A "Place for Fire" in Every Kitchen

It's always been there - that hearth and home feeling, but it's evolving into an even more important factor in your clients' lives, perhaps in part by recent eventscreating a new commitment and deeper understanding of the relevance one's home has in one's everyday life. What it means to "come home," and how one wants to feel. We've heard it before, but now it's for real.

From colonial times, and before, the hearth was the heart and cooking center of the kitchen, indeed, the home. Even post-revolutionary war, after separate rooms were added, the hearth remained the center of life in the home. By 1850, the first cookstoves appeared in the kitchen, gradually phasing out the fireplaces in the kitchen. The race was then on to ease the burden in the kitchen by cooking on the new, portable appliances. Fireplaces were definitely "out."

Rooms begin to open

Fast forward to the 80s, when women pursued work outside the home in force.

The kitchen floor plan began to open up, with walls being moved or removed, and previously formal rooms becoming less formal. With a more open floor plan, the family could, again, all gather together in one large space as the family did in colonial times. Families want to interact with each other after being in different directions all day.

That trend continues to evolve up until today, where the kitchen is more and more connected to a family room and other surrounding rooms, particularly in terms of decor, but recently, with the inclusion of a fireplace as a desired element in the space, or, which could be suggested by a designer.

Where does a fireplace go?

Gas fireplaces may be positioned almost anywhere, as long as a proper venting path is planned for, which follows the manufacturer's specifications and local building codes. To be sure that the fireplace is placed correctly, all involved parties, including the homeowners, should agree on and approve the pathway of the vent. Masonry fireplaces may be more expensive, and more of a challenge to find a place which can vent properly and hold the weight of the structure, depending upon materials used in its construction. Some gas fireplaces are woodburning as well as gas burning.

Where do you find space?
A fireplace could be recessed into a utility area of a home or it can project outward from the wall. Here are some areas in which to install the fireplace part or all of the way.

* closets
* hallways
* mud room
* garage
* making a 90 degree wall into a 45

Following is an example of space found for a gas fireplace:

Before Plan

After Plan

Placement of a fireplace should be based on

* which part of the kitchen is the most important viewing angle
* heat conduction - not too close to surrounding furnishings or pathway
* a floor or elevated fireplace design
* size of fireplace in proportion to room size
* venting path

Fireplace Designs

A kitchen fireplace can be more informal than in other rooms. Designers can stucco the surrounding walls, or use decorative tile, marble, granite, slate, and more.

Heat-n-glo offers several different styles of gas fireplaces perfectly appropriate to a kitchen installation. The Bravo model offers a clean face design. Finish materials can be brought all the way up to the face plate. It is an arched "kiva" style fireplace, commonly seen in southwest themes. However, with traditional materials surrounding it, it can easily blend with other, more traditional, yet informal motifs - our current "casual elegance" style blends well with this style of fireplace. The Crescent model is also an arched design, and boasts a tilt-down warming shelf for breads, or just to set down covered foods to warm. The Crescent may be installed at counter height.

Martin Industries offers the very cool SB5400SS model, a 44" wide stainless steel fireplace for use indoors or out. For large kitchens with a strong stainless steel theme, this style coordinates well. Even without a stainless steel them, the SB5400SS lends a sleek, modern counterpoint to other textures within the kitchen.

Room Configurations

Small Spaces can accommodate a fireplace surprisingly easily, as shown in this photo. Heat-n-glo's Pier-TRC is positioned as a small room divider and can be vented from the back, keeping a low profile, or from the top.

Heat-n-glo's Twilight model is visible from the inside and outside of a house. As many of our kitchens back up to a patio situation, this model could open up wonderful new design and use possibilities.

Multi-rooms may call for fireplaces which offer 2 or 3-sided views of the fire, connecting a family room or dining area to the kitchen, serving both areas while acting as a divider. To update this fireplace style, use surrounding materials which complement the rooms' theme(s), thus, creating a more "built in" and coordinated look. Martin's 6-in-1 fireplace can be used in virtually any position for total "surround viewing" area of the fire.

Wood Fire Ovens

Say, what? Maurice Sabbagh, owner of Earthstone Wood-Fire Ovens says, "Wood-burning ovens achieve a combination of roasting, baking, barbecue and smoking techniques that work wonders with a wide range of food." Seasoned hardwoods fuel these ovens. They also add that wonderful, smoky flavor to the food.

The heat of the fire is far hotter than a conventional oven, working to seal juices in by searing in the flavor. Crusts are crisper, meats, think-crusted pizzas, and grilled vegetables are more flavorful by using this intense heat.

For a fireplace effect, just keep open the cast iron door and watch the flames.

Partner/Sales Options

A designer may wish to partner with a local fireplace distributor and control the sale and installation, collaborating with and/or supervising the contractor and fireplace installer on the job. Or, a designer may wish to simply provide the design idea and leave the sale and installation to the fireplace retailer and contractor on the job. In either case, a disclaimer clearly specifying where the designer's responsibilities begin and end should be presented to, and signed off by, the homeowner.

Back to Basics

Is it redundant to add a fireplace in the kitchen if there is a masonry fireplace in an adjoining family room? Not at all - all of us know the Victorian homes in our towns that have a fireplace in almost every room. Consumers want to get back to basics - to home and hearth. A fireplace will enhance our clients' enjoyment of their kitchens. It is something they may not even know they wantyet.until their savvy designer tells them they do!