Put a fire in your life

The hypnotising flicker of a fire is a great and comforting way to give your home a real focal point

WHILST we have been spoilt by a mild winter here on the Gold Coast, many of us are still trading our swimming pools and outdoor entertaining areas for the warmer indoors.

It’s the winter months that bring fireplaces to the forefront of our minds and design inspirations. Our climate doesn’t always call for the warmth of a fire but you simply can’t go past the hypnotising flicker of flames, the ambience and the style a fireplace brings to a space.

Fireplace can bring a designer statement to your home by creating a central focal point, a room divider or a simply an ambient display.

For a lot of people the feature of a fireplace is more about the design of the mantel, as with many of my style suggestions I would say less is more, consider all of the other textural aspects of your home before you go installing a floor to ceiling stone chimney. While grand statements like these create a show-stopping focal point they can also drain the other aspects in your house.

There are some other great options available in Hamptons style cladding or striking patterned marble tiles if the stone look isn’t for you, also note that a clean cut white plaster mantel can create an elegant simplicity that means your fire place really is the centre of attention.

When it comes down to choosing the fireplace, if you have a house with the ability to install a flue then the options are many, with wood and gas styles which will provide warmth to your home.

However if installing a chimney is in the “too hard” basket, renovations aren’t on the cards or you live in an apartment you should consider the use of an ethanol powered flame, while it won’t put out the heat of a wood fire the ambience is second to none.

We recently installed an ethanol wall fire in a 50th floor apartment, it was such a simple process; the effect it had on the design and ambience of the home was just what it needed.

If you have been considering installing a fireplace now is the time, while winter inspires you.