Objects of Desire: Modern Fireplaces Play Many Roles

What is it with human beings and fire? While most living things shy away from flames, we’re drawn to them, using fire for social gatherings, as a source of heat or as a tool for relaxation.

In open floor plans, fireplaces serve myriad other functions, from helping delineate spaces to drawing the eye toward a focal point.

Here are five fireplaces to inspire your modern space.

Acucraft used a staggering amount of glass for this stunning, 10-foot-tall custom fireplace: a full 240 square feet in total.

Details: It was very important to this homeowner that the glass meet the fireplace base as seamlessly as possible. To achieve this Acucraft designed a custom track system that sits 2 inches below where the glass meets the base, holding up the frame invisibly.

Why it works: The transparency of the glass enclosure preserves the airiness of the open floor plan while still delineating separate seating spaces.


Details: Textured brown tile surrounds this Rumford-style fireplace, creating a clear focal point against the white walls and built-ins. While this is a functional wood-burning fireplace, the homeowners opted to skip the mess, hassle and heat of a fire and light their hearth with candles instead.

The mounted-TV dilemma: Whether to mount your TV above your fireplace is a personal decision, but the designers at Drawing Dept generally try to avoid it. “The two items begin competing for attention, and often the television is mounted awkwardly high,” says founding partner Rob Busch.

Instead, Drawing Dept placed the TV alongside the fireplace to play to the asymmetrical balance of the space, while allowing the fireplace to anchor the room and help separate the den from the office area within this open floor plan.


This custom fireplace was reimagined as part of an extensive remodel of a 1953 Cliff May home.

Details: The homeowners, Doug and Rochelle Kramer, resurfaced the fireplace in limestone veneer, which they carried up the chimney on the outside of the house to create continuity. They also raised the bottom of the fireplace box, which was previously level to the floor.

Why it works: This see-through fireplace defines separate spaces within an open, midcentury-style layout, while allowing a peek through to the room on the other side.

Tip: To get a stacked look for limestone veneer, as the Kramers did here, ask your contractor to install it without grout.


Details: This see-through Lennox model is enclosed with a custom steel plate surround and a granite cantilevered hearth.

Why it works: The fireplace is placed perpendicular to the outside wall, enabling the homeowners to enjoy it from both their interior and exterior spaces. It also creates a focal point for the long, narrow living space, enabling traffic to pass through to the kitchen while keeping the space feeling open.


Details: Leuders limestone surrounds this modern Rumford-style fireplace, designed by Fab Architecture; it gets a rustic edge from fire brick laid in a herringbone pattern.

Why it works: While traditional in style, updated finishes enable this fireplace to complement the room’s modern decor. The subtle difference in color between the limestone surround and the white walls preserves the white-on-white color scheme while working with the artwork to create a pillar-like focal point.

More: How to Remodel Your Fireplace

Photos: Browse thousands of modern fireplace designs and save your favorites

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