Top 5 Fireplace Trends - EcoSmart Fire

Top 5 Fireplace Trends

From minimalist designs to eco-friendly solutions, these trends are redefining the role of fireplaces in modern living spaces, offering aesthetic appeal, warmth, and lasting impact.

Author:: Lisa Llewellyn
Published:: Sep 14, 2021 · Updated: Oct 18, 2025

thumbnail: esf-xl900-intercontinental-yokohama-pier-8-2.png

Bold. Luxurious. Dramatic. Stylish. Modern.

As we look beyond the sense of restriction and isolation that defined 2020 and 2021, fireplace design trends are pushing back, rebelling against feelings of confinement and melancholy. Today’s fireplaces are no longer merely functional. They’ve become centrepieces of style and luxury, transforming living spaces into havens of warmth, ambience, and tranquillity.

At EcoSmart Fire, we were there through it all, working alongside homeowners, designers, and architects as they reimagined what their spaces could be. We’ve seen a powerful shift: from practical heating solutions to statement-making focal points that elevate both indoor and outdoor environments.

What’s trending now?
Think sculptural silhouettes, seamless integration, and the freedom to design without limits.

Trend 1: Seamless Integration

Fireplaces that disappear into the design while standing out for their sophistication.

This trend can be taken in multiple design directions; an elegant built into bespoke cabinetry for a more traditional take, or a longline ethanol burner seamlessly integrated underneath a television for an ultra-modern feel. The key to achieving this look is a quality burner that can be installed with ease into any location the designer wishes.

A hallmark of exceptional design is a sense of harmony, where all elements work together without competing for attention. Flush-mounted, frameless fireplaces deliver this effect, creating a sleek, contemporary finish.

This trend lends itself to both classic and modern interiors. In more traditional spaces, a single-sided fireplace can be recessed into bespoke joinery. In contemporary homes, a longline ethanol burner like the EcoSmart XL1200 makes a striking feature beneath a wall-mounted television.

EcoSmart’s flue-free, zero-clearance fireplaces offer limitless design potential, no chimneys, gas lines, or vents required. Fueled by clean-burning e-NRG bioethanol, they provide flexibility and freedom for residential, hospitality, and commercial projects alike.

thumbnail: esf-xl900-ethanol-burner-merkmal-private-residence.png — Integrated units featuring open fire with audio visual systems is easy with EcoSmart’s zero-clearance, flue-less fire solutions.

XL900 - Private Residence — Integrated units featuring open fire with audio visual systems is easy with EcoSmart’s zero-clearance, flue-less fire solutions.

See it in action: Shape Shifter

When designing a contemporary new single dwelling from scratch, architectural and interior design firm SAAJ Design in Melbourne was given carte blanche to celebrate as many design opportunities as possible.

From the outset, a fireplace was an important element. But combining a wealth of organic materials with fire was always going to be a challenge. Using an EcoSmart burner gave the designer the ability to create an eco-friendly, ventless fireplace within an organic form adjacent to a timber material.

Carved into recycled she-oak timber veneer and intersected with a suspended floating granite hearth, the EcoSmart Fire presents an ironic design element: fire burning within what appears to be a chopped section of a tree log.

Trend 2: See-Through Fireplaces

Create zones, preserve flow: see-through designs bring structure and ambience.

Double and triple sided fireplaces are redefining open-plan living. Fitted with glass panels on opposing or multiple sides, they provide a 360° view of the flame while acting as a subtle room divider.

Whether built into a central pillar or an exterior wall, these see-through installations add structure without sacrificing light or flow. They allow warmth and visual drama to permeate multiple areas at once, blurring the lines between zones.

thumbnail: esf-flex-50pn-flex-peninsula-fireplace-artisan-builders-living-room-1.png — Striking examples of see-through installations that divides the room but still connects them with the flame visible from each side.

Flex 50PN - Private Residence — Striking examples of see-through installations that divides the room but still connects them with the flame visible from each side.

See it in action: Bali Style

On the coast of Western Australia lies a home created to give its owners a taste of holiday luxury every day. In particular, the room that encapsulates this perfectly is the master suite; located on the first floor, the room enjoys ocean and garden views, whilst serving the dual purposes of bedroom and bathroom.

Arc Seven.1, the design company behind the creation of this home, wanted to bring the luxury Bali-style retreat experience into their client’s home. To further enhance this feeling of ultimate luxury, an EcoSmart Fire was installed as a kind of room divider, rather than having to build a more conventional wall or screen. Combining the two into one, so the views could be enjoyed from either space, really enhanced the sense of a private retreat.

Trend 3: Oversized Fireplaces

Bigger, bolder, and built to impress.

Oversized fireplaces bring visual drama to spacious interiors. Featuring wide burners, expansive stone surrounds, or multiple flames, these statement pieces are ideal for lobbies, restaurants, high-end homes, or luxury retreats.

Designers are embracing oversized fire features paired with complementary materials like raw stone, warm timber, or reflective metals to amplify the fire’s natural beauty.

In large-scale spaces, these fireplaces not only ground the room, they invite gathering and create a memorable atmosphere.

thumbnail: esf-xl700-ethanol-burner-the-estreal-commercial-space.png — A sophisticated take on the traditional fireplace, this indoor fire feature at The Estrea in Japan, utilises four EcoSmart XL700 Burners to create a captivating conversation pit that attracts guests with its flickering flame and soothing warmth.

XL700 - The Estreal, Japan — A sophisticated take on the traditional fireplace, this indoor fire feature at The Estrea in Japan, utilises four EcoSmart XL700 Burners to create a captivating conversation pit that attracts guests with its flickering flame and soothing warmth.

See it in action: Dramatic Entrance

Located in Times Square, in the heart of New York City’s theatre district, it made sense that the centrepiece of the Paramount Hotel lobby be somewhat dramatic.

For Meaghan Wren from interior design firm Meyer Davis and project manager for the lobby renovation, the new lobby is a ‘modern interpretation of theatre.’ And she has created a design statement that epitomises that philosophy.

Three mounted EcoSmart XL burners magnified threefold by sheets of polished stainless steel have replaced a winding staircase that previously occupied the space, creating a warm and moody atmosphere.

Drawing inspiration from the theatrical district, the energy of the space needed to draw people in and therefore make it a place for them to socialise and interact with other guests.

Trend 4: Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Flow

Blurring boundaries with fireplaces that connect interior and exterior living.

Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are increasingly being used to extend the comforts of the indoors out into the open. Homeowners are rethinking their outdoor zones, investing in alfresco spaces that can be enjoyed all year long.

Design-forward fire features, like linear fire tables or sculptural fire pits, act as natural gathering points for entertaining or relaxing, while also complementing the surrounding landscape.

EcoSmart’s ventless, ethanol-burning solutions make it easier than ever to incorporate fire into outdoor entertaining areas, no flues, no hard plumbing, no compromise.

thumbnail: esf-xl900-ethanol-burner-the-brindabella-patio.png

See it in action: Outback Retreat

Overlooking the World Heritage-listed wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory is luxury desert camp Longitude 131. The main drawcard of this incredible retreat is the stunning view of Uluru that can be seen from each of the 15 luxury tents available.

Designer Max Pritchard has used elements of modernity to enhance the nature surrounding Longitude 131 – his feature pieces being carefully-placed stainless steel XL700 burners set into elegant, low-set stone and rosewood timber benches on the balcony of each luxury tent. This gorgeous design enables guests to lie back on the daybed and gaze out over the dancing flames to Uluru, omnipresent in the background.

Trend 5: TVs Above Fireplaces

A practical yet stylish design feature - pairing warmth with entertainment.

The popularity of mounting televisions above fireplaces shows no sign of slowing down. It’s a design solution that saves space, creates a unified focal point, and provides a cosy viewing experience.

With EcoSmart’s zero-clearance, flue-free inserts, you can safely and stylishly install a TV above the fire. The clean-burning ethanol eliminates the need for a chimney or flue, allowing greater flexibility and reduced visual clutter - ideal for minimal, modern spaces.

thumbnail: esf-xl900-ethanol-burner-buildwise.png

XL900 Ethanol Burner - Buildwise Australia

See it in action

Acclaimed Los Angeles architect Michael Parks installed two EcoSmart XL900 Burners into a specially-created cavity to create a 6-foot ethanol fireplace to match the scale of the room in a striking home in the Hollywood Hills. A large flat-screen TV was set into a special recessed cavity above the elongated fire.

“The living room fireplace and cavity are built into a section of protruding wall that is defined by two floor-to-ceiling windows on either side,” Michael explains. “Because of the size of the living room, and the height of the ceilings, a single, three-foot fireplace would have looked really small, so I had to find something that visually had the scale to match the room. The ability to drop two XL900 Burners into the opening, and then have the sleek design aesthetic EcoSmart is known for, was a really great marriage.”

For London banker Sebastien Gianmermi and his architect-trained wife, the requirement was for a wide fireplace to fit beneath a 50-inch LED screen, and which could be incorporated into the HIFI joinery in their refurbished penthouse. A stainless-steel, zero-clearance fireplace insert with an XL900 burner was chosen, and the end result is a stunning indoor centrepiece that integrates into the sleek space.

Award-winning Miami-based architect and interior designer Pepe Calderin has gone even one step further. In this amazing home on Fisher Island, off Miami, Pepe created a double sided, see-through fireplace, with three BK5 ethanol burners used to create a long burner within a marble cavity. On one side is the expansive living room with a large home theatre projector screen, and on the other a home office. The result is a stunning fire that both joins and divides two different spaces.

Read Case Study