by Patricia L. Garcia
local designers and builders tell us how fireplaces can play a central role in home design
A FIREPLACE can create a warm and comfy atmosphere, making your home more inviting and comfortable. The flickering flames and the sound of crackling wood can add a touch of visual and auditory spirit to your home. Whether you sit nearby to read a book, play board games with family or friends or simply enjoy the warmth, fireplaces offer a cozy backdrop for various leisure activities. The soft glow and warmth of a fireplace also create a romantic ambience for a primary bedroom.
Fireplaces are also important to the architectural design of a home, adding character and charm or even a dramatic focal point. In many cultures, fireplaces have historical and cultural significance, especially the kiva in New Mexico. The term kiva fireplace is believed to come from the historical and spiritual term “kiva,” which was a large and generally circular underground room used by Pueblo people, mostly for spiritual ceremonies. Kivas are considered sacred and private and hold an important part of the Pueblo heritage.
Lisa Samuel, of Samuel Design Group, says any fireplace must fit the space. For a stylized kiva-style fireplace in one of her projects, she drew inspiration from the surrounding artwork. Samuel worked with a Polish artist to refine the already-existing fireplace. The artist used layers of plaster to create depth and a polished, waxed finish for a delightful sheen. But the visual inspiration came from a painting to the right of the fireplace that looks like three-dimensional paper doll cutouts, so Samuel added dashed lines to represent perforations and a pair of scissors on the side of the fireplace.
“Those scissors are saying, ‘Okay, I can cut on the dotted line.’ And because it looks like you’re cutting paper, I chose to do the fireplace in that sort of whimsical fashion,” Samuel says. “The room is very playful, whimsical and fun.” Although kivas are part of our local heritage, there are many striking fireplace design styles—only limited by your imagination.
Tierra Concepts’ Keith Gorges looks to the space to find inspiration but is also guided by the surrounding area. The linear wood-burning fireplace in a Santa Fe home has a natural stone surround that continues up to the chimney, visible through the glass skylight that sits just above the fireplace. “When we say contextual modern, it’s in the context of Northern New Mexico, Santa Fe-style, in the sense that it has natural materials,” he says. An extra-long slab cantilevered hearth can serve as additional seating in the family room.
Shane Woods of Woods Design Builders says it’s crucial to create fireplaces that are presented in a contemporary way. The steel back–plated fireplace, for instance, is traditional and contemporary, flanked by white plaster and large wood beams. “Most of our clients are looking for transitional—they don’t want the heavy Santa Fe–style anymore,” he says. “They don’t want the heavy contemporary; it’s more of a mixture of both.”
Some sleek, contemporary looks can be tempered by the warmth of rich wood, quite literally. Boxy, integrated recessed areas that hold firewood turn the clean-lined look into a more organic design detail. Woods says this fireplace has a polished look that can work with various home styles, although he suggests placing the wood storage below the fireplace for easy access.
A centrally located, four-sided open fireplace is a sophisticated centerpiece that can be enjoyed from multiple rooms and seating areas. The modern style is well-served with a modern design such as black steel and sleek stone slab hearth. “A fireplace like this is meant to be a showstopper, but it will probably be found in a contemporary house,” says Gorges. He adds that while you can use different materials— from glass to stone to steel—your designer and contractor must consider the heavy load on top of the fireplace.
No matter the style or materials, consider a fireplace in your home to create an ambience that is inviting and comfortable year-round.
resources
Samuel Design Group
Tierra Concepts
tierraconceptssantafe.com
Woods Design Builders
woodsbuilders.com
