It can be hard to decide what fireplace to purchase when you start looking for the perfect fit. Some designers prefer to find the perfect fireplace and work their way out. Other designers like to create the look and feel they are going for, then cherry pick the best fireplace for that space. Sometimes you are stuck with the space you have and want a fireplace to breathe new life into the room. There is no wrong approach to shopping for a new fireplace, especially with all the options available. The hardest thing can be narrowing down the many different options.
Many designers and homeowners are drawn to the modern and contemporary looks offered in many of today’s fireplace designs. Others prefer a more traditional wood-burning fireplace appearance. Luckily, with the industries’ large selection of designs and styles, we have many varieties of both contemporary and traditional to choose from.
Traditional log gas fireplaces
When looking at traditional gas fireplaces, with logs and embers, there are a few things you want to look at. Most logs are going to be ceramic fiber, cement, or a combination of the two. Ceramic style like Napoleon’s PHAZER logs offer a realistic ember like glow where the flame touches them, giving a very realistic appearance. Cement logs offer the most detail and often most realistic logs. The trade off for the extra detail costs you that beautiful glowing ember effect though. Most companies offer ceramic fiber logs as technology has improved. Some are even coming out with ceramic and cement hybrid logs with the best of both worlds.
Napoleon’s PHAZER log set
Some of the best-looking logs on the fireplace market right now are offered by Napoleon and Majestic. Napoleon has their PHAZER log set and offer it in several configurations like the tall flame, or the traditional oak with their STARfire™ 52. Majestic offers one of the most detailed ceramic log sets on the market. Their split logs give a great campfire appearance to the fireplace and offer a nice look when the fireplace is not in use. Many companies struggle with the black hole appearance when your fireplace is turned off. Both Napoleon and Majestic have solved that with their beautiful lay out and design.
Contemporary media gas fireplaces
Many companies are offering more modern looking fireplace designs, and with-it contemporary media. The contemporary media being glass beads, shattered glass embers, and even synthetic river rocks each offered in an array of different colors. No longer are you stuck with half burned logs when your fireplace is off. The contemporary fireplace gives a whole new design aesthetic when the fireplace isn’t in use. Being able to customize the color of the glass, and even adding accents like Napoleon’s Nickle Sticks or wrought iron globes, creates an endless number of combinations to choose from.
Napoleon’s Nickel Stix with Glass Embers
Glass media is the most common modern option offered. Available in almost any color you can imagine, smooth glass beads, and crushed glass embers. When you pair glass media with Napoleon’s driftwood log set you get a beautiful contemporary balance of modern and traditional. Another great look is the ceramic rock media. Most often referred to as the shore fire kit, beach fire kit, river rock, or mineral rock media, they bring another beautiful design option to your fireplace. Most of these contemporary medias can be mixed and matched until you find the perfect look for your space.
Napoleon’s Wrought Iron Globes with Shore Fire Kit
Whether you are looking for the beautiful traditional look of the Majestic Meridian 36, or the contemporary look of the Napoleon Ascent Linear 46, there are endless options for you to choose from. Give us call and we would be happy to help you nail down what you are looking for.
