Fireplaces are timeless home features. They’re less popular these days because owners of newly constructed homes have more space-heating options. Still, a fireplace won’t look out of place in a modern house when designed thoughtfully.
What Is the New Trend for Fireplaces?
Electrification is a hot trend. Such fireplaces are zero-emission, so they don’t release harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide inside. Some people use gas fireplaces with electric ignitions and remote controls for convenience.
More homeowners gravitate toward cleaner alternative fuels and healthy indoor air quality. Many also prioritize customizability. Traditional square fireboxes clash with the aesthetics of modern architectural styles and contemporary interior design concepts, so rectangular and other unconventional shapes are becoming more common.
Can You Upgrade a Fireplace?
Inserts give aging fireplaces new leases on life. Installing one doesn’t involve a disruptive remodel. Steel, cast iron and glass models can be compatible with popular fuels, such as pellet, EPA-certified wood, gas or propane. Installation is easy if you know basic carpentry and have no fear of heights.
However, think twice before doing so yourself. A perfectly sized but poorly installed space heating system is a fire and health hazard. A workmanship error can result in a house fire and a denied insurance claim. Deciding against hiring a credentialed fireplace insert installer may backfire because the insurance adjuster may think the incident could have been avoided had a pro installed the insert.
Fireplace Modernization — How to Pull It Off
Integrating a fireplace into your modern home’s design involves reimagining its placement, functionality and decorative details. Get started with these tips.
Free Up More Wall Space
Contemporary home aesthetics favor open floor plans. Although these layouts are usually synonymous with no interior walls, multi-functional freestanding objects are exceptions to the rule.
Putting a fireplace in the middle of a room is perfect to keep your wall unoccupied. Your space heater can radiate warmth in various directions in this spot. Standing fireplaces can be as small as desk fans or fused into tall shelves for decoration alongside storage.
The fuel dictates the unit’s design since channeling harmful fumes from dirty energy sources to the outside is vital. Regardless of how you wish to generate heat indoors with your fireplace, you can choose from various shapes and sizes to fit your space’s unique dimensions.
Put a Premium on Sustainability
The HVAC industry is moving toward health and environmental responsibility. The hearth industry must also adapt to the times and become more eco-friendly.
The paths to eco-friendliness are varied — circularity, energy efficiency and zero-emission. Circular fireplaces don’t deplete virgin, scarce resources by relying on renewable energy sources and staying in circulation for as long as they work. Efficient models convert most fuel into heat, minimizing your power consumption. Zero-emission fireplaces burn nothing at home to do their job.
Ideally, a sustainable fireplace is secondhand but adequately maintained and functional, all-electric and renewable-powered. This unit would reduce your carbon footprint during the purchase and throughout its service life. If you can’t invest in a renewable system, ask your utility provider for community solar to access clean power and enjoy lower electricity bills.
Embrace Minimalism
Modern homes have minimalist interior designs, celebrating clean lines, geometric shapes and monochromatic colors. Replacing your ornate fireplace with a simple floating mantel and whitewashing brickwork to blend it with your light drywall are quick ways to update a traditional fireplace look.
Have a Fireplace That Matches Your Modern Home
21st-century sensibilities are reshaping space heating systems. Although the market is becoming awash with eco-friendly fireplaces, it takes more to harmonize one with the rest of the house. Distance your fireplace from the wall or make it as negligible as possible to look good in a modern home.
