Hello guys,

I'm currently relocating the kitchen in what used to be the living room.

It'll be fairly big (25x13) so space saving is not an issue. I also built a very basic prototype of what it could look like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWVL2KrPQN0 

(please ignore the fireplace in the video, I just put something to visualize where the problem actually is).

I use the current fireplace maybe 10 times a year, mostly for ambiance, because from an efficiency perspective it does not come close to the brand new heat pump.

If I keep it, I'll have to modify it (elevate it, or replace it with a model that looks better when elevated) because the main island will hide the current setup.

I have three options:

1) Remove it, but my girlfriend won't be happy and the house could loose some value

2) Elevate the actual fireplace (looking a bit like this http://images.lpcdn.ca/641x427/200910/20/117579.jpg ), then my question becomes: from a design perspective, do elevated wood fireplaces fit in a kitchen? I rarely see that...

3) Replace the actual one with something more kitchen-oriented, such as a wood-fired oven or even a pizza oven? My main show stopper is how complex this project would become, since a well design pizza oven weights over 2000 pounds...

Any input?

Thanks!