What can help you forget about your loneliness in a big house or make your family evenings more romantic? A fireplace, of course! What a pleasure it is, to sit next to the warm fireplace and relax while watching the flames, reading or simply dreaming of something. A heartwarming fire makes one forget about routine daily troubles and enjoy the moment of calmness and comfort. A fireplace can completely transform the interior of a house or an apartment. It will make your dwelling comfortable and let you not hang upon the whims of weather and providers of house heating services.
The Fireplace History Museum… How could it look like? Most likely, there would be a place for fireplace from Coinsborough (England), the oldest of still existing fireplaces. Taking a tour through this imaginary museum, we would enjoy the sights of 14th century fireplaces that were saving the dwellers of stone castles from cold and dampness, as well as colorful and innovative fireplaces of the Renaissance times.
Sure enough, we would see there decorative elements of baroque times – times of contradiction, time of strive for wealth and splendor. Right next to the baroque items, fireplaces of classic conservative English style would be presented. Such fireplaces, usually built into the walls so that only facing can be seen, are elegant and austere. The hall of empire style would present the fireplaces decorated with military emblems and ancient monograms as the nouveau-riches of the last century tried to hide their low-class descent this way. In the hall of Russian fireplaces we would see traditional shapes combined with the luster of semi-precious Ural stones.
Nowadays many customers prefer classical fireplaces made of natural materials, such as limestone, tuff, dolomite, marble, travertine. A fireplace with an onyx facing looks especially expensive and prestigious.
A fireplace is one of the most conservative interior design elements. A set of typical fireplace accessories – vases, clocks, candlesticks – has formed centuries ago. Combinations that seem so common have their own history. For example, a natural stone or metal deck that surrounds the fireplace was introduced to protect the parquet of baroque-style castles from hot pieces of coal that eventually “jumped” out of fire-chamber (furnace). A seemingly primordial duo of fireplace and mirror first appeared in the Fontainebleau Palace in 1601. Only a century later during the rococo period has it become popular.
No matter how the shapes of fireplace change over time, its main elements stay the same. A fire grate eases the access of air to firewood, just like centuries ago. Furnace turns the logs into heat and light. A chimney serves as an exit for smoke and stagnant air. By adding comfort and stability, marble fireplace turns your house into a peaceful heaven.