The fireplace is often the focal point of a room, especially in areas such as the living room. The type of fireplace you choose will determine your interior design and the room’s overall feel. So it is important to take the time to think about the design of the home and the look you are trying to achieve before looking at different fireplaces.
There are lots of different types of fireplaces available, so we know finding the right one for you isn’t easy. This is why we put together this handy guide to help you understand the options available to you. So that you can find your dream fireplace.
Fireplace types
There are three different types of fireplaces:
- Electric
- Gas
- Wood-burning
All operate differently and so require different things. For example, if you’d like a wood-burning fireplace, you must have a chimney, if you don’t have a chimney, you’ll need an electric or gas fireplace. The three types of fires differ in their energy efficiency and design, so do your research, understand which one is best suited to your home and will be most cost-effective to run and then start looking at fireplaces that can be used with this type of fire.
Things to consider
When it comes to choosing the perfect fireplace there are some things you need to consider first:
- Chimney. As we have just mentioned, some fires need a chimney if you want to be able to use them. Make sure that you not only have a chimney but that it isn’t blocked and is fully functional.
- The space you have available. You must know exactly what size the wall is that the fireplace will be mounted on. You need to know that the fireplace will fit in the space, but also that it will look good in that space.
- Colour scheme. How is the room decorated? Or how will it be decorated? Knowing the colour scheme you have to work with will help you to choose the best fireplace for your room.
Fireplace material
Fireplaces are made out of various materials, each has its strengths and weakness, they all come at a different price and what’s more, they all add something different to your room. Here are the typical fireplace material options:
- Wooden fireplace: made in a variety of different woods, from natural wood to softwood pine, or MDF. These wooden options come in a variety of colours and are fantastic for homes with a more traditional feel to them. Having said this, they can work very well in a modern space, depending on the colour and style.
- Marble fireplace: light in colour and incredibly durable, marble fireplaces are an excellent investment and bring an air of sophistication to the room.
- Granite fireplace: like marble, granite is incredibly durable, unlike marble, granite is usually black in shade. Granite fireplaces are incredibly elegant and are sure to become the focal point of the room.
- Limestone fireplace: warmer and modern looking, limestone fireplaces come in a range of styles and shades and do add a touch of class to a contemporary, modern home.
- Cast iron: perfect for Victorian and/or traditional homes. Cast iron fireplaces are a stunning revival of the more traditional fireplace, making them a perfect addition to any vintage-looking home.
- Beams/shelves: fireplaces are now minimalistic. Instead of having a full fireplace you could consider having just a beam or shelf above the fire.
Top fireplace options
There are lots of different styles of fireplaces, too many for us to go into here, but let’s take a look at our favourite fireplace styles:
- Modern/contemporary fireplaces
- Traditional/period fireplaces
- Wall-mounted fireplaces
- Minimalistic
- Cosy
Each of these different fireplaces has a different feel to it and each will bring something different to the room. By now, you should have a good idea of what tone you’d like the room to have, which should make it easier to narrow down the fireplace search.
When thinking about your options don’t just consider the design of the room, but also think about your personal needs. If energy efficiency is most important to you, choose the most efficient fireplace type. Whereas if you want to create a cosy room, then you might find a wood-burning fire bringing the kind of ambience and scents that create a cosy feel. Most importantly, find a fireplace you love, because chances are, it is going to be a feature in your home for a long time.
