A Hot Surprise

With today's venting technologies you can even have a fireplace next to the bath.

Nothing adds intimacy to a room like a fireplace. Until recently, the ambience of the hearth has been restricted mostly to living rooms, dens and dining rooms. But thanks to recent innovations in the sizing and technology of gas fireplaces, that ambience is turning up in other rooms, most uniquely in kitchens and baths.

Marni Rader, Marketing Director for Travis Industries in Mukilteo, Wash., says that in the last year, her company saw a 37 percent growth rate in sales of what the company refers to as "portrait-style" fireplaces. Travis Industries makes the Avalon, Lopi and Fireplace Xtrodinair brands of gas fireplaces that have a relatively small footprint and venting technology that allows them to be used safely and conveniently in kitchens and bathrooms. Prices range from approximately $1,600 to $2,700, plus installation.

"The combination of compact fireplaces with top- or rear-venting technology makes it possible to install fireplaces that take up the space of one cupboard in the kitchen or a single wall in the bathroom," says Rader. "Builders can feature them as a way to differentiate their homes." With bathrooms evolving into spas, and kitchens becoming communal gathering places, "fireplaces can add a special touch in both rooms."

Warming Trends
Dealers say potential buyers have really warmed to the idea. "Some buyers see the demo unit [in our showroom] and like the ambience," says Jesse Thomas, general manager of Sunrise Hearth and Home in Ellsworth, Maine. In other cases, the idea comes from an architect or designer. "If I had to break it down, I'd say it's about 40 percent customer-driven, with 60 percent coming from designers and architects."

There is some flexibility concerning where in the room the fireplace can be installed - especially in larger kitchens and baths - but most of the time the technical demands of the installation dictate the location. "The biggest issue is venting," says Thomas. "The unit has to be a specified distance from windows, and it can't be located near any combustibles. The venting specifications are laid out in the local building codes, and there has to be service access as well. Most of the time those two things give builders a pretty good idea where the unit should go."

While many builders are still coming up to speed with the benefits and intricacies of installing fireplaces in kitchens and baths, some are getting their on-the-job training en masse. Phillip Friend, a small custom builder and contractor who works out of Ellsworth, Maine, recently built a 6,600-square-foot house in nearby Brooksville in which the homeowner decided to install 11 gas fireplaces - one in every room of the house, including the kitchen and bath.

"We had to install a lot of input and exhaust piping to accommodate the units," Friend explains. "We also had to make sure we had passages with an extra inch of clearance for the piping, and we had to put chimneys in places where we really didn't want them. But we were able to go back and do all of that after the house was framed without any problems. It does give the house a certain look that's quite unique."

Once the technical considerations have been mastered, adding a fireplace can transform a kitchen or bathroom.