Ideas for Building a Stone Fireplace

A stone fireplace adds special character to your home. It’s a centerpiece that sets the mood of your living room, and even of your entire home. Not all stone fireplaces are created equal, however. Here are a few ideas to help you choose the fireplace design that’s right for your home.

designing a fireplace
  • Country-Style: Create a country-style fireplace by using granite blocks arranged in rustic stacks without any mortar. This style, which is often referred to as dry stacking, is wonderful when paired with light-colored walls. The gray granite blocks make your room look larger when the fire is glowing inside of them.
  • Bold: For a very bold, outstanding look, a tall fireplace that reaches from the floor to the ceiling is a wonderful choice. It looks especially impressive if paired with a vaulted ceiling. When designing a home, you need a special feature like this to be the focal point. Setting it against white or light-colored walls makes it stand out even more. Because of the height of this type of fireplace, you’ll need to use strong stone material and mortar made to withstand the weight.
  • The freestanding fireplace: Create a freestanding fireplace by relying on sturdy, cultured stone. Whether you choose a floor-to-ceiling design or a shorter one, this type of fireplace allows you to create interesting patterns with the stones, thus decreasing your need for additional decoration in the surrounding area. What makes a fireplace freestanding? It can be installed without reinforcing floor joists.

If you need help designing a home that is brimming with the true art of architecture, be sure to contact us at Gelotte Hommas Architecture. Our Seattle-area professional architects can put together a comprehensive plan for designing your dream home.