07/29/2020 Read in 4 minutes.
The presence of a fireplace in the apartment gives it a special chic and luxury. It gives an atmosphere of comfort, shows the level of wealth of the apartment owners, and brings a special feeling of harmony, tranquility, and well-being. The fireplace successfully fits into any interior due to the variety of varieties and design options, and can be located in any room.
view album in new window
Fireplace in the interior of the apartment
The presence of a fireplace in the interior of an apartment makes it possible to implement various design solutions, for example, Christmas wreaths and socks for Christmas gifts. Some fireplaces, in addition to designer fireplaces, perform the function of heating the room, which is why fireplaces are so popular in country houses.
In a large city multi-storey building, it is possible to install a wood-burning fireplace only on the top floor due to the need for a chimney. The choice of such a fireplace must be agreed upon with firefighters and architects to ensure the safety of the building. Otherwise, it is better to give preference to alternative fireplace options:
view album in new window
- decorative;
- electric fireplace;
- bio fireplace;
- gas.
Electric fireplaces and decorative fireplaces will be discussed below. Biofireplaces successfully include the presence of fire and the absence of smoke. They operate autonomously thanks to the fuel contained inside. It is denatured ethanol that decomposes into carbon dioxide and water vapor, which produces heat. This fireplace provides light and warmth and fits perfectly into the interior design of the apartment due to its variety of shapes. When lighting such a fireplace, it is recommended to ventilate the room or turn on the hood.
You can also choose bio-fireplaces using helium fuel, but such fireplaces should be cleaned from time to time to remove carbon deposits. Depending on the ignition method, there are mechanical and automatic biofireplaces. At the same time, its arrangement does not require permits, there is no need for a chimney or electrical wiring, and they are safe to operate. However, all the advantages of a fireplace, including low cost, are overshadowed by high fuel prices and its rather high consumption.
Gas fireplaces require a chimney and a well-ventilated room. They can be:
- classic - with a fireproof firebox and connection to the chimney;
- floor-mounted - with a fire chamber on a fireproof base;
- wall-mounted – secured with brackets.
view album in new window
Gas fireplaces have different combustion modes, can heat a room, and fit perfectly into the interior of any apartment. Their installation must be agreed upon with gas workers. You should think in advance about disguising the gas cylinder; you cannot place it next to the fireplace.
As for wood-burning fireplaces, installing them in an apartment is very difficult, but if you have one, there are many design possibilities for the apartment. The design of wood-burning fireplaces includes:
- A smoke collector is a chamber for uniformly discharging gas into a pipe.
- Gas threshold - to isolate housing from smoke and soot.
- Portal – for external decoration of the fireplace.
- Smoke cornice.
- Fireplace table.
- Grate for logs.
- Ash pan for collecting ash.
- A spark arrester that ensures fire safety in the house.
- Deflector – protects pipes from strong winds.
view album in new window
The choice of fireplace should be based on several points:
Desired external design of the fireplace.
Qualitative characteristics: power level, electricity costs. The larger the area of the room, the more power is required to heat it.
The dimensions of the room in which you plan to install the fireplace. The larger the room, the larger the need for a fireplace. A small fireplace runs the risk of simply getting lost in a large room.
Room design. Usually the fireplace is a kind of semantic center of the room.
Approximate price. You should not buy the cheapest fireplace - its quality will be low and it will not work for a long time. The high cost depends only on the luxury of the fireplace.
Any fireplace you choose should blend well with the room and not look bulky or out of place. It should also be noted that artificially created flames in electric fireplaces and false fireplaces will only vaguely resemble real fire.
view album in new window
Interior design tips with a fireplace
At first glance, it seems that in order to organize a stylish interior, you just need to install a fireplace in the living room and everything will automatically fall into place. In practice, the exact opposite effect occurs. The presence of a fireplace “presents” certain requirements for the interior design and sets its own conditions, without which the design of the room looks ridiculous.
The material for finishing the fireplace is selected depending on the stylistic direction of the interior
Since the fireplace becomes the highlight of the room, all other objects, even small decorative elements, must be in harmony with it.
The first thing you have to take into account is the undesirable proximity of the TV and fireplace. Both objects are dominant in the interior, and for maximum harmony of space it is better to place them at some distance from each other.
A large mirror above the fireplace helps to visually expand the space of a small living room
Fireplace in the living room in the apartment
Installing a fireplace in any part of the apartment depends on its type. The most common room for installation is the living room; this is where you can create the desired coziness with the help of a fireplace. Fire pacifies, calms, relaxes. It is in the living room that you want to hold family or friendly gatherings by the fire.
view album in new window
The fireplace can be placed in the corner of the living room. This is suitable for those who want to save space. You can also place a fireplace in the center of the wall, placing upholstered furniture, tables and shelves around it. It is not recommended to install a fireplace near an external wall, since a significant part of the heat will go outside and not into the house.
To position the fireplace, it is necessary to make partitions with special holes and heat-resistant glass. The partition can be made of stone, brick or tile.
A wall-mounted electric fireplace can be installed in any room, but it will look most appropriate in the living room.
A gas fireplace will also look best in the living room, but with the right design can be installed in any other room.
view album in new window
The main decoration of the fireplace is a live fire, creating decorative lighting in the room. This is why all lighting in the living room must be carefully planned. You can use lamps made of Murano glass or pearl white plastic. Lamps should not cast light onto the fireplace fire, especially if it is a fake fire, otherwise glare will form. The lighting should be soft, for example, using a floor lamp or lamps built into the ceiling.
When planning lighting, do not forget about the need for ordinary classic lighting for the convenience of all family members.
When I plan to install a fireplace, it is also important not to forget about the fireplace area. A recreation area should be provided. This could be a pair of soft armchairs with a small coffee table, or a rocking chair with a checkered blanket and a round table on a high leg where you can put knitting and a mug of tea. It is also worth thinking about decorating the wall with paintings or photographs, figurines and vases.
view album in new window
Types of fireplaces
There are several types of fireplaces for a private home:
1. Wood-burning fireplace - a classic full-fledged option, where the fire is carried out using firewood. It can be presented as a ready-made fireplace insert, a fireplace with a firebox made of refractory bricks, or a combined option (the firebox is lined with stone or tiles).
2. Electric fireplace is a type that does not have real fire, but perfectly imitates it. Some models generate heat.
3.Bio-fireplace is a new product, the essence of which is to create a real fire using bioethanol. The design does not emit heat, but also does not smoke, does not smoke, does not emit soot or burning.
4.False fireplace - imitation of a fireplace as an interior element. It looks like a real fireplace, but there is no fire in it.
We will touch on the features of placing a classic wood-burning fireplace.
Apartment design with a fireplace
A fireplace is a decoration for any room. It is only important to choose the right option that is suitable for the room.
In an old building with a chimney, you can design a wood-burning fireplace, always from fireproof materials. It will allow you to create a modern interior in your apartment at a minimal cost.
There are a wide variety of interior solutions when decorating a room with a fireplace, for example, designing a kitchen-dining room with a massive large fireplace and many storage systems in a strict geometric style.
You can decorate your apartment and fireplace in a hunting style: a rocking chair, a chandelier on a massive chain, a stuffed deer or antlers, an antique carpet. This design will be reminiscent of Victorian England and will amaze all guests with its sophistication and taste.
view album in new window
The design of the fireplace with wooden panels on the walls and luxurious doors is also very original. Such simple materials will help create a unique interior.
There is an option for designing a studio apartment with a fireplace as an object separating two rooms. The fireplace is installed in a partition that separates one room from another. This option is both very aesthetic and functional. A design solution could be cladding with pebbles or stone, and it will be possible to warm up and admire the fire from two rooms at once.
To decorate in a royal style, you can use large stones or materials that replace natural stone. This fireplace is suitable for both antique furniture and modern interiors. In this case, crystal, ivory, porcelain figurines, mirrors and gilding are used as decorative elements.
Decorating an apartment in a high-tech style requires an appropriate fireplace: without unnecessary decor, restrained color, with a predominance of straight lines. This solution may seem boring to some, but high-tech fireplaces have a number of advantages:
view album in new window
- wide variation of fire displayed;
- living flame function;
- heating the front glass with infrared radiation.
Some manufacturers of such fireplaces offer unusual options, for example, with the function of depicting burning logs.
An interesting design idea is to decorate a fireplace in a country style using wooden panels, natural stone, and brick. In this case, painted plates, photo frames, forged candlesticks and natural pine cones in containers are also used for the interior.
view album in new window
Fireplace as a decorative element in a city living room
When purchasing an electric fireplace, you have the opportunity to choose the color of its frame that matches the style of the interior in which the living room is decorated. The edging can be gold, silver, black, or brass. For a classic interior, choose an antique model.
Below in the photo you can see a living room with a fireplace and TV. There are models of electric fireplaces whose tops are specially reinforced to support the weight of the TV. On the sides of the portal there can be special shelves for equipment, for example, for audio speakers.
A fireplace for a living room in a classic style can be lined with red brick, marble, or light sandstone. A portal made of valuable natural wood looks impressive: oak, walnut, wenge, alder, maple, beech. An alternative option is to use materials that imitate natural stone or wood. The hearth will look expensive, majestic and noble.
To design a fireplace in a modern style (modern or high-tech), materials such as glass and metal are used.
The photo shows a real living room interior with a fireplace and a TV above it. In this case, the TV is attached to the wall. It looks very organic against the backdrop of an electric fireplace. Mounting the TV in this way leaves the mantelpiece free, so you can place various beautiful objects on it: figurines, candlesticks, photographs, souvenirs.
A fireplace in the interior of a small living room, as in the photo, creates a unique atmosphere of closeness to nature. This element of the interior can become a real decoration, an accent of the room, giving it luxury and special charm.
Electric fireplace in the apartment
An electric fireplace is smokeless, but at the same time it also creates the right atmosphere and heats the room.
According to the installation method there are:
- Tabletop fireplaces, they can be installed on a table or shelf.
- Hanging fireplaces, somewhat reminiscent of a TV panel and attached to the wall.
- Built-in fireplaces made of heat-resistant material.
- Mobile fireplaces can be located anywhere and, if desired, moved around the apartment.
- Fireplace sets that are entirely built into the wall can be made from different materials.
view album in new window
All these types of fireplaces successfully cope with their tasks: they provide heat, give light, and create a unique interior. Some fireplaces have a built-in steam generator, creating the effect of smoke and realistic fire. Also, a number of fireplaces reproduce smoldering coals and produce musical sounds similar to the crackling of firewood.
In addition, steam models perfectly humidify the air, ensuring a comfortable stay in the room. They are very natural.
Models with 3D fire effects are also considered realistic.
Pros of electric fireplaces:
- do not require special cleaning and maintenance;
- do not produce unpleasant odors;
- do not need a chimney or fuel;
- easy to install;
- have the ability to effectively heat the room;
- are not fire hazardous;
- low price;
- transportability, lack of special fastenings;
- speed of installation;
- availability of economical operating modes;
- do not require special paperwork.
view album in new window
Cons of electric fireplaces:
- the need for hidden wiring to the fireplace to access the energy source;
- high energy consumption;
- annoying fan noise;
- artificial flame that does not have the desired naturalness of living fire.
