Fireplaces that Inspire Us
No matter the season, brickwork and stonework fireplaces add architectural beauty and make a room feel more inviting and comfortable.
Who says a fireplace should be enjoyed only during the winter? We’ve got some hot fireplace ideas that are bound to inspire you year round.
The latest trends involve minimalistic, clean lines, timeless materials and the utmost in beauty and efficiency. To truly enjoy such a beautiful design element in a room, make your fireplace the centerpiece. Ways to achieve this include:
- Installing accent lighting to highlight the fireplace
- Offsetting the fireplace in a geometric design
- Painting or tiling the fireplace wall in a bold, contrasting color
- Adding a mantel over the fireplace
- Adding a slab ledge for seating
If you are an apartment dweller or don’t have a wood-burning fireplace, you can still have a modern, beautiful fireplace in your home. Here are some of the best fireplace ideas in the design world today.
If you’re worried that a stacked stone fireplace would only suit a rustic interior, this gorgeous example proves the transformative power of a mantel. Crown molding and simple corbel brackets dress up a chunky white wood mantel to make it a refreshing focal point in a transitional family room. It’s a smart strategy that works well for both brickwork and stonework fireplaces.
Beautiful Brick Fireplace
There are few architectural focal points more iconic than a brick fireplace. Give it your personal stamp for a one-of-a-kind display. The fireplace in this beautiful shiplap-wrapped space, for example, gains softer cottage-style appeal with a whitewash glaze that mutes the red tones of the brick and brings the fireplace surround into harmony with the white furnishings and walls. Before painting or glazing brickwork and stonework fireplaces, thoroughly clean the surface of soot and grease with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water, then rinse with clear water. You can also use TSP detergent and water or a small amount of gentle detergent or dish soap and water.
Cobblestone Creation
Not all stacked stone fireplaces are made from stone cut into brick shapes. This charming design uses dry-stacked cobblestones to bring rustic, handcrafted beauty to a sweet country-style sitting area. A skilled stone mason takes great care in stacking the cobblestones so each nestles tightly against the other — even achieving a lintel of vertical stones above the firebox.
Modern Flagstone Fireplace
Who knew a flagstone fireplace could fit into a hip, retro-eclectic ? For this rustic flagstone fireplace, the secret lies in the addition of a crisp white mantel for a fresh spin that works with a hairpin-leg coffee table, midcentury-modern chairs, and contemporary artwork.
A Taste of Italy
Substantial limestone blocks retain natural pits for a sense of antiquity and fit together like a puzzle to become this elegant, Tuscan-inspired focal point. A single rose carved into the keystone adds dimensional beauty and serves as an unforgettable design statement.
Stacked Stone Fireplace Veneer
Stacked stone is an ideal material to use for remodeling a dated fireplace, such as this renovated beauty that emphasizes the room’s soaring ceiling. Thin slices of real stone cover the old materials and are lightweight to make installation easier.
Which fireplace do you like best: brickwork or stonework?
