5 Modern Fireplace Ideas to Transform Your Renovation

Renovation is often reduced to ticking off finishes, but the real character of a home lies in its atmosphere. In South Africa, where brick, plaster, and concrete dominate, fire adds movement and warmth that static décor can’t match. And the old brick fireplace cavity is no longer the benchmark.

Here are five modern ways to bring fire into your renovation.

1. Upgrade the Outdoor Entertainment Area

The braai is part of the national DNA, and renovation is the ideal moment to rethink it. Retire the old half-barrel and opt for hardware that matches your architecture, whether your space is covered or completely open.

For a cook who wants both flavour and convenience, a built-in combo braai offers the best of both worlds. You get wood and charcoal when time allows, and gas when you need a quick grill.

Pro tip: Add a pizza oven next to the braai. It boosts your cooking options and adds theatre to the stoep.

2. Make a Statement with a Suspended Fireplace

Open-plan living often poses a challenge: where to define the room. Suspended fireplaces address this. Hanging from the ceiling, they act as sculptural centrepieces without disrupting sightlines or movement. They are among the biggest trends in high-end South African interiors and immediately transform the atmosphere of a space.

3. No Chimney? Choose Biofuel (Bioethanol)

Many flats and multi-storey homes can’t accommodate a chimney. Biofuel fireplaces bypass the issue entirely. Burning clean denatured alcohol, they need no extraction and offer complete placement freedom. Install a slim burner in a wall unit, a room divider, or even a kitchen island. You get the dancing-flame aesthetic without the structural costs.

4. Create Whole-Home Ambience

In larger homes, a single fire rarely carries the load. A renovation gives you the chance to create different moods throughout the house, mixing wood, gas, and biofuel to suit each room.

A double-sided fireplace between the kitchen and dining area warms two zones and visually links them. A freestanding wood-burner in the study adds quiet gravitas, while the main bedroom can carry either a built-in gas unit for instant warmth or a bioethanol burner for ambience. Done well, fire becomes a thread that runs through the home.

5. Add a Garden Fire Pit

Many renovations stop at the back door, but the garden is part of the living space. A wood or gas fire pit creates a natural gathering point that keeps guests outside long after the meal. A dedicated boma with built-in seating can turn an overlooked corner into one of the most used parts of the property.

Expert Advice for Your Renovation

Fire installations involve technical requirements, from intricate flue systems to compliance with SANS regulations. Beauty Fires works with homeowners, architects, and designers from the planning stage to ensure safety and style are maintained. Whether you need a powerful wood-burning fireplace or a sleek pizza oven, their range caters to every type of home.

Explore more at beautyfires.com

Visit one of three Beauty Fires stores in Johannesburg, Cape Town and George to view these selections in person, or find out more online

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