How Fireplaces are Making a Comeback in Home Design

Category: Fireplace

Trends come and go in home design and it’s not uncommon for trends from the past to show up as new trends after a decade or so. Fireplaces, which have always been popular in some geographic areas, are coming back as a huge trend for home design.

Fireplaces are popular again with designers because they offer a stylish function that homeowners want and the luxurious touch that homebuyers today look for in new homes. Fireplaces can boost energy efficiency and help heat older homes that don’t have a lot of air flow or new homes that are just so large that the HVAC system just can’t heat the entire house.

In historical homes, it’s not unusual to find a fireplace in every room, although few of them actually work anymore. Some homeowners would love to restore those fireplaces to boost the historical value of the home and to provide better heat since vintage or legacy homes are known for being cold and drafty.

Fireplaces have become popular in home and construction. Home designers today are bringing this trend back although not for actual heating purposes but to give rooms a coziness and an elegance that is very attractive to homeowners today who really want their homes to be a refuge from the outside world.

Some of the places where home designers are adding fireplaces in modern homes are:

Master Bedrooms

In large family homes, the master bedroom suite has gotten bigger and more luxurious. In most new construction homes, the master bedroom is more like an apartment than a suite. When people who have older homes upgrade their homes they often add a luxurious master suite.

Having a fireplace in the master suite is very common because the fireplace makes the large suite more intimate and gives it that extra touch of warmth and luxury that a bedroom should have.

A modern gas fireplace can also help heat up the master bedroom in older homes that might not have great airflow or circulation which can make bedrooms on the outer edge of the home cold.

In master suites that include sitting rooms a fireplace is a great add-on to make that sitting room a cozy and relaxing space where the homeowner can read, craft, watch movies, or just take a cozy nap.

Media Rooms

Many homeowners are converting garages and basements to media rooms. But when they use alternative spaces like garages and basements for living space, they often don’t want to reroute the entire HVAC to include those spaces.

Adding a fireplace to the layout and design of an alternative space will add atmosphere to the room and help make the room warmer so that it’s a more comfortable living space.

Modern gas fireplaces can safely put out a lot of heat so home designers and homeowners are relying on fireplaces to help turn unused space like garages and basements into usable and comfortable living spaces for the whole family.

A fireplace in a media room is a great way to provide atmosphere and warmth without increasing the amount of light in the room that could distract from the screen or cause glare that would make it difficult to see the screen.

Bathrooms

Bathroom design has changed a lot over the last decade. While bathrooms used to be built more for function and less for style these days everyone wants bathrooms that are spa-like and comfortable. Bathrooms are becoming a place to relax and not just a functional space.

To make master bathrooms and en-suite bathrooms more relaxing home designers are including gas fireplaces in the bathroom. Often there a dual-sided fireplace with half residing in the master bedroom and half residing in the master bathroom so that on cold mornings the residents can get dressed by a cozy fire in their own bathroom.

Soaking in a relaxing herbal tub is a lot nicer when the tub is situated in front of a roaring fire. Fireplaces are the perfect way to turn an ordinary bathroom into a spa escape for stressed-out homeowners.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Another alternative space where home designers are including fireplaces for function and style is an outdoor living space. Outdoor entertaining and outdoor living space has become a popular way for homeowners to maximize their square footage and get the most living space out of their homes.

Adding a fireplace to an outdoor deck, outdoor living space or outdoor kitchen provides much-needed heat when the weather is chilly and contributes to a great atmosphere for entertaining or just enjoying the outdoors.

When the weather is cool sitting outside near a fireplace is a safe and enjoyable way to make the most of the crisp fall air. And when entertaining the fireplace in an outdoor space gives guests more options when it comes to finding spots where they can sit and talk and enjoy the party.

outdoor fireplace

Dining Rooms

Formal dining rooms are making a comeback in a big way and one of the new things that designers are including informal dining spaces is a fireplace. Designers love putting fireplaces in dining rooms to add some visual interest and turn a narrow box of a room that barely gets used into a café like setting where the family will want to sit and eat every day.

Instead of making the table or sideboard the focal point of the dining room the fireplace becomes the focal point and a great place for the family to gather for a wonderful family meal.

As homeowners return to closed kitchens to hide the big messes of an open concept kitchen they are embracing the idea of a dedicated dining space that has the same feel as a familiar restaurant as a place to enjoy meals and linger with friends.

Fireplace Redesigning

Fireplaces are common now in new construction homes, but what if you love your home and just want to add a fireplace? In most cases, you can add a fireplace to your home. Older homes can often be reconfigured to accommodate a fireplace with just a little planning.

fireplace design

Talking with a professional designer and a fireplace expert can give you an idea of whether or not it’s possible to add a fireplace or two to an existing home. In most cases, a talented designer can find spaces to install modern gas fireplaces that are cleaner and easier to use than wood-burning fireplaces.

Your older home may even have chimney work already installed that just needs to be cleaned up and services in order to be ready to work again. Many wood-burning fireplaces can be converted to gas fireplaces if you don’t want the hassles of getting wood and keeping it around and building up a wood fire in the fireplace.

If you want to add a fireplace or multiple fireplaces to your existing home in your master bedrooms, basement media room, en-suite bathroom, or out in your garage to provide heat as well as atmosphere you should meet with a designer today to find out what is possible at your home.

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