Winter Warmers: Where to Put the Fireplace
Starting to feel the chill? If you're planning a new fireplace, make sure you position it correctly to best meet your needs
The word hearth, meaning the fireplace floor, has also come to mean home itself. We think of the hearth as the centre of the home and its heart. But that doesn’t mean the fireplace always has to be centrally located. If you’re thinking about installing a fireplace, or perhaps a second one, take some to time to think about its location, as it may be costly to change later.
Before deciding, consider your heating holistically. What other sort of heating do you have? How many fireplaces are there and how much space do you need to heat? Even if you do have central heating, there’s nothing like seeing real (or fake) flames for ambience and warmth.
Before deciding, consider your heating holistically. What other sort of heating do you have? How many fireplaces are there and how much space do you need to heat? Even if you do have central heating, there’s nothing like seeing real (or fake) flames for ambience and warmth.
At the heart of the home. A large fireplace at the heart of an open-plan space can make a dramatic feature and work well to distribute heat. This one also creates a natural partition between the lounge area and kitchen.
In view. This central fireplace is positioned perfectly, so you don’t have to miss out on the view to absorb the warmth.
On the side. In this rectangular home, two fireplaces are located at one end of the house – one to heat indoors and the other for the outside area. If you choose to place your heater at the far end of your home and you don’t have other forms of heating, you can install ducting so the heat can be distributed to far-flung spaces.
In the thick of the action. Think about how your family lives. If you want to feel the fire while you watch TV for example, should it be next to it or above it so you can look at both at the same time?
Tucked away. Though out of the way under a benchtop, this slow combustion really is located at the heart of the home – the kitchen.
In a corner. This is a beautiful placement to heat those seated at two large sofas as well as those at the kitchen benchtop, so everyone can stay warm while sitting back and taking in that view.
In the lounge. No one is left out with the fireplace positioned to be the focus of those on the lounge, working in the kitchen or sitting around the dining room table. Everyone can interact while feeling the warmth from the fire.
Placing lots of chairs around the fire, a large coffee table in the middle, and an artwork above the fireplace is a lovely way to arrange a lounge room. Here you don’t have to turn your back on the artwork to look at the fire; you can absorb both at once.
Remember to consider the size of the area you need to heat. The manufacturer of the heater will tell you how many square metres their product will comfortably heat. Calculate the space and buy what is appropriate for the room. This little wood heater looks more than capable of heating this small living room.
In the office. There’s no need to go cold while you work if you’re away from the main part of the house. A small slow-combustion or pot belly burner is ideal to heat up a workshop, study or artist’s studio. This is a good place to put a pre-loved one picked up from a renovation sale or the classifieds.
Suspended in space. A suspended fireplace not only looks dramatic, but many of them can be fully rotated so that you can direct heat according to where it’s needed at the time.
Think outside the lounge room.
The fireplace pictured here has been located between both the living areas and other spaces in the house to heat both, but can still be viewed from the lounge and kitchen.
The fireplace pictured here has been located between both the living areas and other spaces in the house to heat both, but can still be viewed from the lounge and kitchen.
In the great outdoors. There’s a big trend in Australia for outdoor fireplaces and this one is working to heat two outdoor spaces simultaneously.
In the bedroom. A fireplace in the bedroom is the height of luxury.
Double-duty. This fireplace is working hard – it’s not only heating both bedroom and lounge area but is forming a screen to create two spaces in one room, as well as housing the bedroom TV.
Between bed and bath. Ahhh, my idea of heaven – a twist on the double-sided fireplace, between the bedroom and bathroom.
TELL US
Are you thinking about installing a fireplace in your home? Where are you planning to install it and what are some of your considerations in terms of where to place it? Tell us in the comments section below.
TELL US
Are you thinking about installing a fireplace in your home? Where are you planning to install it and what are some of your considerations in terms of where to place it? Tell us in the comments section below.