Our Top Fireplace Design Tips
Photographer: Stephanie Russo
Contractor: Rob Wilson
The emotional keystone of the home, fireplaces are where memories are made and families gather together. And in that comfort, there is so much connection. This time of year fireplaces take on new meaning, transforming a house into a cozy holiday experience. And beyond the holidays, fireplaces carry year-round importance in a climate like Sonoma. Here in Wine Country, from summer nights with a glass of crisp and mineral chardonnay, to winter nights with a medium bodied pinot noir, a great fireplace becomes a nightly routine for many. A lot of our clients stray from TVs in the rooms with fireplaces, opting instead for artwork and candles to create a sanctuary-like place to decompress.
When it comes to fireplaces, one of the styles our clients adore most, is a plaster mantel. It offers a timeless textural quality that feels warm and inviting and it's highly customizable in terms of color and finish. When designing these fireplaces, we carefully select the plaster color, often referencing the palette of the home to ensure it feels cohesive. Plaster can be tinted in subtle earthy tones or soft white to complement the space. For code compliance, we do add hard surfaces on the hearth, often choosing stone or tile that complements the plaster texture. The end result is a fireplace that feels seamless, integrated, and yet a true centerpiece that draws people in and stands the test of time.
At Fletcher Rhodes, we design a lot of transitional homes, including remodels where the fireplace already exists. In those cases, we’re typically taking an existing fire box location and upgrading the design. Fireplace height, the surround thicknesses, and placement of the mantle are all reworked during this process. We also design a lot of modern homes where the fireplace becomes a strong visual anchor for a space. In this case, exploring restraint and materials is really what leads to a timeless result such as a simplified plaster lime wash stone that patinas naturally and is very simple and timeless. In open concept homes, the fireplace acts as an architectural pause, by defining a space without walls (like our project up in Healdsburg).
When it comes to fireplace design, proportions and scale are very important design elements. We’re currently working on some more traditional spaces with ranch style barns where we’re taking a more European approach. From adjusting hearth heights, to using reclaimed wood, to creating big mantels, we’re really amping up the proportions. We may use stone instead of brick where there's an inset fireplace so it feels more rugged.
Faux painter: Stancil Studios
Incorporating hand troweled plaster, chiseled stone, or reclaimed beams can really make a fireplace feel like it has a sense of history. Considering arched openings like curved angles can honor the craft, and also update traditional techniques in a timeless yet modern way. With an interior design project, we try to take a step back and consider …what does it mean to be in a space with a fireplace?
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