Sometimes functional items are designed so beautifully that they blur the line between architecture and art. The fireplace surrounds in this collection are sculptural, stunningly beautiful and, arguably, works of art.
With the evenings growing warmer, you may think it's a funny time to feature an ideabook about the fireplace. But if you've been thinking about remodeling yours, now is the perfect time. With some inspiration and the whole summer ahead of you, by the time it gets cold again, you can have your own masterpiece to enjoy.
Our primal connection to art and fire have gone hand-in-hand ever since cavemen created art on the walls of caves by firelight. This sculptural steel fireplace surround by Focus Fireplaces makes me think of seeing a fire through the opening of a cave. It feels simultaneously ancient and modern.
The sculptural elements of this classic fireplace rival anything I saw in the castles of Europe! It makes me want to relax in front of the fire while listening to Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto Number 3 in G Major." That music always makes me feel uplifted in spirit, and I think it fits the fireplace.
Selecting the right piece of stone and choosing the direction of placement shows off a stunningly beautiful natural work of art. It's an ancient piece of stone, yet it reads like a contemporary abstract painting.
I love the glow of light through the textured glass panels. The chunky mass of the marble mantel is beautifully offset by the thinner and unexpectedly floating marble hearth. What a delight!
This amazing fireplace was custom designed for the client and hand carved from stone. I would listen to Bach again, but this time it would have to be "Tocata and Fugue in D Minor," a much heavier piece.
I don't know what material this fireplace is made from, but it reminds me of the Mexican black clay pottery from Oaxaca. It has such a beautiful, glossy black surface with a slight variation in color. The shape is softly organic, as if it were handmade on a potter's wheel. The organic shape feels so natural that it actually took me awhile to notice that it is set off center in the wall.
This series of giant gray blocks brings the carved stones of lost civilizations to mind — think Egyptian temple blocks. It also fits perfectly with the painting on the wall.
I think the interesting layering of geometric shapes and the alternating vertical and horizontal wood grain definitely give this surround an artistic flair.
I thought I would wrap up this ideabook with a few more fireplace surrounds created by the same firm whose work is shown in the lead photo. The green patinaed metal surround can be open to expose the fire within ...
