FIREPLACES - GATEWAYS TO THE SOUL

Fireplaces feature in cosy Christmas cards depicting idyllic family scenes; fireplaces tap into childhood memories. The magic and impact a real fire has on a room is undeniable. Whether it's a gas or real fire, a fireplace offers a central hub in a room to sit, talk, or reflect. The connection to fire is deep in our DNA. Fire was crucial to how we evolved - where we cooked, kept warm and where we gathered to tell stories. It's no wonder many people consider their fireplaces to be gateways to the soul.

Fireplaces - A Sense of Home

Fireplaces are the central defining point of a room. It's no wonder that interior designers can feel so passionate about the kind of fireplaces they choose - whether it's a replica of traditional designs or a modern contemporary classic, the fireplace dictates the mood of a home. Hand-carved marble or limestone ooze a natural, exquisite quality, ensuring the fireplace will endure generations to come. The pleasure in a real fire lies in the flicker and scent of burning coal or wood, the cracking and glowing on a cold winter's night. Those who love a real fire long for fireplaces in their homes. And after the trend to board-up fireplaces, now thousands of people are embracing the joy of real fires and opening up their chimneys. Whether it's a fireplace in the living room as a focus for the family, or romantic fireplaces in the bedroom, there's no doubt a fireplace adds charm and character, turning any house into a home.

Fireplaces Tap into Psychological Needs

If our fireplaces are gateways to the soul, psychologists say our homes are windows to the mind. Open plan living may look stylish, but sacrificing doors can impact on those who value privacy, or who have a need to slam doors to diffuse a moment of anger. Having curtain-less windows has a similar impact. Our love of fireplaces, as a cosy spot of seclusion, taps into an instinct anthropologists say is 'primal'.

Fireplaces: The Fundamentals of Home

The move to think of houses as assets and investments, rather than homes, means many properties are no longer designed with our psychological need for a sense of 'home'. But more homeowners are realising the importance of fireplaces, warm curtains and traditional homes. Homes have always been about providing shelter, safety, privacy, and a fireplace for warmth and cooking. Johnny Grey, a researcher into how our psychological needs are met in housing told the Guardian newspaper: "People may ask what neuroscience has to do with house design, but we have an emotional connection - linked to the brain - of what it is to 'feel at home'. When we are happy, a certain endorphin is released, so we need to design homes in order to release that neurotransmitter."

Grey added that fireplaces make us 'ridiculously happy' - our fireplaces symbolise warmth, sociability and food - the fundamentals of home.

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