Fresh Fireplace Trends for 2017
By: Rich Hendrickson, Jr. – Burlington Fireplace & Solar
Few things may seem as classic and unchanged in home décor than fireplaces, but you’d actually be wrong. In the fireplace industry, things are radically changing due to consumer tastes, government regulations, and advancements in technology. Now don’t worry too much – classic styles will always be available – but new types of fireplaces, stoves, and inserts are hitting the market every year for the next wave of homeowners.
High-efficiency wood-burning is becoming standard
With the advancement of wood-burning technology, consumers are starting to notice the benefits of installing a fireplace that both looks nice and performs well. Less and less people are installing generic ‘open-burning’ fireplaces in place of more efficient models, partly because of energy conscious mentality, but also because the investment isn’t all that much more. When considering all the factors (beauty AND performance, overnight burn times, ability to heat 1,500 square feet), people that enjoy burning wood are making the switch.
Clean lines
When it comes to gas, wood, or even electric fireplaces, nothing is more current than clean, straight lines. Fireplaces are installed every day with tighter, dry-stacked stone, simple square mantels, and clean-faced designs eliminating the ornateness or decorative trim of the 90’s or early 00’s. You could attribute this to the general modernizing of home décor, but the fireplace industry is already ahead of the curve with tons of options in this department.
Larger fireplace – smaller mantel
What used to be standard in most homes or new construction projects is definitely not the case anymore. Instead of full mantel surrounds (shelf, header, and legs that surround the fireplace), people are scrapping the legs and going with more stone or fireplace instead of mantel. And because of it, people are getting larger fire views, more beautiful flames, and more eye-catching stonework instead of one big boxy package.
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