One of the amenities that people like to include in their custom home designs is the fireplace. There’s nothing as cozy and aesthetically pleasing during the colder months than a warm and inviting fire. It’s both functional and practical. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace visually centers a room and gives it an attractive solidity that’s impossible to overlook. At Eastmark Construction we have built many beautiful fireplaces for our client families. Here we will talk about all of the benefits they offer.
Northern Michigan is beautiful in the winter. It’s also cold and snowy. When you include fireplaces in your custom home, however, you can enjoy your gorgeous snowy landscape through your energy-efficient windows while still feeling snug and warm inside. What’s better than going skiing or snowboarding and then returning home to drink cocoa by the fire?
Including a Fireplace in Your Home Design
Which room is best to add a fireplace? There are many possibilities. The great room is an ideal space for a fireplace because it naturally anchors a large room and pulls the eye toward its center. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace is often included in log-cabin homes, but they can be added to any style of home because a grand fireplace with natural wood beams and soaring ceilings is always a signature look. Stone, brick, tile, concrete, steel, and even wood can be used to frame a fireplace in a striking way.
Fireplaces are also often added to master suites, dens, and kitchens. Many people are choosing to use reclaimed wood or other antique materials to create an old-world atmosphere in specific rooms or throughout the home. A fireplace fits perfectly with that type of aesthetic. Who doesn’t secretly want a fireplace large enough to roast a boar in?
Types of Fireplaces
Both the style and the size of the fireplace are up to you. A small fireplace in a private room can make the space personal and inviting. Many of our client families need a home office or study in their vacation homes to work, and fireplaces make it cozier and more enjoyable to spend time there. A fireplace can be shared between two rooms as well. People often choose to locate them between their living rooms and bedrooms or studies so both spaces can benefit.
A wood-burning fireplace is the most classic style of fireplace. Burning wood creates an ambiance and a sense of romance or nostalgia for many people. This type of fireplace is higher maintenance in terms of cleaning and does require building a chimney and scheduling regular professional chimney cleaning to avoid the danger of fire.
If you do not want the hassle of a wood-burning fireplace, a natural-gas fireplace is a great alternative. Natural gas burns without smoke or ashes. It does not require a chimney, only a vent, and you can turn it on or off whenever you want to add fire and warmth to the room.
Electric fireplaces are another low-maintenance possibility that add warmth without hassle or mess. They are often included in smaller spaces and can be mounted behind glass or in free-standing pillars because they do not require either a chimney or venting.
A well placed fireplace can also extend the home’s outdoor living space and can lengthen the summer season to some extent. It may be chilly outside, but it’s warm around the fire!
If you’re in the design stage of building your home, have you included a fireplace or fireplaces on your wishlist? If you already know what you are looking for in your next home, contact us at Eastmark Construction. We would be happy to discuss the building process with you. Let’s get started!