Fireplaces
“The owners wanted a long, modern-looking fireplace, but their budget restricted the options to the smaller-sized ones,” architect Gloria Apostolou says. “This one is 36 inches wide, Linear series by Valor. To make it visually more present, we painted the surround on either side black (Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore) and also the hearth. This helps blur the end of the fireplace unit and the beginning of the millwork. “The ‘hearth’ is constructed of plywood and turns into the last step on the stair landing — a winder — which otherwise wouldn’t have met the hearth corner in a tidy line. Altogether, the dark linear strip of color at the base of the fireplace unit adds drama to the fireplace, and adds a certain floating effect of the white-painted millwork above it. A similar treatment was used on the exposed steel beam supporting the second floor — the dark separation of base and upper makes it look weightless almost.”
Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects Save to Ideabook Email Photo What attracts many people to a Rumford fireplace, besides its aesthetics, is its efficiency in radiating heat into the room and drawing smoke and pollutants out. Rumford fireplaces are taller and shallower than the typical fireplace, and have a narrower chimney opening to increase updraft.
Minimize it. This renovated fireplace has an elegant, minimalist hearth and and a steel mantelpiece that’s integral with the firebox opening and front. The flush hearth virtually disappears, reflecting only the fire. The architects have cleverly clad the original fireplace opening in steel, set slightly in front of the existing wall plane. By offsetting the plane of the steel from the wall, they created a simple mantel that serves double duty. Not only is it a place to display objects, but it conceals a sliding glass door, which protects the area from errant sparks and keeps building heat from escaping when closed. The steel plate on the right side extends beyond the code-required minimum to conceal the sliding door in the open position. One can imagine that the area to the right on the hearth also offers a place to store a few pieces of wood. Not only is this functionally appropriate, but it’s proportionally beautiful.
Minimize it. An equally valid approach is to minimize the hearth. Here it takes its design cues from the room. Carefully composed, flush surfaces washed with light focus the eye on form and shape and nothing else. The streamlined firebox and the lack of any extraneous ornament follow the cues as well. When a simple room is treated this way, it’s the fire that animates the room.
Complete cohesion. Place the television directly on top of the fireplace and bring both of these focal draws together by surrounding them with wood and molding details in the same style. Design tip: Consider painting the backs of flanking bookcases the same color as the fireplace for further design cohesion.
Fireplace wall. “The existing materials were great, so we left the fireplace as is and worked with the concrete base, glass screen and plaster chimney,” Geremia says. “We added the custom bronze mirrored wall and walnut shelves on either side of the fireplace as an opportunity to add storage and reflect additional light into the room. The walnut shelves match the custom bar and slatted wall so everything feels cohesive. We spent a while selecting art for the fireplace that brought in some color and texture to complement the existing materials.”
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