The low maintenance aspect of brick and stone in interior design and the fact that brick and stone withstand fire has made them the most common choice for facing fireplace surrounds. Your fireplace may be simply a few rows of bricks or it may be a large and commanding structure. In Ontario, we often take the abundance of brick for granted, and as a result, the look of fireplaces had been very traditional in style for many decades. Fireplace styling has changed dramatically. The look is much cleaner and definitely more dramatic, as well as having a minimal look. It can vary from clean-lined contemporary through to more ornate traditional. natural materials are often used to finish the look. Tile and stone combinations work well together. Creative use of bold patterns, unique shapes, and luminescent metallic tiles are quite effective in creating a mantel that is a cut above the same old look. With the current trend to industrial style, industrial metals used in bold new ways on the mantel are fun and in keeping with the other furnishings in the home. 
The fireplace feature wall can be truly enhanced by the juxtaposition of coloured elements next to it. If you crave a contemporary style but instead have a large and overpoweringly rustic area of brick brooding darkly over your room, you may not be too happy about it. However unhappy you are with the brick, you may also be intimidated by the mess and expense required to remove the brick. Sometimes, however, it is possible to clad the offending brick with a mantle made of wood or other material, and thus greatly improve the formality of the room. There are a great many ways that cabinetry can be used to frame a fireplace. Often, adjacent storage can be made part of the built-in cabinetry. As fireplace design has become so much more interesting, media rooms have also become a very required part of many homes interior design. A major redesign has taken place in home entertainment. The size of the television has increased dramatically, , and the design elements involved in the fireplace has, as well. Television are now often installed above or beside the fireplace. In order to remain visually balanced, the fireplace has increased in size, but it has often become a linear look design. Some of the new electric fireplaces are very advanced and are much more realistic now. When a fireplace emits heat, it is extremely important to be aware of potential damage to the very advanced television which may be above it. A heat management kit is critical. This applies to artwork above the fireplace, as well.
Modern fireplaces produce a lot of heat. A hundred years ago the idea that a fireplace was producing too much heat would have been laughable. Because of the efficiency of modern fireplaces, heat production is of the utmost concern to the homeowner who desires a fireplace. A big, beautiful fireplace likely produces so much heat that the occupants are driven out of the room if they use it. The room becomes overheated and uncomfortable. This is particularly true on modern day homes of small square footage. A highly efficient fireplace accidentally acts as a furnace. luckily, the industry has developed some ways to repurpose and redirect excess heat. for smaller homes and smaller spaces a low BTU rating or low heat fireplace is the solution where you do not intend the fireplace to take over for the furnace. In fact, some fireplaces are purposely manufactured and installed so that they add no heat at all to the living space. The heat produced is actually vented outside the building with a power vent. This has the added advantage that the glass on the fireplace is not hot to the touch. Most units have a remote controlled thermostat that maintains a pleasant ambient temperature without the homeowner having to regularly intervene. Heat management kits divert unwanted heat either to an area above the fireplace opening, or into an adjacent room where the heat is desired.
Sensitive electronics or beautiful artworks mounted above a fireplace can be a sticky problem. Technology has progressed such that this issue has largely been addressed. Many condo are tiny , and it make sense that the home owners still desire luxurious and comfortable features of a larger living space. In order to protect the television from heat emitted by the fireplace below it, the television can be recessed into the wall above the fireplace. This will protect the back and bottom of the television from excess heat. Many clients love the look of a mantel on a fireplace. This is an advantage because a mantel can deflect heat away from the television by acting as a shield. Heat will still be able to wrap around the mantel, though, and affect the television, so the television must be mounted no more than 3 inches above the mantel. No television manufacturer will guarantee that the television will not be damaged so, if at all possible, it is better to mount the television elsewhere. 
Fireplace surrounds can be clad with various types of stone and stone look-alikes. Ornate mantels have really fallen out of favour, though, for many clients. Scrolling curlicues and lots of ornate detail are quite passe. Those styles may come back into vogue, but they are definitely not “au courant” at the moment. Wall textural elements are a creative way to accent a fireplace wall, as seen below. Storage may or may not be a part of the design, and many times, there is an architectural quality to the design of the new style fireplace. The firebox often used these days is a less square, more sleek-lined look. Glass pebbles catch the light from the flames and add cool sparkle to the look. Some clients will always prefer the look of a log fire, though.
The fireplace can then become a high contrast feature if desired, or blend into the room a little more, as desired. There is also a strong trend toward merging modern fireplace styles with more classic styling. Clients love a wide viewing area so this has led to a blend of tall and wide as opposed to the old square style. Recent models show a tendency to be linear, but they are now a taller viewing area. There has been a move away from glass pebbles and back to logs. As well, now that more people are working from home, in order to isolate the working area a little from living areas, fireplace walls have emerged as a useful and pleasing solution. 
Nowadays some homes are quite small so small footprint fireplaces are emerging as a trend. Even in a tiny home, the urge to have a fireplace is still strong. Slim framing can accommodate a smaller firebox.
Since 1993 Mulberry Interiors, interior design consultants have been assisting clients in Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Brampton, Milton, Georgetown, Etobicoke, western Toronto, and Vaughn. We specialize in residential interior design and decorating and are at our most creative when we use colour as our theme. We offer a full range of interior design services such as choosing paint colours, space planning, furniture sourcing, custom draperies and soft furnishings, flooring selection and accessories. Call Mulberry Interiors now at (905) 849-6423 to book a consultation. We look forward to working with you to increase your enjoyment of your home.
Full Décor Service
Colour Consultations a Specialty
Window Coverings including Draperies and Blinds
Furniture
Flooring
Space Planning
Accessories and Wall Art
