The holiday season is perfect for spending quality time with family and friends out and about or inside your home. Not every home has a look and feel that complements the holidays, so many people choose to go on vacation during these months. However, you can turn your home into a holiday destination with a simple change like installing a fireplace.
While you could add one in the master bedroom to enjoy with your spouse, this would keep the fireplace from being easily accessible to family and friends. In this case, putting it in the living room is ideal. Although the Sacramento area does not get that cold, you should still put time and effort into the planning of this addition to make sure it goes smoothly.
Choose an Ideal Location
If you have a sizeable living room, you will have a lot of flexibility for where you install a fireplace. First you will need to determine if you want this feature to become the focal point. If so, you can build the fireplace on the wall where you will have most or all your furniture facing toward.
You may want to get an initial inspection so that you can learn more about your situation. Installation costs will vary based on several factors, but an important one is ventilation. A professional may give you a few options with cost estimates for each possible location. These estimates will allow you to maximize savings by going with the least expensive one or pay more for your primary choice.
Improve Appearance
Installing a fireplace will drastically change your living room's look. Because you are building brand-new and not remodeling an old fireplace, you have the freedom to choose whatever you like best. One option is to extend the backsplash all the way to the ceiling to give this feature a more prominent look.
If you want to focus on the holidays, you can go with an overall design that fits well with fall and winter themes. A stone or brick backsplash is an excellent choice because you can incorporate shades of red, orange, brown or cream to fit with the typical autumn look. Brick also looks great in winter, especially when you build a large mantel to display decorations and hang stockings.
Prioritize Efficiency
A well-insulated home means you do not have to worry too much about the heating potential of your fireplace. However, you will still benefit from prioritizing an energy-efficient installation. You can add something like a fireplace insert, but it adds extra complexity to the project. You can find an easy alternative by adding a glass door to your new fireplace.
Provide Warmth
An excellent way to create a holiday gathering for your family and friends is to keep the heater off during fall or winter and allow your home to get a little cold. You can then make hot drinks such as hot chocolate, coffee or apple cider for everyone to enjoy while around the fireplace. To provide sufficient warmth to everyone who is near the fireplace, you need the right size.
The size of the fireplace will determine how much wood you can burn, which affects heat distribution. Get strategic by coming up with a mock furniture layout and estimating how many people you intend to entertain can help fireplace experts choose an adequate size.
Installing a fireplace is one way that you can make your home and living room a more enjoyable destination for the holidays. To guarantee a positive outcome, you must start with proper planning. Contact us if you have any questions or want to start making plans for this new addition.
