Fireplace trends for your property this winter

A chimney is not quite like a furnace or boiler whose sole purpose is to produce and distribute heat within your home. Nowadays, the most important role of a fireplace is no longer limited exclusively to its original function. Beyond heating your living room, a fireplace brings real added value to your interior decoration, both in terms of elegance and comfort. 

 Here is a new trend to follow this winter: no longer look at the fireplace a vast heating system, but as a new living space for your evenings and late afternoons. In the past, families used to gather around the fire to listen to the elders tell stories to the younger ones. This winter, simply enjoy the warm atmosphere created by the flames. By adapting it to our modern-day leisure activities, the fireplace is returning more and more to the center of our evenings.

If you have a chimney in your home or want to have one installed, it's good to remember that wood is no longer the only fuel. Nowadays, there are fireplaces adapted to various types of fuels, each of which has its own advantages. Wood does not always provide an optimal burn-time and emits a large amount of polluting fumes during its combustion. 

Wood also requires increased chimney maintenance, especially with regards to chimney sweeping. That being said, you can opt for a fireplace that specializes in more environmentally friendly fuels. Granules, also known as pellets, have been on the rise in recent years. These are small pieces of recycled wood from the furniture and carpentry industry. They are much easier to store and offer a much better yield than wood since their humidity level is almost zero. There are also other types of fuels to choose from, such as gas or bioethanol for example.

Today, technological developments have made it possible to create programmable chimneys, which have an electronic interface that allows them to be controlled remotely. Shortly, you will be able to adjust your chimney to automatically activate every morning, a few minutes before you get up, or every evening, before you get home from work. This way, you will always find your property heated, and you will no longer have to endure those long cold minutes waiting for the fire to start and the heat to start flowing. 

The electronic interface of some modern chimneys will even allow you to adjust the temperature of your room to the nearest degree. This will save you less time and energy when heating. To be sure of the ecological quality and performance of your fireplace, check that it has the Green Flame label.

This winter's trendiest fireplace is definitely the panoramic fireplace. Instead of being incorporated into a wall in your living room, it is placed in the center of the room. The fire is visible from every angle, whether the fireplace is open or closed. With armchairs and sofas spread all around and facing towards the center, everyone can admire the fire as the night begins to fall. This type of fireplace can be directly fixed to the floor, or hung from the ceiling for a hanging effect. 

In general, panoramic fireplaces are distinguished by their ergonomy and sleek design. Curved lines are often preferred, as is stone cladding. But the visual result is less massive and imposing than a traditional fireplace. If you are looking for a more discrete fireplace, there are other popular models for this winter, which will give a touch of character to your property, without necessarily having the cumbersomeness of a stove heater.