Fire it up...

Fire it up…

Fireplace design is a big deal around here. For Kevin and I, it is one of the largest architectural design elements in your home. We have the ability to really set the tone and style of your first floor in one fell swoop. No pressure, no pressure…

It used to be that architects and designers were always splitting visual interest in a Great Room as we tried to honor a fireplace and a huge TV (which usually required a masssive piece of furniture to hold it.) Now that televisions are neat and tidy and flat - we have the ability to create one primary point of interest in a Great Room. The reality is that a fireplace is the historic focus of any New England home - but a screen has become the new familial focus. Below is a round up of a few of our favorite fireplaces we have worked on over the last few years.

The image above shows a home where we did a simpler and more contemporary fireplace design. A solid fireplace element of cement gives us another texture to work with as we add layers to your space.

The field stones in the above fireplace were hand selected for not only their earthy quality, but also for their subtle coloration. Adding a solid mahogany mantle helps incorporate a more polished vibe.

The above fireplace was one where we modified the entire fireplace surround. Our goal here was to add a bit of clean-lined stature to a space where we knew we would be blending fancier brass and relaxed driftwood finishes.

The above Great Room was a real collaboration between Kevin and I and also our builders and their millwork shop. This entire house has a air of formality that you can’t ignore. It also had a monstrosity of a cherry built-in that housed the biggest and chunkiest tv. Stripping the space down and adding some defining architectural elements, including the fireplace and paneling, helped to make the space feel scaled for everyday living.

This gas fireplace above connects the Kitchen and the Great Room and has always been a favorite. Adding the see-through element really allowed the rooms to feel connected while still honoring the more colonial style architecture.

Designing your fireplace is a chance for us to roll up our sleeves and get innovative. So let’s fire it up…. because together we create.