A stone fireplace design will add a bold and beautiful look to any home and will also enhance the resale value. A classic stone fireplace is not something you can pick up at your local home improvement store.

You can find inexpensive look-alike substitutes such as a cast stone fireplace that is made from pre-cast concrete with stone dust mixed in. There are also cultured marble fireplace available that are made out of plastic or a fiberglass material.

To build a classic genuine stone fireplace you need the help of a stone mason or stone carver. Select a mason who has experience in building customized fireplaces. An experienced fireplace stone mason will understand what you're looking for and ask the right questions about the effects you desire and how you intend to use the space. An experienced fireplace stone mason can create a custom design that will give a unique look to your home.

The different classical stone fireplace designs can be Baroque, Classical, Tudor, or contemporary. An experienced stone fireplace mason will be able to show you a number of possibilities and variations to help you make your choice. A modern geometric design fireplace may be just what you are looking for. Consider a smooth stone face with simple designs at the corners and perhaps over the arch as well. This can allow the simplicity of the stone to speak for itself.

Another choice may be a rough unfinished look. Rustic dark brown stone can provide a rugged outdoor appeal. The sides can be beveled into simple columns without making the piece look over refined.

If refinement is what you're looking for a limestone fireplace with Romanesque capitals that are ornately carved can make a beautiful classical design. Classical designs carved into the mantel and or the arched opening can complete the effect.

A Greek design can be obtained by making the side columns of the fireplace a Doric or Corinthian design. With elegant vertical lines or simply smooth lines these columns can terminate in ornate flourishes at top and bottom. For a bolder effect statuary can be placed on either side with their backs against the columns. A simpler Greek effect can be made by having intertwining vines and grape leaves. By adding different foliage and lovebirds can turn it into a Victorian design.

Remember that the firebox opening doesn't have to be a standard rectangle or a rectangle with arch design. It can be a semi-circular arch. A semi-circle opening will provide plenty of room in the upper corners to put any kind of design you like such as a simple geometric design, flowers, or Gothic gargoyles.

Don’t hesitate to ask your mason questions and work closely with him on your classic stone fireplace design. He'll be able help you with design ideas that can he can build into your fireplace. Most stone fireplace masons enjoy new challenges and can produce something that looks even better than what you'd envisioned.

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