Cold at last, just in time for Christmas!
Dark outside, heavy mist, pouring rain. Your hands are freezing cold.
You are lying on the couch with your thickest socks on and your furry blanket covering you up to the chin! You definitely have your heaters on, but moreover you either need a hot chocolate, a warm tea, your furry four-legged pet lying on your feet, a hot water bottle, or an electric blanket.
Or else, you could discard all the above and…
BUILD A FIREPLACE!
Easier said than done of course, however if your living area permits it and you have the space for a chimney, you can consider creating one. Otherwise, there is always the solution of an artificial fireplace which needs no smoke outlet. On the other hand, if you are in the process of designing and building your new home, do think about creating a beautiful fireplace of your liking. As an interior designer, this is one of my favourite elements in a house which I hopefully will have one day too! It keeps you warm, it is economical, and admittedly beautiful even if not turned on.
Before analysing the different types of fireplaces, you need to consider the style of your home. This is a permanent element that needs to be in tone with your home’s architecture, not your furnishings! The first thing would be to check if a traditional fireplace suits your house or a more modern-contemporary one . Is the architecture of your home ‘strict’ and linear, luxurious, classic and traditional with mouldings, or is it a transitional home which means classic details are still present but aren’t as fussy? Or is your home sleek and stream-line with large window openings, flat panel doors and open-plan spaces which result to a modern look? Then you need a similar feel to your fireplace.
There are four types of fireplaces under which the specific categories are many more, I believe eleven!
- Wood Burning Fireplaces
- Gas Burning Fireplaces
- Ethanol Burning Fireplaces
- Electric Fireplaces
Traditional wood burning fireplaces would usually look like these two. All-time-classic and warm in style.
Having clean and straight lines in their design, modern & contemporary fireplaces would definitely resemble few of the ones shown here below.
Few of those are also artificial. But let’s have a look at more of those, as we do like them!
Interestingly, they can even be turned into coffee tables, outdoor pots or decorative elements.
Nicole Ioannides Varnava
