Design Ideas for Fireplaces

by Karen Stickels

"Design Ideas for Fireplaces "is the ultimate guide to the latest materials, products, and styles in fireplaces and wood- and gas-burning stoves. With 450 color photographs, "Design Ideas for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 158011363X
• ISBN13: 9781580113632
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Creative Homeowner
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.6" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Reviewing: Design Ideas For Fireplaces

Our family lives in a small apartment that features two fireplaces. One is located downstairs in the living room and the other is upstairs in the master bedroom. The master bedroom is where the computer is and as such the master bedroom is where I do the bulk of my writing much of the year. Nothing is better than having the fireplace roaring and the words flowing as a story takes shape. Both fireplaces get lots of use depending on how much money we have to spend on firewood and the weather. While the use is obvious during winter months, it isn't so clear during the warmer weather. What to do to dress up the gaping holes is an issue every year. Some of our neighbors put fake plants in them which don't appeal to the wife or me. Others put elaborate trays of burning candles in them which wasn't something we were in favor of either. Once again this year the deal seemed to be to move a couch in front of the downstairs one and ignore the one upstairs. This was on my mind during a recent trip to the library where, as I was checking out, I spotted this book and from the title assumed it might be what I was looking for. I grabbed it without looking at it and figured I probably had things covered. I was wrong. This book has nothing at all to do with anything fireplace related during the off season. Instead this book is primarily aimed at those looking to install a fireplace or update/remodel an existing one. Neither of those categories applies to those of us who live in apartments where landlords get excited over nails used to hang pictures on the walls. Still, having checked it out and lugged the book home, I wasn't going to just toss it back in the bag for a quick return trip. I had to take a look at it in depth before I could send it back. Okay, so it is a compulsion but those who love books understand. Those that do not are something else entirely. While it is not what I wanted or needed it is clearly a good book for the intended audience. After a dedication and a couple of pages of photographs of various fireplaces roaring away at various flame heights, the first chapter is titled "Design Considerations." With numerous pictures and a short text the chapter goes over different types and designs of fireplaces, locations of the new fireplace which should be on an interior wall to reduce drafts, consideration of installation of an air intake system for your fireplace should your home be new or remolded to be airtight and signs of problems in existing fireplaces among other tips. Twenty-six pages later the second chapter opens with "What's New?" The twenty-four page chapter covers "masonry fireplaces, exterior chimney designs, factory-built fireplaces, EPA certified woodstoves (which are very briefly covered in the book), gas fireplaces, exterior fireplaces" and various design material questions involving each. Your choices are many and this chapter features, as does the entire book, page after page of colorful photographs depicting various types o