Fireplace design & why you should use a professional Interior Designer
There are times when clients come to us looking for our expertise in designing their fireplace feature wall. The fireplaces of decades past had a lot of character and detail, as a room with a fireplace was where the family ended up spending a lot of time soaking in the warmth. Today some clients want to make their fireplace wall as big of a priority as their kitchen, while other are content with a comfortably simple fireplace surround.
Your fireplace wall can have many functions as it often shares the focal duty with the TV, and therefore is often in a room where you will spend the majority of your relaxation hours. We believe that your fireplace wall deserves extra attention and when you take the time to give it that extra attention – it will become a wow factor.
This fireplace wall design is one of the the most popular images on Houzz. Designers will use their experience and education to think about things like contrast, millwork design, scale and color. In the end – the result will be a beautiful well thought out feature wall.
The photo below reflects a fully enameled fireplace surround, but what you don’t see is that the fireplace is two stories high. In a room where you have soaring ceilings, you may not want the fireplace to feel as intimidating. Therefore, as designers we can help you to design ways to bring the fireplace down to room level and create a stopping point for your eye. The wonderful stone detail above the enameled woodwork allows it to feel like a finished design to the ceiling and adds a textural break to the tall walls.
With a beautiful view of the mountains on a piece of land where you have no neighbors you are likely going to want to build a home that allows you to be surrounded by windows. This architect that designed this home made sure that the inside fireplace material was brought through to the outside of the home and I am in love with the fact that the wood detail tongue and groove follows in to the roof’s overhang as well.
Often times people think that a fireplace hearth has to be as wide as the fireplace surround. In the image below the designer brought some asymmetric detail to the room by having it flow under the bookshelf and to the wall. This creates more interest and the deeper hearth means that guests could even take a seat on the hearth next to fire while entertaining. Working with a designer may mean that we will push you a little outside your comfort zone, but in the end it’s only to add more interest to your space.
The traditional living room below is a great example of how a designer will mix woods and texture with simple neutral tones – but create so much interest and surround you with warmth. The stone stopping at the mantle allows the the fireplace to feel at a more comfortable level, but the angled wood detail above allows the fireplace to connect with the beautiful beams.
Photo Sources:
1) Julie Williams Design, San Francisco
2) Taste Design Inc, Providence
3) Carney Logan Burke Architects, Jackson
4) Eisner Design LLC, New York
5) Camens Architectural Group LLC, Charleston
