As the weather gets colder in the northern hemisphere, this lookbook compiles ten living spaces where log burners and fireplaces take the chill out of the air and provide a cosy centrepiece.
Despite increasingly sophisticated household heating technology, traditional fireplaces remain a popular way to warm homes.
From freestanding stoves to built-in wood burners that incorporate storage for logs, the following selection shows how architects and designers make a feature of fireplaces.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring versatile daybeds, distinctive shower curtains and metallic kitchens.
Queen’s Park House, UK, by Daytrip
A glass enclosure crowned by a chimney flue, camouflaged to disappear into the surrounding walls, features in this fireplace in a west London house by local studio Daytrip.
It is supported by a thick shelf that appears to float and provides storage for logs. Tucked away in the corner of the room, the fireplace provides a cosy and intimate area for relaxation.
Find out more about Queen’s Park House ›
Dzen house, Ukraine, by Shovk
Ukrainian architecture studio Shovk created a wood-fired stove with soft, curved corners for the living room of this house on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Made from dark grey metal, the fireplace matches the metallic furnishings found in the space, while contrasting with the wooden beams and window frames.
Find out more about Dzen house ›
The Yellow House in the Apple Garden, Norway, by Familien Kvistad
Clad in glossy, sunny yellow tiles, this monolithic fireplace sits in the middle of the interior of a Norwegian 1950s-era house renovated by Familien Kvistad.
The purpose-built burner featured cutouts for vents, a glass enclosure for the fire and integrated log storage, and its vibrant exterior adds to the energetic colours found throughout the interior.
Find out more about The Yellow House in the Apple Garden ›
Weekend House, Czech Republic, by New How
The log burner in this Czech house is nestled between two wooden posts that form part of the building‘s cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure.
The ground floor is arranged around the centrally placed fireplace, which enhances the cosy atmosphere fostered by the wooden walls and furniture.
Find out more about Weekend House ›
Bully Hill House, USA, by Studio MM Architect
The living area of this home in rural New York centres around a hefty Corten steel panel, which is home to a log burner and firewood storage.
Echoing the exterior cladding of the building, the steel has a warm rusty-brown patina that creates a rustic aesthetic.
Find out more about Bully Hill House ›
Wasatch House, USA, by Olson Kundig
American architecture firm Olson Kundig concealed a fireplace behind a pair of metal screen doors in this Utah house.
Doors are placed on both sides of the metal-clad chimney breast, allowing both the living area and the study to benefit from the fire’s warmth.
Find out more about Wasatch House ›
Smith Residence, Canada, by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple
Symmetrical openings in a colossal stone hearth house an open fireplace and log store, which serve to warm the living room of this coastal Nova Scotian home.
It is made from chunks of granite sourced from a quarry close to the site, and its warming appearance is united with a dining table made from locally felled trees.
Find out more about Smith Residence ›
House and the River, Lithuania, by After Party
Adding to the playful nature of this interior, created by Vilnius-based studio After Party, this log burner is perched atop a small stone boulder in place of a conventional base.
It sits within its own purpose-designed, gold-lined niche, which stands out against the white expanse of the rest of the wall.
Find out more about House and the River ›
Park Lane, Australia, by PW Architecture Office
A raised platform covered in square terracotta-coloured tiles creates a base for this log burner that sits between this home’s dining and living zones.
The stove features glass on both sides to allow the flames to be seen and heat to be experienced when lounging and dining.
Find out more about Park Lane ›
Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
A stove with a dramatic double-height flue warms the lofty concrete-built living room of this Mexican house by local architect Ludwig Godefroy.
Flanked by stacks of firewood, the fireplace warms a sunken conversation pit populated with dark green bolster cushions.
Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring versatile daybeds, distinctive shower curtains and metallic kitchens.
