It is nearly inconceivable not to have a fireplace at home. Whether you have a palatial home or an average one, families cannot do without the cozy, secure and comfortable feel of a fireplace.
Whether it’s for enhancing your home design, keeping warm, toasting marshmallows or having a bonding experience with members of the family, a fireplace is truly a treasured possession.
Today there are simply limitless designs and options when it comes to fireplaces.
One can choose for example from an assortment of wood, stone and man-made or fabricated material. Although the many forms and types of wooden fireplaces are admittedly popular choices, stone is also growing in use. Having a stone fireplace is a great choice, and people may have a variety of reasons for choosing a stone fireplace over a wooden one.
Many Types
Just like wood, you can have a variety of material choices for your stone fireplace. The discriminating shopper can have a stone fireplace made of granite, marble, limestone, cast stone or man made stone material.
Of them all, a stone fireplace that is made of marble may be more expensive, more delicate and more difficult to maintain. Obviously, though, a stone fireplace made of marble has a decidedly classy and elegant feel to it that makes it a precious living room fixture. Man-made marble is of course, more affordable.
Your stone fireplace can also be made of granite or limestone which are naturally occurring stones. You can also choose to have a stone fireplace made of cast stone. A cast stone fireplace which is actually composed of man-made material that is cast in a mold.
Various Styles
It has often been stated that your stone fireplace should fit the general theme of the room where it is situated. Some homeowners simply feel that a stone fireplace may be out of place in a modern home. This is simply no longer the case with the variety of styles for a stone fireplace.
You can go for the full medieval or gothic look or a modern one. There is simply no limit in how you want to arrange and design a stone fireplace. Some think that a stone fireplace is simplistic in nature, but it’s all up to the designer or homeowner really.
You can have a simple and functional granite arrangement or an elegant marble structure. There are also some antique and modern designs that effectively merge elements of wood and stone for a more up to date style.
Décor Options
Because stone fireplaces are available in a variety of styles, there are also a variety of ways to match your decorations with your fireplace to give a unified look. A cozy but modern home can do well for example with a simple fireplace made of stone enhanced by picture frames, vases or figurines.
You can also encourage a medieval atmosphere by putting some iron grills, furniture or frames in strategic places.
Cleaning
A marble stone fireplace generally needs more precise and regular cleaning and maintenance. Some of the other types of stone fireplaces, however, are generally easier to clean and are therefore the source of their great appeal.
Some of these fireplaces need to be cleaned only minimally. This would, therefore, translate to lesser effort and costs in cleaning.