Whether a focal point or not, the aesthetic details, which are also deeply bound by the consideration of function and safety, are varied and wide and a lot of fun! Materials range from natural stones in slabs, tiles, or tumbled pieces. They can be finished in honed, rough, or polished techniques, synthetic stones, ceramic tiles, and metal. Not to mention wood, which can be stained, painted, or faux painted by artists. It is an often-used material for the legs and mantel and other completely decorative pieces of a fireplace. Knowing what parts of the fireplace you’d like to update drives the material options. The needed five parts of a fireplace that dictate the style and look are the hearth, the surround, the legs, the mantel, and the overmantel (the overmantel is not always an element one has space or a need for, but determining what will be placed above your fireplace is extremely important.) Of these elements, the hearth and the surround require a fire-resistant material. Some of the most favorite materials to use in these locations are tiles. Soft, pearl-like, tiny mosaic tiles reflect light beautifully and nicely offset the firebox (which is dark until a fire is lit.) Tiles, either natural stone or ceramic, come in so many styles, colors, and sizes that creativity can go wild. When working with a sleek and modern look, sometimes we’ve opted for a honed metal surround with either limestone legs and mantel, or, when details and space allow, a beautiful wood veneer over the entire fireplace beyond the required fire-resistant areas. Zebrawood is one of our most favorite exotic woods! Beyond the surround, legs, and mantel sits the base of your fireplace - the hearth. If your firebox is close to the ground we love a hearth that is flush with the floor, which eliminates the possibility of rough corners sticking out and allows for really beautiful tile details to be used. But, if you can’t escape the raised hearth, consider selecting a single slab of natural stone. The finished edges of slabs can be a thing of beauty unto themselves! Most importantly, with so many options to choose from, be sure to think about what appeals most to you. Also, what you’d feel best living with and looking at for years to come. While changing out the aesthetic parts of a fireplace is fairly easy, it can be messy and require some small construction that you may not want to embark on again for some time. A fabulous last element of the fireplace is one that can be changed out time and time again with complete ease - the firescreen! We think the firescreen is a very important finishing element and have become attached to the flat screen style with metal elements throughout. It provides weight and reflection both when a fire isn’t lit and when one is. These screens show up in almost all of our projects and they become a beautiful element right along with the materials on the fireplace itself. No matter which style of flame you choose - natural wood or gas - or which materials you incorporate as accent pieces and elements - they all create a fireplace unique to your home. The dancing flames bring warmth, light, and mesmerizing movement to your favorite spaces as well as that wonderful and welcoming holiday energy.
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