Home Ideas: Bring Warmth to Any Living Space With a Fireplace

Imagine, having your family gathered at home around the fire, enjoying hot drinks, laughing and watching your favourite TV show. Sounds idyllic and lovely, right? Leading hectic lifestyles, we somehow forget to just relax and spend more quality time with our loved ones. Having a fireplace at home is a delightful way to add a more comfortable, warm and romantic atmosphere. The warm burning fire would become the central place in your living room where you could enjoy unwinding and lounging.

If you consider getting a fireplace (or remodeling your old one), the following lines are for you.

Once you decide to buy a fireplace, you might get overwhelmed with all the information, but let us help you learn the most important things before you make your purchase.

Types of Fireplace – Indoor/Outdoor

There are two types of fireplaces – indoor and outdoor. As the name suggests, the first one is placed inside your home and the other one in your backyard, garden or balcony. An outdoor fireplace would add to the elegant look of your backyard. You can get a fireplace kit (usually placed in the centre of your sitting outdoor area), fireplace inserts (inserted into a wall) or a portable fireplace.

Indoor fireplaces are placed inside the room of your preference. Today’s modern technology allows you to pick all sorts of fireplaces (not necessarily wood burning). Let’s see what an indoor fireplace can offer you.

Types of Indoor Fireplaces

Electric

Electric fireplaces are quite popular and provide warmth by heating the inner coils. Most of the electric models have a built-in fan that distributes heat through your home.

These models don’t produce real flame and often have a fake one for the sake of aesthetics. The flickering fake flame may come with a ‘fake’ log solely to resemble the old fireplaces we all know. If you’re on a budget, this is a wonderful option. It doesn’t take a lot to operate such a model. They don’t have a venting system and are quite cheaper for installation. You don’t have to clean anything, which is another bonus.

Gel

If you haven’t heard of gel fireplace so far, don’t worry. These models aren’t very common as the other ones. Gel fireplaces are quite easy for installation and all you need to do is refill a can of gel. These fireplaces don’t require venting and you won’t have to add extra electrical wires.

If you’re looking for a lightweight model, this is the right choice for you. You can mount them anywhere and move them easily. When it comes to flame, it is real and all you have to do is use your lighter and that’s that. If you need proper warmth, then, unfortunately, you won’t get it from this fireplace. Gel fireplaces are mainly used for aesthetics and décor.

Wood Burning

The good old wood-burning fireplace we all remember from our childhoods. It doesn’t matter if your home had one, you surely know what type of fireplace this is. Wood was the primary source of warmth in the past so naturally, old-fashioned fireplaces used wood for burning.

There is nothing else like the calming sound of cracking burning wood. The flame is also relaxing and almost meditative. You want a romantic atmosphere – you got it. Feel like enjoying your family time over hot chocolate, the wood-burning fireplace would gather you all.
Although today there aren’t many homes with wood-burning fireplaces, low-key we all want to have one installed in our living room.

The con here is that their installation is quite expensive and let’s not mention the maintenance. You would definitely need professional cleaning. And yes, you would need chopped wood (you can buy it or chop it yourself, which we believe it’s not going to be your favourite thing to do). But, despite the price and the maintenance, these fireplaces are still quite popular.

Ethanol

Similar to gel fireplace, the ethanol models use liquid bioethanol. You can adjust the temperature and you can easily turn them off. Easy to install, but won’t provide a lot of warmth. Just like the gel models, they are lightweight are mainly used for decoration.

Fireplace Materials

You can get various fireplace materials such as steel (excellent for minimalism designs). If you’re more into classics, the brick with wood is a great combination. This is a timeless design and can fit in any room.

Metal is also a popular material; if you’re looking for more industrial looks for your contemporary home, then this is a wonderful option for you. Marble becomes quite popular lately and would turn your living room into a classy high-end area.

Accessories and Maintenance

Poker

You’d need this if you have a wood-burning fireplace. The poker will help you rake, push the wood and hook it. Get a poker with an insulated handle to protect you from burns. Pokers have various lengths; long ones are ideal for burning protection.

Tongs

Tongs are great when you need to pick up a log. They can help you move and pick up firewood without burning your hands.

Shovel and Bucket

Shovels and buckets should be made of iron. The shovel is used when the fire is slowly dying or if you have to move the ashes from the firebox. The ashes go into the bucket (it should have a lid, to prevent accidental fires from smouldering ashes).

Broom

You will have to clean up the ashes after the fire. A broom can be very effective when you need to sweep up ashes around the fireplace.

Maintaining a fireplace mainly depends on its type. Wood-burning models are the most demanding; you’ll have to clean ashes and small pieces of wood and so on. In fact, most people cannot do maintenance on their own. Having professional fireplace maintenance is a must in this case.

No matter your choice, always make sure you keep the fire under control. Be sure there is proper ventilation and suitable maintenance, even if you use the fireplace for aesthetic and decorative reasons only.