Central heating notwithstanding, the heart is still the heart of many homes. The psychological satisfaction of gathering friends and family around a toasty fire remains undiminished.
Most of the family rooms in this book have fireplaces –some rather grand, some more modest. There are even a couple of wood burning stoves that provide the main source of heat of the room, as well as gratification for the psyche.
As a focal point, the heart naturally draws the central seating around itself. Everyone likes to look at a dancing fire. And even when the flames have died, the heart can sustain interest. You may want to hang artwork on the chimney, perhaps with the spotlight to emphasize it. Or use the mantel as another place to set artwork.
Storage and display shelves on either size of the fireplaces reinforce it as the focal point. Just make sure they enhance the shape of the heart and the architecture of the room. You needn’t group art objects symmetrically in the display shelves, however. Sometimes the most visually pleasing wall systems have shelves placed at irregular intervals. Whatever your solution, treat the heart and nearby wall area as unified space. The hearts on these two pages may give you some inspiration.
The clean-lined modern look
Impressive, large fireplace has well integrated built-in storage shelves above and to one side. Even the stereo speakers on the top shelves seem to match the rectangular look of this heart-wall. Fireplace and shelves are bordered with wood trim. Recessed lights in the wood paneled ceiling brighten the elongated tiled heart. Architect: E. Paul Kelley.
Heart rounds out a corner
Like wings extending from the rounded chimney, bookshelves carry out the horizontal lines of mantel. Located on the corner of the family room, this fireplace has inlaid tiles and a heart that lengthen into built-in seats.