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Five Common Fireplaces Styles
The fireplace has been the focal point of the family room for as long as man has used fire for heating. From the ancient fire pit to the elegant, extravagant designs of today, people have always put a lot of thought into the location and aesthetic of their fireplace—to the point where designing them has become more of an art form than a science! Now, with the common availability of central heating the fireplace is not quite so important functionally, but a well-appointed mantelpiece can go a long way towards pulling a room together. Below are listed five common styles of mantelpiece design, to help you decide which look would best complement your room. Art Deco fireplaces were big, brash, and basic, favoring stark rectangular and blocky lines. They tend to be very low-key, and surrounds are often made of tiled concrete in a variety of monotone colors – creams, beiges and tans being popular choices. Art Deco fireplaces are big, bulky, and designed to make a statement and add presence to the fireplace, while not being overly garish. Coming from an era when class and status had to be displayed at every opportunity, Victorian and Edwardian fireplaces are both generally considered to be the most intricate and ornate fireplace styles. Constructed of marble (for the most elegant and most commonly used public rooms) or treated slate (mainly used for family rooms and studies), they were often large with plenty of space on the mantelpiece. The classic cast-iron fireplace is also a throwback to this era, used as they were to heat poorer homes, serving quarters, and just about anywhere else that rich people would never see while visiting a home. Today, though, the cast-iron fireplace is one of the most common styles available, and has been replicated in just about every way possible. Georgian fireplaces are normally considered to be ‘classical’, featuring intricate carvings and ridges, with carved columns or half columns featuring prominently. Hob grates are a feature almost unique to the Georgian style, as are flutings and wooden paneling. Georgian fireplaces are the most ornamental fireplaces available, and often feature plaster or marble ornamentation such as friezes or lions’ heads. Modern and contemporary fireplaces are sleek and basic, not intrusive and bold like other styles. Hole-in-the-wall designs have been particularly popular in recent years, some of them purely decorative, some providing heat. Another design is the double-sided fireplace, which fits perfectly in to open-plan spaces. |