Contemporary Fireplace Ideas for Modern Homes

In some ways, a fireplace is one of the most traditional home features that you can think of. People have been building homes around the hearth for a very long time, dating back to when the fireplace was used for heating and cooking. While we still love fireplaces in our homes, most of us no longer look to the fireplace as our primary source of heat. Likewise, it’s no longer where we cook our meals. For must of us, a fireplace is a design feature that adds ambience to our homes. It’s still a gathering spot for friends and family, but today’s homes don’t all lend themselves to an old-fashioned traditional fireplace design. Many homeowners now want contemporary fireplace ideas, to complement their open-plan homes.

What is a contemporary fireplace? ‘Contemporary’ means different things to different people. Some folks think of contemporary as simply the opposite of traditional. Others think of contemporary as being modern. As fireplace experts who have been in the hearth business for over 2 decades, we’ve seen big changes in the design of fireplaces themselves, as well as the walls that our clients are building around them. Here, we’re sharing contemporary fireplace ideas that suit a range of design styles, and we’re also giving a well-deserved shout-out to some of our professional design-build clients, who always know how to design a fireplace with flair.  

Linear fireplaces vs. traditional fireplaces

Does your choice of linear vs. traditional fireplace insert determine the style of your wall? Many of our clients would suggest that a linear fireplace is contemporary, while a more square-shaped fireplace is traditional. However, linear fires have more to do with TVs than they do with contemporary fireplace ideas. Until wall-mounted TV’s came along, no one had even heard of a linear fireplace. Wood-burning fireplaces had square openings, so gas and electric fireplaces were made to mimic those. When TV’s were big, heavy boxes that required a dedicated table or cabinet, no one ever thought of putting a TV above the fireplace.

As TVs became slimmer and lighter, they began to appear in more rooms in more homes, and with larger screens. As homeowners began to rethink their traditional fireplaces, and possibly switch from wood to gas or electric, they realized that it was possible to put the fireplace and TV on the same wall. The size of the TV screens drove a desire for wider fireplaces. At the same time, we needed to be sure not to mount the TV too high, so slimmer, shorter fireplaces came along, and that has led to linear fireplaces dominating the gas and electric fireplace market. Regardless of whether someone prefers a traditional or contemporary design, linear fireplaces work better with fireplace designs that put the TV above the fireplace.

Wall design vs. fireplace style

For all the reasons noted above, when we look at fireplace ideas online, we most often see that the firebox itself it linear, i.e. not square, in shape. The twist is that some of those wall designs are actually pretty traditional, in spite of the fact that the fireplace is not a square box with logs on a grate. Picture shiplap walls with a wood mantel beam – it’s a pretty cottagey look that’s often built around a linear fireplace. In these cases, homeowners have chosen to go with a linear fireplace without giving up their traditional fireplace preferences.

While linear fireplaces can certainly play a part in contemporary fireplace ideas, they are not the only way to get a contemporary look. We would suggest that you can create a contemporary fireplace wall around a traditional firebox, using other design elements. Think of it this way: a fireplace that burns wood will never go out of style. Wood-burning openings are built for function, and need to be a certain shape to support combustion. They are neither traditional nor contemporary. It’s what we do with the wall that will make the fireplace look one way or the other. Flip through any design magazine that features luxury homes, and you will see wood-burning fireplaces set into contemporary or modern designs. When you’re looking for contemporary fireplace ideas, don’t limit yourself to just linear fireplaces! You can create a contemporary fireplace around a traditional firebox.

Fireplace media kits: Logs vs. river rocks vs crystals

Another way to distinguish between traditional and contemporary fireplace ideas is to think about the media kit that will go inside the fireplace. Linear fireplaces don’t typically have logs sitting in a grate, but they do offer options for loose logs, river rocks, and crystals. While many clients say they don’t want the ‘bling’ of having clear crystals, many manufacturers of electric fireplace have made the crystals the default media because they let all of the flame effects and accent lighting colours shine through.

In our showroom, for clients who are using a linear fireplace for a more traditional design, we suggest logs for their fireplace media kit. If they prefer a more contemporary fireplace, then we suggest crystals or black rocks, with no logs. Can you mix those up? Of course you can! There are no ‘rules’, just suggestions.

While many so-called traditional fireplace inserts have logs on a grate, to mimic a wood-burning fireplace, there are options for some of those fireboxes to have crystals or river rocks, or loose logs. If you prefer a contemporary fireplace design, but with a traditional insert, you can look for an insert that offers media kits other than just logs in a grate.

Mantel or no mantel?

It’s impossible to think of a traditional wood-burning fireplace without picturing a mantel ledge above the fireplace opening. Mantel ledges serve to deflect flames, sparks and heat away from the wall above the fireplace. However, once you change to a gas or electric fireplace, some of those functions won’t be necessary. With an electric fireplace, the mantel ledge is completely discretionary. For that reason, it’s not uncommon to see new fireplace walls without mantel ledges. There’s no question that a mantel ledge is one way to add a traditional element to fireplace. However, if you’re looking at contemporary fireplace ideas and you really want a mantel ledge, look for one that is sleek and slim, perhaps made of metal rather than wood.

Stylish Fireplaces knows that adding a fireplace to your home can be challenging. With an electric fireplace and their NFI Certified Hearth Design Specialists, it’s easy to create a space you’ll love to share with family and friends. Check out all the options and connect with their experts for help to find the perfect electric fireplace for you. You’ll live stylishly ever after.