use. Of course, the storage should be large enough that you stock up for long cold stretches & keep your room neat & clean!If you don’t have the space for storage, think the creative way to store the logs for your wood fireplace!
08. Fireplace Mantels:
Courtesy – woodlanddirect
Fireplace mantel or a mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The fireplace is incomplete without a proper mantel. It is important to have the proper mantel to keep the fireplace surrounds clean and safe! It’s from ages; the fireplace has always acted as a key element in building-up a beautiful environment within the home, and fireplace mantel on the other hand, has helped in keeping the surroundings clean, tidy and safe while lighting a fire during winter seasons!
Fireplace mantles can be made from different materials, such as wood, marble & cast iron. It is a nice way to tie colours & decor together in your room. There are many decor options and ideas for fireplace mantels. You can decorate & design your fireplace mantels by using artwork, vases and pottery that match the colours of that space along with the colour of the furniture.
Fireplace mantels are not always required. It all depends on the look you want to create. But if you want to give it, think creatively and make sure that you use the right material with right dimensions to suit your ideas!
Hope this tips would be helpful to design your fireplace at your home. Share your ideas & comment below for any queries!