The Centerpiece of Your Home, the Fireplace
It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to design your own fireplace. You might be designing a new home. Maybe you’re in the planning stages of a big remodeling project - so why not design a new fireplace while you have everything torn up anyway? If you get this chance, why not go ahead and do it? It’s hard work, but there is a lot of fun to be had in the process.
The place to start on your fireplace design is the hearth. The hearth is both an aesthetic design decision as well as a practical one. Do you want the fire raised so it stands prominently in the room or do you want it at the floor level? If it is raised, you will have a platform to work from as you kindle your fire. If it is at floor level, make sure not too install th carpet too close!
The orientation and depth of the firebox is something which is often neglected. A larger firebox will give you the space to build larger fires. You might not want a full on bonfire in your fireplace, but the extra space lets your fire breathe and gives you room to work when you need to add wood or work with a poker. A smaller firebox has a more elegant look and works better for a gas fireplace; a smaller firebox pushes the heat out front.
The most prominent design feature of your fireplace is going to be the materials used to make the fireplace. The traditional choice here is a red brick with a white mantel on top. However, nowadays there are so many more options, you would be cheating your self not to consider some others. Keep the materials consistent with the other design elements in the house and you will have a fireplace that welcomes you everytime you enter the room.
Once you have the basics of the fireplace design in place, you can tap your creative side to decide how to decorate your fireplace. Do you want to have a mantel to display trophies or how about some pictures of your loved ones to spruce it up? Don’t hold back with these elements. This is the funnest part and will give you a fireplace to be proud of for years to come.