Fireplace

At a modern, renovated home in Melbourne designed by NORTHBOURNE Architecture + Design, a new fireplace was installed above a marble hearth that doubles as a bench with storage for firewood underneath.

The dark woodwork added to the appreciation of the home's Hudson River views.

The post-and-beam ceiling is highlighted with pendant globe lights.

The existing structures were updated with a material palette that included natural aging patinas, raw steel doors and shelves, zinc countertops, and wood-paneled and beamed ceilings—juxtaposed with clean and modern smooth plaster finishes.

Unlike the north-facing side of the home, the south-facing facade is completely windowless and opaque, with the exception of an outdoor hearth built directly into its side. The lounge chairs are from IKEA, and the MacNellys sourced the slate flagstones and gravel surrounding the home from a local quarry.

Bespoke oak cabinetry, produced by an on-site joinery workshop, conceals storage in the living room. A curved ceiling softens the space.

Passionate cooks, the Burtons installed a Mugnaini wood-fired oven in their kitchen and had a custom Grillery fireplace-barbecue built into the concrete block wall on their deck. Beneath the grill they store oak firewood collected from their property.

At a renovated farmhouse in the Italian countryside, a crisp, modern white plaster fireplace and hearth infuse the interior with coziness and warmth. The firewood is stacked in a nearly-frameless niche next to the fireplace that is lined with metal, adding a bit of shine that contrasts with the rustic firewood and wood ceiling and beams above.

Movable and space-saving design elements define this creative family home in San Francisco’s Mission District. A midcentury home was transformed, and through the renovation, the molding at the fireplace was taken down, as was the cast plaster mantle. The sleek, new, metal fireplace design features a white oak custom bench made by Zack, accented by a vintage carnation milk crate from his mother’s childhood.

Philippe Starck’s outdoor chairs for Kartell provide cozy fireside seating. These and the sofa version were selected by Salmela. “They’re very much an art form,” he says.

Ben enjoys spending time outdoors while preparing meals for his family. The outdoor hearth is primed all summer long.

In the kitchen of Floating Farmhouse in Eldred, New York, a custom-built wood-fired oven extends up to the ceiling, accentuating its steep pitch. Photo by Mark Mahaney.

Located in Springfield, Missouri, this modern farmhouse designed by Kansas-City based firm Hufft Projects exudes the traditional vernacular of Kansas with an updated take on the conventional form. The rolling hills and expansive land resemble the tone of quaint Marquette.

Tigg Coll Architects took a new approach to a straightforward town house renovation and expansion in London. The home’s rear extension has its own personality, with with pivoting glass doors, sharp red support beams, and a wood-burning fireplace. The overhanging concrete plinth acts as a hearth or, as Tigg imagines it, a sort of contemporary inglenook. Wood piles neatly between the beam and wall. The fireplace, a Stovax Riva 2, is flanked by a Lampe Gras wall lamp; firewood is cleverly stored in the narrow space between the fireplace and the red support beam, creating a fun moment of practical texture in the room.

A Hans Wegner Shell chair by Carl Hansen & Søn outfits the living room, which is defined by a steel beam painted sharp red.

In a converted church in Connecticut, a modern fireplace and mantel design incorporates a ledge that functions as a bench and place for holding artwork or extra firewood. Above the fireplace, a Warhol collage is surrounded by a papier-mâché sculpture of no special provenance, a Vigliaturo glass piece, and a Picasso plate.

The master bedroom’s fireplace boasts a black slate hearth set in white-painted masonry.