A fireplace adds value to any home, especially a hearth that is among the most popular designs today. According to one survey, homebuyers ranked a fireplace as one of the top three amenities they would like to see in a home. Other research indicates nearly half of all homebuyers would pay more for a home with a fireplace. Choosing an attractive fireplace design can only increase a home’s value. But it is not what a fireplace adds to a home’s value that makes it most special. It is the enjoyment and comfort a well-designed fireplace consistently offers.
The types and styles of top fireplaces available to you are practically as unlimited as your imagination. Everything from the mantle to the hearth can have a unique take that reflects your individual style and taste. The best part: Trending fireplaces in 2019 run the gamut of designs. Even better, these sought-after designs will remain popular for a long time to come by blending form and function.
If you know the hot trends in fireplaces, you are more likely to find one that perfectly fits your tastes. Here we offer 11 of the most popular and versatile fireplace styles today:
1. Classic Modern
Modernism was a prevalent style the first half of the 20th Century, and it remains popular today. Modern design eliminated much of the ornamentation associated with previous styles like Victorian and Baroque in favor of simplicity. That simplicity shows itself today in fireplaces that employ a clean, sophisticated design in place of extensive decoration. Modern materials often include steel and glass, but they can also make use of smooth woods and other simple materials.
2. Stacked Rock
The material possibilities for stacked rock fireplaces are nearly endless. These stunning fireplaces may be composed of limestone, marble, river rock, bluff stone, and a lot more. Stacked rock provides a lot of choices in design. And its construction versatility allows for many shapes beyond the norm. Because of an extensive variety of colors available in different stone types, a stacked rock fireplace can match a room’s current color scheme, or it can become the focal point of a room’s new color combination. Best of all, stacked rock fireplaces immediately make any room feel cozier.
3. Hand Crafted
Another popular trend in fireplaces is employing hands-on techniques. Each handcrafted fireplace is unique because it is built piece by piece. One popular handcrafted option is the added touch of customized iron doors and screens. Custom metal design is the antithesis of assembly line manufacturing because no element quite looks like any other. This allows you to choose something that is unique to you. Select from colors like brushed silver, gold, or bronze. Go the direction of contemporary or patina.
4. Entertainment Archway
Often, fireplaces act as a standalone feature in a room. But stunning archways combine the style of the fireplace with other important features in the same room or elsewhere in the home. For example, the fireplace and entertainment center may share the same stone elements for an attractive consistency. The archway of the fireplace can also mirror the archway of the room’s entrance.
5. Modern Country
Fireplaces in the modern country realm offer a subtle, updated take on traditional country style. The elements of a traditional country home fireplace, such as rustic coziness, are still present. But the design receives an updated flair with an eye toward simplicity. For example, a mantle of rough maple with little ornamentation can be set against a hearth of large stones that reaches all the way to a vaulted ceiling.
6. Contemporary Classic
Fireplaces of classic design used decorative flourishes that can now seem overdone in all but very old homes. But a contemporary spin on a classic look is very popular in newer homes. It tones down some embellishments while still paying homage to the classic look. Fireplaces in the contemporary classic vein mix in fresh ideas and materials such as metal.
7. Artistic Expression
A great fireplace is more than just functional. It should also please the eye. At its best, a fireplace is also a reflection of the homeowner. No style is more personal and identified with the homeowner than one reflecting artistic expression. These fireplaces leverage the imagination of the designer so that the result is a work of art as well as a functional part of the home. In reflecting the personal tastes of the homeowner, the fireplace can be almost anything. That could mean a design that is rustic, ultra-contemporary, hand detailed, or anything beyond the norm.
8. Cedar and Stone
Fireplaces constructed of cedar and stone are stalwarts in design. But they also maintain a chic allure that works is a multiple to home styles. These fireplaces are almost always the focal point of any setting. They connote simplicity, comfort, and, above all, dependability in design and construction.
9. Basement Retreat
Finished basements often have something akin to a coastal or beach vibe. But they are often a conglomeration of many styles. Whatever the personality of a basement retreat, it frees up the homeowner to go in several directions with the choice of fireplace. With so many other features often playing against each other in a basement, the fireplace becomes the true centerpiece—one that can tie everything else together. It makes a place for residents and guests to gather around. Natural stone is a great option in many such situations. And because basements are often darker than the rest of the house, their fireplaces tend to employ brighter colors.
10. Contemporary Futuristic
Fireplace design does not have to follow established guidelines such as a stone rectangle with a wooden mantle. There is no better example of that than fireplaces that emphasize futurism. Futuristic design and construction freely employ elements not often associated with fireplaces. That can include everything from burnished metal to glass accoutrements. Shapes can be circular, oblong, or nearly any other eye-catching shape a homeowner can imagine.
11. Modern/Contemporary
Contemporary design and modern design are two distinct stylistic movements. Even so, these two styles share similarities and can work well together. A room with a modern or contemporary style is designed so it does not overwhelm the senses. The same holds true for a modern/contemporary fireplace. Modern and contemporary are pared down in the hearth and mantle to include only the most essential elements. That can be characterized by clean, simple lines with a minimum of decorative flourishes.The only person who can determine which one of these trending fireplace designs is right for you and your home is… you. If you choose one of these 11 hot trends in fireplaces now, count on it to remain popular for years to come. The best fireplaces today are not only those that many homeowners want. They are also those that convey timelessness. That is because they have a style that lasts beyond others that come and go.
A fireplace’s functionality must match the staying power of its style. Therefore, it is essential to ensure it works at its highest level for years of comfort and enjoyment. When your fireplace gives you love, love it back with proper maintenance.
