If you visualize a home with a fireplace, there’s a good chance you see a living or family room with a grand fireplace in the center of a main wall. Though this is classic placement and makes perfect sense, there are other ways to utilize fireplaces within your home that are just as functional as they are unique. Here are some of the best and most exciting ideas.
On the Back Patio
Fireplaces aren’t just for home interiors anymore; these days, an outdoor fireplace is an excellent way to keep yourself and your guests warm while entertaining on chilly days or nights out on your back deck or patio. These outdoor fireplaces add warmth, visual beauty, and in most locations, monetary value to your home. Be sure to check with your city’s laws and ask your HOA whether outdoor fireplaces are allowed. Keep in mind that in most cases, red flag warnings that prevent open fires during dry or windy conditions will apply to an outdoor fireplace, as well.
In the Corner
Rather than a fireplace that takes up prime real estate along a major wall, consider a corner fireplace, instead. These fireplaces are built to fit corners, but are just as functional as their wall-installed counterparts. This is perfect for smaller spaces in which you prefer to keep your wall space open for furniture, and it can even help you create a corner focal point to make certain spaces look larger than they truly are.
In the Bathroom
For many homeowners, the bathroom might be the last place they would consider putting a fireplace, but it does look amazing and provides outstanding warmth during a bath. Imagine a large free-standing garden tub facing a fireplace against the bathroom wall and it’s easy to see why this is considered one of the most luxurious bathroom fixtures of them all. It isn’t right for everyone, and it does require a rather large bathroom, but it is an exciting project and one that will make your home truly unique.
In the Kitchen
Once upon a time, fireplaces were commonly found in kitchens. They not only provided necessary warmth, but they also gave homeowners access to an open fire for cooking delicious meals. Today, homeowners who grew up with kitchen fireplaces are recreating them in their own homes – and with a great deal of success. However, rather than having a fireplace as a focal point in a kitchen, it is often best to carve out a separate space in one corner of the kitchen that is clearly distinct, but still ties in with the materials used for the cabinetry and countertops.
Though the living room, family room, and den are by far the most common locations for fireplaces inside American homes today, they are not the only locations. Thinking outside the box can result in gorgeous (and efficient) results that help you fall in love with your home all over again. Outdoor, corner, bathroom, and kitchen fireplaces are growing more popular with each passing year, and if any of these ideas suit your fancy, you can schedule an installation right away.
