STONE FIREPLACE DESIGNS DIRECTORY Top Contemporary Fireplace Designs!
Contemporary fireplace designs crafted from stone are often favored for their simplicity and restraint. Understated, with clean lines and smooth honed or polished surfaces, they lend an air of sophistication to their surroundings. Sleek and modern -- yet ele- gant and refined -- many of the designs can be used in traditional or transitional, as well as contem- porary settings.
Though generally comprised of simple geometric forms, the contemporary hearth and surround can surprise -- even shock -- us at times with bold, ir- regular and unfamiliar shapes . . . or unusual asym- metrical arrangements of common shapes. Instead of carved or applied ornamentation, as is generally found in traditional designs, the contemporary stone fireplace juxtaposes contrasting textures and colors for optimal effect.
As in traditional stone fireplace design, limestone, marble, and various types of
cast stone
are typically used for mantels and surrounds. Other
stone types currently being used more and more in the contem- porary design fireplace include granite and slate, as well.
However, instead of sculpting or carving the stone for decorative effect, a variety of new and innovative
techniques are being employed to create unique finishes and textures designed to highlight the stone surfaces.
In modern fireplace design, the emphasis is on the natural beauty of the stone, itself, rather than on
applied or carved ornamentation.
