With the suitable open hearth concepts you may create a shocking point of interest that immediately provides character to any space of the house, whether or not you might be residing in a interval property or a model new fashionable home.
We have been busy monitoring down lovely fireplace ideas to offer you loads of inspiration, whether or not you will have found a disused hearth opening that has been boarded up whereas renovating, or are constructing from scratch and wish to guarantee your new house feels heat and welcoming.
We even have a lot of concepts for householders preferring the thought of utilizing their open hearth to deal with a range of some kind, which may seem to be a extra power environment friendly method of introducing a secondary warmth supply right into a room.
Are open hearth concepts best for you?
Whereas the sight of a roaring open fireplace is tough to beat by way of the attraction and heat it brings to a room, open fires usually are not for everybody. The truth is, for many individuals, the selection tends to come back right down to open fire vs log burner, and even another corresponding to fuel fireplace, electrical or bioethanol.
“By way of power effectivity, a wooden burning range is more likely to be higher than 65% environment friendly, whereas an open fireplace is 30% environment friendly at finest,” explains professional in sustainable constructing strategies and power effectivity Tim Pullen. “The effectivity of an open fireplace additionally must think about its impact on the airtightness of a house. In a room 5m x 5m x 2.4m, insulated to Constructing Laws’ customary, together with airtightness, the height warmth demand for that room shall be slightly over 1.2kW. Add an open hearth and the airtightness in that room plummets and the height warmth demand rises to 2.9kW.”
You do have to take this under consideration when deciding what sort of open hearth concepts will swimsuit you.
1. Restore what you will have
In case you are fortunate sufficient to seek out an authentic hearth when renovating a home then you need to do all you may to revive it. Restoring a fireplace is often less expensive than shopping for a wholly new one however, extra importantly, it’s a improbable method of including a way of authenticity and historical past to your property — a nod to its previous.
On this lovely home, a renovated interval farmhouse that after served as an isolation hospital, the place authentic function had been lacking or past restore, the homeowners spent a whole lot of time scouring salvage yards for appropriate replacements.
2. Take a contemporary strategy to the arch
Though arched fireplaces are sometimes seen in conventional designs, they’ll additionally make improbable modern fireplace ideas — in reality, with their light curves they’ll present a pleasant distinction to very smooth, minimalist areas, softening the entire look fantastically.
This contemporary, all-white lounge manages to really feel welcoming and comfortable due to the truth that there are many rounded options, together with the alcoves, furnishings and, after all, the fireside design.
3. Go grand with chunky stone
Stone fireplace ideas swimsuit all types of homes, from very conventional and grand properties to these aiming for a ski lodge really feel. That stated, there isn’t any purpose why they cannot slot in with modern schemes too with the suitable strategy.
On this room, nonetheless, the beautiful chunky creamy-coloured stone hearth, with matching fireside, exudes attraction, heat and interval character and is completely matched to the column radiators and chic sash home windows that additionally grace the house.
4. Use stone in a contemporary method
Sticking with the stone hearth theme, there are some good methods to make use of stone in a method that appears contemporary and fashionable — and 1,000,000 miles aside from these intricately-carved designs which can be typically seen gracing interval properties.
Stick to wash strains and maintain issues fuss free for a contemporary, pared-back look. Right here, the easy near-white stone encompass and fireside have been paired with break up face stone tiles used to line the fireplace opening making certain the ultimate look is one which manages to really feel filled with texture and curiosity with out being overly fussy. The hidden lighting provides much more depth.
5. Hold brick uncovered for a country look
The heat and texture of brick fireplace ideas can actually add a lot to a room, injecting it with a barely rustic, nation cosy really feel.
There are literally many various methods to create a brick hearth. In some instances chances are you’ll simply be capable of strip away the plasterwork of your current chimney breast and clear up the bricks beneath. Brick slips are a simple strategy to make-over a chimney breast or encompass otherwise you may like to begin from scratch.
On this instance, your complete hearth has been constructed from wealthy brown bricks, whereas a reassuringly stable oak mantle tops the entire thing off.
6. Create a heat feeling within the lavatory
Fireplaces in bogs immediately add a way of heat — even when they aren’t lit. In lots of renovations of interval properties, it is not uncommon to seek out fireplaces in bogs. Authentic fireplaces in bogs additionally crop up the place a bed room has been transformed into a rest room — typically the case the place there isn’t any first flooring lavatory, making it essential to sacrifice a bed room to make method for one.
The primary flooring of this Edwardian home was reorganised as a part of its renovation to create a brand new household lavatory — the rolltop tub and black brassware sit rather well with the unique outdated hearth.
7. Fill an empty hearth with an electrical range
If the considered clearing out ash, cleansing the glass of range doorways or having to purchase logs or gasoline for an actual fireplace do not attraction, you may like to think about filling an open hearth with an electrical range as an alternative.
Right here, the big hearth opening has been painted an inky shade of blue throughout whereas a small 1500W electrical range from VonHaus gives a low upkeep, moveable warmth supply.
8. Incorporate some log storage into your design
Log store ideas do not need to be reserved for out of doors. Hold firewood shut at hand and stacked in a neat and tidy method in addition to turning it right into a little bit of a function by together with someplace to retailer it inside your open hearth design.
Right here, the hole-in-the-wall hearth sits above a helpful nook that makes the right place to maintain logs or kindling heat, dry and prepared to be used. Observe too how the alcoves to both aspect of the chimney breast have been used to position helpful cabinets.
9. Minimize down on upkeep with a sensible fireplace
These eager to keep away from the upkeep of an actual fireplace can nonetheless get pleasure from flickering flames and an excellent warmth output of their hearth — in addition to simple management over the entire arrange.
This sensible fireplace may not be fuelled by logs nevertheless it nonetheless an awesome point of interest. With a warmth output of as much as 1.5kW, the Opulus 16″ from Charlton & Jenrick Ltd options lifelike flames together with a complete host of different extras. Proven right here with the Beckford Limestone Encompass, the woodland log set, with pulsating log lights, creates an eye fixed catching function. The truth is there are 16 completely different color choices every obtainable in 5 temper settings — all of which will be managed utilizing an app, which additionally means that you can activate a crackle sound impact.
10. Pair a standard encompass with a contemporary range
Typically a whole distinction in kinds can work rather well — highlighting every function as a result of juxtaposition. That is significantly true in the case of fireplace surrounds and the fireplace that sits inside them.
Right here, an authentic Edwardian hearth has been restored and fitted with a contemporary log burning range. The result’s that the main points of the ornamental encompass stay the celebrities of the present, whereas the pared-back and refined design of the range sit in crisp distinction.
11. Match a forged iron all-in-one design with a easy encompass
Vintage forged iron mixture fireplaces are full fireplaces, all-in-one. Whereas no separate encompass is all the time required, it may be if you want. Some come full with tiled cheeks and a mantle, whereas others, corresponding to this one can sit fortunately behind a encompass and may incorporate your individual mantlepiece ideas.
Whereas it’s a actual deal with to seek out an authentic one able to be loved in an outdated home, it’s also potential to seek out many restored antiques and replicas in case your’s is lacking.
12. Line your opening with stone tiles
The supplies that you just select to create your fireplace back panel ideas, or to line your opening with, may have an enormous impact on the ultimate look of the entire function.
Break up face stone tiles are a superb choice, including loads of texture and actually drawing the attention in the direction of your hearth. Break up face tiles are available all types of colors and finishes, from these with slightly sparkle to slate variations that add an excellent dramatic end.
Right here, the Portway Arundel Deluxe Wooden Burning Multifuel Ecodesign Range from Direct Stoves is proven in a gap that has been lined with creamy-coloured stone.
13. Inject modern model by going full width
An open fireplace that spans your complete width of the chimney breast will actually pack a visible punch and is ideal for these after modern chimney breast ideas with a distinction.
On this lounge, the Luminosa 150 from Charlton & Jenrick Ltd has been put in. That is an electrical fireplace that it’s potential to put in in three features, making it excellent for a media wall, function wall or dividing wall.
14. Use a dainty all-in-one design as a focus
Forged iron mixture fireplaces had been frequent throughout the Edwardian period. Bigger, extra elaborate designs tended to be reserved for floor flooring, extra ‘public’ rooms, such because the residing or eating rooms, whereas bedrooms had been typically fitted with smaller fashions.
On this Edwardian renovation venture, the unique fireplaces have been restored wherever potential — and this dainty little design makes the right addition to the brand new lavatory.
15. Use an empty hearth as an ornamental function
After some alternatives to fireplaces? There isn’t any purpose why a fire needs to be fitted with a fireplace in any respect. The truth is, householders are getting increasingly adventurous with how they use empty fireplaces, turning these unused areas into eye-catching options.
Right here, the elegant arched former hearth has been painted in diagonal sweet stripes and is now used to deal with a chunky picket storage chest.
16. Strip again a stone hearth to its former glory
Stone fireplaces present an immediate hit of grandeur and significance to a room and in case you are fortunate sufficient to have one already in place in your renovation venture, or occur to seek out one lurking beneath outdated plaster or paintwork, then bringing it again to its former glory shall be effectively value it.
In the lounge of this outdated cottage, the unique Tub stone fireplace encompass was coated up. The homeowners fastidiously stripped it again and it now types the point of interest of the room. A slate fireside and chunky wooden burning range full the look.
Is it secure to open up a fire?
Opening up a fireplace is without doubt one of the hottest jobs undertaken by renovators.
“Earlier than you are taking a sledgehammer to what you consider to be a blocked up chimney or fireplace opening you need to first make sure you familiarise your self with the related Constructing Regs, prices and methods to do it safely to ensure you don’t find yourself with a complete lot of mess,” says chartered surveyor Ian Rock.
“A bolster and membership hammer are the very best instruments for localised demolition the place outdated fireplaces have been bricked up,” continues Ian. “Having uncovered the unique ‘builder’s opening’, giant deposits of collected soot and rubble will probably should be eliminated earlier than the chimney will be swept and the flue lined.
“In most properties constructed within the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the opening shall be spanned by a load-bearing brick arch supported on a curved metal former. Uncovered brickwork can look very interesting, but when the dimensions of the opening must be altered, a concrete lintel will be inserted and the masonry plastered over.”
Can I substitute a fuel fireplace with an open fireplace?
Whereas gas fire removal is definitely potential, this isn’t a job to be undertaken on a DIY foundation.
“In relation to safely eradicating a fuel fireplace, it’s essential to entrust the job to professionals who’re certified and authorized of their respective fields,” says Calvin Might, head of technical providers at HETAS. “Gasoline work, together with the disconnection of fuel pipes, ought to all the time be carried out by a Gasoline Secure engineer.”
Many individuals select to interchange a fuel fireplace with a log burning range, however it’s also potential to make use of an current opening for an open fireplace, offering you will have a working chimney. You should definitely get an expert (corresponding to a HETAS engineer) to examine the state of your chimney first.