HER HOME: Home is Where the Hearth Is

Jump to Comments

There’s a chill in the air these days and snow in some parts of the country. So it’s certainly not too early to be thinking about fireplaces.

“Outdoor fireplaces are being used to expand a home’s living space,” Vince Bossany, public relations manager, Hearth & Home Technologies in Lakeville, Minnesota says, “because they can add a month to spring or fall. Of course, in warmer climates outdoor living spaces are a year-round extension of the home at less cost per square foot.”

See-through fireplaces are growing in popularity because they serve two rooms at once. “We’ve done a bedroom/bath shared fireplace,” says architect Bruce Lyon, from San Ramon, California. “It added comfort and a cozy feeling to both spaces.”

Terry Stork, an Omaha, Nebraska, real estate agent who specializes in new home construction, agrees. “In the past, two-sided fireplaces were often very plain units on the edge of a wall. But the folks who are using them today generally include full face mantles on both sides. In fact, they often create two very different treatments. On the great room side, the fireplace may have neutral tile and a very traditional white surround. On the kitchen side, it may have the same granite used on the countertops and a wood stained mantle and surround.”

A twist on the see-through model is the indoor/outdoor model. It is a cost-effective option for your deck or patio and adjacent indoor living area. Heat & Glo’s Twilight ™ II is a popular two-sided fireplace that requires no additional venting and meets both gas fireplace and window standards. Homeowners can select separate surrounds for the inside and the outside, tailoring them to match each space’s décor.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized