How to Enjoy Your Fireplace Year-Round

There’s something about a cozy, well-light fireplace gracing a room. Regardless of the season of the year or the geographic location of a home, incorporating a fireplace adds to a home’s aesthetics by helping create a simplified, relaxing environment.

The perfect setting

Whether your home overlooks the stunning desert-scapes of Scottsdale or is tucked away in the mountains of Colorado, a fireplace is the ideal accoutrement to any locale.

As Keith Richardson, president of AF Distributors in Phoenix explains, builders listen to their customers and now, more than ever, people are spending more time at home and people who spend more time at home want a fireplace.

“Why do people have a tendency to take pictures in front of their fireplace? Why are so many memories made in front of the fireplaces? Where are you going to hang your stockings and spend the holidays without a fireplace? Why do people love fire? With the new technology and improvements, it makes sense to include them,” Richardson says.

Fireplace trends

Fireplaces are certainly a source of warmth, but they are also an integral part of interior design. A fireplace can be a year-round architectural focal point in a room, even during the warmest of months. And fireplaces are a wonderful way to divide a large living area to be enjoyed from any angle.

Linear fireplaces continue to be a favorite among homeowners, especially those looking for a modern design with amenities aplenty. In fact, people in warmer climes are drawn to electric linear fireplaces because they give homeowners the ability to have the ambiance a fire brings to a room without the heat.

“There is something about fire that is comforting and relaxing, and with electric fireplaces you can have the desirable ambiance with or without the heat,” Richardson says. What’s more, because of the installation flexibility that both direct vent as well as electric fireplaces offer, homeowners can enjoy contemporary styling and smaller footprints that allow fireplaces to fit nicely in more intimate settings, such as the bathroom or bedroom. This allows a homeowner to have an attractive and relaxing hearth experience in other areas of the home, other than just the living or family room.

In addition, today’s fireplaces boast unique lighting features that add to the overall design of a space. Fireplace lighting is very user-centric. LED and halogen lights inside gas fireplaces highlight the fireplace as the focal point of the room, especially during warmer months. These lights allow you to illuminate the fireplace and create a beautiful accent piece in your room.

Heat management kits also are a favorite amenity among homeowners in warmer climates. Imagine you’re having a large holiday party where you want big beautiful flames without overheating the space and your guests. “This technology allows you to shift the heat outside to give you that great party atmosphere without shutting down the fire,” Richardson says.

A timely addition

Incorporating a fireplace during the home-building phase is ideal, says Cynthia Huff, co-owner of Dream Construction Co. in Las Vegas. “We are installing fireplaces in every home that we build. The most common areas are family rooms, primary bedroom sand rear patio seating areas.”

There are a few key reasons why homeowners should not overlook including a fireplace and fireplace structure during the build process. Not only does it allow the homeowner to simply and cost-effectively add electrical and gas behind the walls during construction, but it alleviates tearing up drywall and flooring at a later date. It also is much more economical to do during the construction phase.

Candice Palumbo, design center manager at David Weekley Homes says adding a fireplace often adds a unique ambiance to a space and become a focal point in a home and a gathering place for the family. “It’s also much more convenient to do it during construction, especially when it’s a gas unit,” Palumbo says. “And remember, they’re not just for inside. Add a fireplace outside, the desert still has very cool evenings for a good portion of the year.”