Thursday, January 27, 2011

Finding 1 Fireplace Is Not Enough

SNOW DAY - I love snow but have to say it loses some of its charm when you have no power or heat and are told it may be another 24 - 36 hrs. Well at least the 3G on my ipad is finally up. We only have one fireplace so just the living room is somewhat warm. Since the rest of the house is 50, looks like it's going to be four somewhat happy campers sleeping by the fire tonight...but hopefully not tomorrow.

Here's a post from last winter - If I was building a dream house, a fireplace in the kitchen would be near the top of my wish list. This kitchen of Canadian designer Brian Gluckstein is my all time favorite. I love the elevated placement of the fireplace surrounded by the beautiful dark wood cabinets and woodwork. Off the the left, not shown, is a gorgeous banquet seating area (more on that in a later post) Source: Canadian House and Home, Feb 2003, photography by Michael Alberstat
Here's another beautiful, traditional fireplace adding ambiance to the kitchen of this older home. Imagine Sunday breakfast here. (photography by Mark Walron, Southern Accents, via All the Best)
The fireplace stands out in this blue kitchen in a Notting Hill home that was for sale last year. If it was lit I think it would give a better sense of its impact in the room.
Do you have a fireplace in your kitchen?

32 comments:

Renée Finberg said...

a fireplace in a kitchen is great.
it feels so cozy.
i was in someone's home that had a fireplace in the kitch. that also served as a barbecue.
how cool is that?
and i have seen one that is in a master bedroom
that is open to the master bath as well.

i love fireplaces
xxx

Birdie Pearl said...

Oh! I so love a fireplace in any room! I hope you have power soon and you all have a cozy night!

Ann said...

Sorry about no heat! Fifty is very chilly to be in for a long period of time.

We don't have any fireplaces in our home and I miss it! Actually, putting it in the kitchen makes a lot of sense to me, as we are in there the most of any room. As Renee said- cozy!

Karena said...

Michele it is frigid here so I understand. Soon you are just chilled to the bone. Get the down comforter and throws all around you. Heat up some tea and honey!

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

Susan McClaskey said...

Love my fireplace and couldn't be without it, especially in the winter. It has gas logs and really helps warm this old house. Keep warm!
Best,
Susan

Teresa Hatfield ~ Splendid Sass said...

I know that it is no fun being without power, but you make it sound wonderful, Michele!
There is nothing more beautiful than a flickering, warm fire to cozy up to.
Speaking of iPad, I just bought one, and I am slowly becoming addicted. I don't know how I survived before Apple ran the show here. I haven't parted with my Blackberry yet, but that is all I have left that is NOT Apple.
Well hang in there.
Teresa
xoxo

red ticking said...

we were at dinner tonight talking all about fireplaces and how fabulous they "make" a room... i will take one in very room... so cozy... great post... xx

Greet Lefèvre said...

Hi Michele,
We always would have had a fire place in our kitchen, we had no place for it and I am so sorry because it is the only room we did not have it! We love sitting around the fire place after a busy day or week! So cozy isn't it?
I wish you a wonderful weekend and I give you a big hug!
xx
Greet

Haven on Hanover said...

We considered putting a fireplace in our kitchen as it probably had had one at some point in its life but we needed the flue for the range and to put the range somewhere else would have been so costly. All of the other rooms have fireplaces but most of them are behind drywall. More projects for the future. No bad weather here, funny, since we're so close! Hope it has warmed up!!

Anonymous said...

I hope you have power by now. We were restored at 2 yesterday after 17 hours without. Brrr. I certainly had fireplaces on my mind too! Loved your images and would like to have one in every room. Will continue to dream.....
Roxanne

Anonymous said...

I hope your power is back on. I do have a fireplace in my kitchen. I did a post about it here - http://monkeygrasshill.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-dream-kitchen.html

But just had it inspected and it needs repairs. It's gas which i think is nice for a quick on and off, but my hubs wants to convert it back to wood burning.

stay warm!
Julie

Janet said...

No, but that elevated fireplace is to die for! You must be with PEPCO. My son is in Silver Spring and last year they installed a back-up gas heater. There electric has been out for 3 days. But the downstairs is 60.

Stitchfork said...

Only one fireplace here - wish I had more, especially a kitchen fireplace. Stay warm and hope the power comes back o soon!

ArchitectDesign™ said...

just finished a project in georgetown that has a fireplace in the kitchen with a raised brick hearth at sitting height. So cozy!!

Unknown said...

I would love a fp in the kitchen. When I was in Italy on a family trip, we rented an old farmhouse that had been redone and it had a fp in the kitchen. The owner of the house had a cook that would do special meals and we hired him to do an authentic Italian dinner for us. He roasted lamb on the spit in the kitchen fp! It was divine!

Anonymous said...

No and its a good thing cause I'd never leave the kitchen.

Andrea said...

I have to admit, I had a blue kitchen just like that once ;) It was inherited from the previous owner. Brings back memories of the home I SO loved.

And fireplaces are little bits of heaven. Stay cozy!

Acanthus and Acorn said...

Oh, one in the kitchen would be so great and the master bath too...especially on these cold, dreary days! That's awful about the power, ours flickered a few times, but didn't stay out.

Notes From ABroad said...

I have to remember this when we move again. If at all possible, a fireplace in the kitchen would be so wonderful ! along with in the bath and bedroom and dining room and living room ..

Love Your Homes said...

I just got back from San Francisco, after spending a rather warm and sunny week in winter California.

Coming home to Stockholm, Sweden and my home, that has a kitchen fireplace was rather comforting.
We are having a very cold winter this year, lot of snow and icicles hanging down the roofs.

Our fireplace was built in close collaboration with the bricklayers and stove-builders many years making it blend in with the old house.
Next to the fireplace there is wood stove, quite a tradition for older houses in Sweden.

Thanks for a inspiring blog!
Ingela

designchic said...

Love the idea of a kitchen fireplace. I have one in my living room and one in my library and I use them all the time...so warm and cozy!! Happy weekend ~

quintessence said...

I had a fireplace in the kitchen of my last house and I must say - it was divine!! I think a fireplace in a dining is equally as appealing and so gracious- maybe someday!!

Reggie Darling said...

Our house is lousy with fireplaces, as it was built in 1817 when fireplaces were how people heated their houses. We are fortunate to have one in our kitchen, which gets the most use of any of our fireplaces, and we love having it. One winter we went without heat or electricity for almost a week, when the power went out, and we burned fires and lit candles. Very pre-industrial it was. Fun at first...Reggie

lisaroy said...

I can totally relate - we seem to have power outages all the time and our gas fireplace will go on, but without power, the fan can't blow so it doesn't give off much heat. oh well, just another excuse to cuddle!

I've always wanted a fireplace in my kitchen. This place is probably the closest to that since the kitchen is open to the living room with its fireplace. :)

La Petite Gallery said...

The first time I saw a fire place in a kitchen was in Conn., the second was at my Friends, May Ellen's in Rosslyn NY. It makes the most comfortable place to wake up to
with you coffee and breakfast. Great memories. They are so pretty thanks and stay warm

yvonne

Unknown said...

Great photos and the weather is changing over the past two years all over the planet. Time to think and design differently. Glad technology allows this true gift to "believe" in what was a vision for some not that long ago. I have an iPhone and MacBook Air and I am extremely happy with them no iPad at this point.

Fireplaces are magical and we should return to historical architecture for the basics when the need arises such as heat in the winter. I have a fireplace in one room in my home and I'd love one in the kitchen which would double as a baking dome.

Bette

Maria said...

love fireplace in any room :-) lovely greetings

http://design-elements-blog.com/

Anonymous said...

I couldn't live without my fireplace in the living room, it's gas and it warms the whole first floor.........nothing better this cold wet Seattle winter.
Best.........Kathi

S and N said...

Michele,
We have that Gluckstein kitchen photo in our files. In fact it served as inspiration for placing our fireplace at table height in our (still mid-renovation) kitchen. It's lovely in winter, but also for taking the chill off in late spring and early fall when the boiler is off. The Gluckstein example also proves that even a gas fireplace can provide the feel of a more traditional hearth, with the benefit of everyday use.

Anonymous said...

I love the one on the second picture.
Thanks for sharing.


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Marnie said...

i would be so sad to live in a place without a working fireplace - i am the fire lady - i love sitting with the crackle and the heat - it is like a nother person is in the room . what i cannot figure out are fireplaces without screens - what about all those popping embers - dangerous! we have lots of fires this winter - some going all day - all weekend - coals still buring in AM

Anonymous said...

Nothing would make me happier than a kitchen with a fireplace in it. ala Paula Deen's kitchen. Sorry you were so cold, Michele!

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