Yes, fireplaces are making a massive comeback. Once considered outdated, they have re-emerged as a major design statement and luxury feature in modern homes.
Fire Beyond the Wall
Fire is no longer confined to the usual spots: the living room wall, the bedroom corner, the outdoor patio. One of the defining fireplace trends of 2026 is the expansion of fire into spaces where it was rarely seen in the past.
Explained, the chimney pipe must be a minimum of three feet above the roof but also two feet taller than anything within ten feet. The portion of the rule stating the pipe needs to be 2 feet above anything within 10 feet is where most people get confused.
Short answer: people are ditching fireplaces. From dodging draughts and dust to embracing cleaner, cheaper heating, old hearths are out and modern solutions like Electric Fire Suites are in. Keep reading to explore the lifestyle, health, and eco reasons behind this cosy-but-smart home trend.
The average cost to remodel a fireplace ranges from $𝟏,𝟓𝟎𝟎 to $𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎, with most homeowners spending around $𝟑,𝟎𝟎𝟎 for a moderate project. Prices heavily depend on the scope of work, materials chosen, and whether you are making structural changes.
According to the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers, installing a fireplace can boost your home's resale value by an impressive 6% to 12%. This can be a rewarding financial decision pays off in dividends, as homeowners can often recover the entire cost of adding a fireplace.
Updating an old fireplace is a high-impact, budget-friendly way to transform your living room. Popular makeovers include applying a fresh coat of high-heat paint, whitewashing or limewashing, refacing with modern tile, or building a rustic wooden overlay for a completely new focal point.
New homes often skip traditional fireplaces to meet strict modern energy codes, reduce building costs, and lower environmental emissions. Because today's homes are built incredibly airtight, standard wood-burning fireplaces draw out the conditioned air you pay to heat or cool, making them a major source of energy loss.
Meanwhile, the least desired home styles appear to be shipping container homes and tiny homes, the study finds.
Certain insurers will charge higher rates due to the increased risk of the peril of fire based on having a fireplace. If you're considering buying a home that has a fireplace, or if you want to install a wood-burning stove in your home, it could raise your home insurance rate.
Yes, mice absolutely can and do come down chimneys, utilizing them as warm, sheltered, and vertical pathways to enter homes. Mice are excellent climbers that can scale the exterior brickwork, enter through gaps or cracks, and move down the flue into the fireplace or attic.
Additionally, in the early 1980's, tests were conducted to discover which kind of wood created the most creosote in a regular “open” fireplace. The results were surprising. Contrary to popular opinion, the hardwood's, like oak and poplar, created more creosote than the softwoods, like tamarack and pine.
It's recommended that an outdoor fireplace should be installed at least 10 feet away from your house, property line, or any other structure, such as a fence. Code requirements in your area could require more distance and could also regulate chimney height, so always educate yourself on your local building codes.
Gas fireplaces may add more reliable value because they appeal to a wider audience. Wood fireplaces, while charming, can be seen as high-maintenance and expensive by younger buyers.
Blend With the Room for Subtlety
You can also choose a slightly lighter or darker shade than the wall color to give the fireplace its identity without making it too prominent.
What you put in front of a fireplace depends entirely on whether it's functional or decorative, but the area typically requires a physical barrier for safety or a stylish arrangement to serve as a visual anchor.
Yes, a fireplace generally adds value to a home, though the actual ROI varies. Real estate agents report that a fireplace can increase a home's resale value by $1,000 to $5,000, or roughly 6% to 12% of the property's total value.
Avoid making guesses or unsupported statements about what caused the damage to your property. Speculating can lead to inaccuracies in the adjuster's report, potentially affecting your claim.
Certain dog breeds are frequently excluded from standard homeowners and renters insurance policies because they are considered high-risk for liability claims. The average cost of a dog bite claim is now nearly $70,000, driving insurers to restrict coverage to mitigate financial exposure.
A home typically looks outdated when it features overdone, time-stamped trends from specific past decades, such as honey oak cabinetry, popcorn ceilings, or generic word art. Outdated homes also often suffer from poor lighting, worn-out flooring, and heavy window treatments that block natural light.
According to market research, the crown for the world's most hideous color goes to Pantone 448 C. Described as a drab, dark-brownish green or "opaque couché," it was scientifically selected by Australia's government as the ultimate deterrent color and is now mandated for plain tobacco packaging worldwide.
That's the value of the makeover that Vermonters Brooklyn and Dylan won Wednesday night on Season 7, Episode 6 of HGTV's “Ugliest House in America.” Over a period of six weeks — or 30 minutes in TV time — the couple's aesthetically assaulting, circus-themed eyesore in Vershire, dubbed the “Mishmosh Hodepodge” in an ...
At $27 billion per year, tariffs would raise the cost to build a home by $17,500 per new home constructed, if current homebuilding rates continue. However, if homebuilding falls as CAP predicts, then tariffs will add $18,500 in additional cost per home in 2028.
Because they do not use standard grid electricity or conventional electric and gas furnaces, the Amish heat their homes using off-grid, self-reliant methods. The most common systems include wood- or coal-burning stoves, propane and kerosene heaters, and natural airflow home designs.
Yes, mice can absolutely come down your chimney. Because mice are agile climbers and can squeeze through openings as small as a dime, they easily scale the outside of a chimney and slip inside seeking warmth and nesting sites.