Appearance and purpose of a round fireplace

A round fireplace not only creates the coziness of a home hearth in the room, but is also considered a decoration of almost any interior of an apartment or country house. Among modern products, each owner will be able to find the most suitable model. Especially popular are brutal and laconic types of fireplaces with polished metal finish, appropriate for strict and minimalist design styles.

Purpose and history of a round fireplace

Previously, a fireplace was intended to heat a room. Today, such accessories often perform a decorative function.

The first mention of a fireplace, resembling a circle in shape, dates back to 1935. The designer of such a structure was the English citizen Frank Lloyd Wright, who was fond of interior brutalism.

The unusual shape of the product attracted many people, and the accessory became popular. The invention of the 20th century still exists today – a round fireplace is located in the house of musician McCord.

Device

The main components of a round fireplace are:

Some owners of country houses or apartments buy fireplaces not just to heat the room, but to admire the flames. Therefore, many designs are made with an open fireplace area. For safety, heat-resistant glass with a special shutter is often installed on the latter. The area around the fireplace is lined with ceramic tiles or other materials that are not prone to ignition when sparks and coals hit it.

The compartments for loading raw materials are made of metal. The thermal conductivity of the firebox walls and the time required to heat the air in the room depend on the characteristics of the latter.

Mainly manufacturers use:

1. Steel (heat-resistant sheet material). This option allows the fireplace to heat the air in the shortest possible time. However, the structure also cools down quickly.
2. Cast iron. It takes longer to heat up the fireplace, but due to the thermal inertia of the material, the structure is able to heat the room even after the flame has completely died out and the coals have disappeared.
3. Steel combined with cast iron. Combined models provide fast heating of the structure, while at the same time allowing to increase heat transfer.

The hearth compartment is often lined with glass or ceramics.

Some models, decorated in an antique style, use clay or tiles covered with enamels of different tones, fireclay refractory tiles.

Features and appearance

Round fireplaces are produced in various types:

Modern fireplaces also differ in the type of heating:

Round models are also divided by design. They are:

• closed (i.e. recessed into special niches in the wall);
• open (the fire is not covered by anything);
• island (installed in the middle of the room);
• semi-open (mounted next to the wall, but have no connection to it).

Every owner of a country house or apartment selects the optimal fireplace for their home. Manufacturers offer various designs, from simple stationary or mobile systems to richly decorated products with U-shaped portals decorated with stucco.

In the production of modern round models, metal, glass, decorative stones, etc. are used.

Manufacturers offer a choice of not only designs that require installation on a suitable base, but also suspended types of devices.

Aspects of use

Round accessories that operate on organic raw materials are used only in private homes, as they require the installation of a chimney. Moreover, it is recommended to install the fireplace simultaneously with the construction of the house, since the smoke exhaust system passes through the ceiling. If the chimney consists of several parts, the joints should not be located at the level of the ceilings.

For efficient operation of the structure, it is recommended to follow the rules:

1. The area of ​​the room in which the fireplace is installed must be at least 25 sq.m.
2. A quality ventilation system is a must. However, it should be taken into account that sharp air currents will also affect the behavior of the flame, blowing sparks out of the hearth. For this reason, it is not recommended to install fireplaces opposite doors or windows.
3. There should not be any flammable objects, including furniture, within a distance of 1 m around the fireplace.

If the room is decorated in country style, which is characterized by wood, stone, artificially aged items, a clay fireplace will suit the interior. The chimney can be made in the form of a musical instrument.

For a room with an antique interior, decorated with carved furniture and massive paintings with gilded frames, a ceramic stove with a glass shutter is suitable. Designs finished with light ceramics and decorated with elements of light green, purple and other tones, as well as plant ornaments are popular.

In suspended systems, the fireplace itself is often not fully visible. The black round or spherical firebox seems to descend from above.

This design is well suited for installation in a museum or art space.

Price

The cost of a round fireplace depends on various factors, including material, manufacturer, etc., so it is impossible to determine the price of the structure unambiguously. However, when considering models based on different characteristics, it is important to highlight the main categories of devices.

Manufacturers

There are different companies that manufacture round fireplaces.

Leadership in this direction belongs to such brands as:

Each brand produces different models of fireplaces – from elegant and decorative devices to simple (classic) products without frills.

Round and semi-circular: what is the difference

Many owners of country cottages do not attach much importance to the shape of the fireplace and consider all structures that have similar outlines to be round. However, there is a difference between the products.

The round type of fireplace is a separate device, often cylindrical in shape. The flame visibility is almost always 360°. To prevent fire, the firebox of the structure is protected around the perimeter by heat-resistant glass. Due to the transparency of the latter, everyone can admire the open flame regardless of the location.

Semicircular products are designed for installation near a wall or in the corner of a room. In this case, the view is achieved thanks to panoramic glazing and a protruding semicircle. This solution allows you to move the fireplace away from the wooden wall, reducing the risk of fire to a minimum.

Additionally, it is worth considering that semicircular options always require the installation of a fire-resistant layer between the product itself and the wall.

Examples in the interior

Depending on the interior, you can choose a fireplace that will not only fit into the room's design, but will also become an attribute of the design of an apartment or country house.

Almost any round structure creates an imitation of a fire. You can gather around the fireplace with friends or family, as if people were in nature.

There are also portable models. They are suitable if the room is filled with furniture, and the installation of a fireplace is rarely required (for example, in the case of a holiday or a special event).

Room Decorating Tips

When installing a round structure, be guided by some nuances:

1. The model is selected depending on the area of ​​the room and the height of the ceilings. For example, a large fireplace with stucco will not look good in a small apartment - it is better to buy a smaller classic model.

2. 

   Since the round type of device is in most cases considered the main attribute of the interior, the sofa and armchairs are placed so that the fire itself can be seen from them.

3. Do not overload the room with a fireplace with various paintings, figurines, etc., since the structure can blend into the interior so much that it will lose its significance against the background of other objects.
4. The light in the room where the fireplace is located is made a little subdued and diffused, otherwise the bright lighting will overshadow the fire itself. In the case of a false product, it is recommended to arrange high-quality lighting for the structure.
5. For a fireplace (for example, in a classic style), an apron made of ceramic tiles or other fire-resistant materials is laid along the perimeter of the walls and floor. Such a precaution will decorate the structure and prevent damage to property from heat.

In addition, it is recommended to install a round unit in living rooms with large windows or a completely glass wall overlooking the courtyard and forest area, a pond. In this case, you can create the maximum illusion of being in nature.

How to do it yourself

To make a round fireplace with your own hands, you need to immediately clarify for what purposes it will be used, for example, for heating the room or its decoration. A false fireplace is much faster to make, it can even be installed in an apartment.

It should be taken into account that a high-quality structure is installed only in a private house, since it requires a separate foundation and a full-fledged chimney. And it is impossible to do something like this in an apartment.

In addition, when installing the fireplace, it is necessary to follow certain rules, including for safety. For example:

1. When laying the firebox, only heat-resistant bricks that are not connected to the main structure are used.
2. In the areas where the damper and ash pan are installed, an asbestos cord is laid and a gap is left for the expansion of the metal parts.
3. The inside of the firebox is not plastered.
4. The rear wall of the fuel loading compartment is positioned at a slight angle.
5. If there is a wall next to the fireplace, a heat-resistant material at least 2 cm thick is placed between it and the hearth.
6. When installing a fireplace on a wooden base, sheet metal or other flooring (for example, ceramic tiles) is laid around the perimeter of the structure.
7. In the place where the chimney passes through the house ceiling, high-quality thermal insulation made of fire-resistant material (asbestos fiber, etc.) is laid.
8. A separate chimney is installed for the fireplace, not connected to other heating devices.

Fireplace for heating the room

Before you start building a round fireplace with your own hands, you need to determine its dimensions in advance and draw up a drawing of the future design.

Depending on the manufacturing method, the following materials and tools may be required:

First, the foundation is installed. The base should protrude above the floor level by 20-30 cm, although other indicators are also allowed. You can make the foundation from red brick or fill the area with concrete. Some use ready-made stone slabs.

The fireplace itself can be made of brick, but it will require minimal knowledge of circular masonry. A simple way is to find an iron barrel with a diameter of at least 1 m. In this case, it is enough to make a firebox out of brick. Moreover, it is worth considering that it is possible to put a barrel on it. Then it remains to cut the latter according to the selected dimensions and fix it on the firebox, coating it with cement mortar from below.

Around the homemade structure, it is necessary to lay sheet metal or cover the area with ceramic tiles.

To remove smoke, you can take an iron pipe or make an exhaust hood from profiles, onto which you screw fire-resistant plasterboard. There are several types of chimneys for round stoves - resting on the hearth itself or suspended from the ceiling. The choice depends on the design of the structure and interior. It is worth considering that the second option visually lightens the appearance of the device.

Various materials are used to decorate an island fireplace, including tiles, decorative plaster, metal inserts, stucco, etc.

False fireplace

You can make a false fireplace using plasterboard and polystyrene foam, since the purpose of the structure is to decorate the interior, not to heat the room.

A simple option for arranging a fireplace is to use unnecessary containers. For example:

1. Take a basin and weld 4 posts (pieces of reinforcement) to it. Connect the latter at the bottom in the form of a diamond for the stability of the structure.
2. Place a sheet of cardboard in a chosen place in the room, place a structure made from a basin and sprinkle small stones underneath.
3. Make a box out of cardboard, connect it to a small pipe. Fix the assembled device to the ceiling so that it is above the false fireplace, resembling a chimney.

All that remains is to use your imagination and decorate the homemade structure. For example, it is better to use multi-colored enamels or artificial vines, giving the product originality. An electronic structure that creates an imitation of flame can be installed in the basin. It is better to buy such a system in a store, since it is difficult to make it yourself.

A good way to make a round false fireplace is to use penoplex. In this case, you need to fold a small stack of sheets of material and glue each row. After that, you just need to use a jigsaw (or a construction knife - depending on your skills) and cut out the design that the owner wants to see. You can decorate the false fireplace with glitter or attach various beads and plants to it, creating an amazing image of a fireplace.

A round fireplace is a good addition to the interior. If you use your imagination and choose the most original model, you can not only make high-quality heating of the room, but also admire such a design with a shining flame on cold winter evenings. The fireplace also performs a decorative function, giving the home an unforgettable look.

Photos of round fireplaces