How to Choose a Fireplace for an Apartment: Everything You Won't Be Told in the Store

Want to live comfortably in your apartment like in a country house? And in the evenings, watch the flames flickering in your home hearth while sitting comfortably in a chair with a book or a cup of coffee? Then it's time to start thinking about choosing your ideal fireplace.

In a house, a fireplace serves not only as a heating element but also as an impressive decorative feature. But what about installation if you live in a typical urban apartment? We explore fireplaces, types, and costs that can be used in regular apartments.

1. Fake Fireplace

The first thing to consider is the purpose of the fireplace: for heating or decoration. If it's just meant to enhance the interior, a fireplace portal is a better choice. Today, many of these are available on the market — both ready-made and custom-designed according to designer sketches. To bring life to the hearth, you just need to place birch logs or decorate it with large candles. Moreover, the window niche of the fireplace can serve as a bookshelf.

The price of a fake fireplace entirely depends on the material and design. For example, a marble piece will cost several hundred thousand rubles, while its gypsum or polyurethane analog will cost a few thousand.

Design: Olga Kulikovskaya-EshbiDesign: Anastasia Kamen-skikh

2. Electric Fireplace

In its traditional sense, a fireplace includes a hearth, a portal, and a flue. In electric fireplaces, everything is simpler — since there's no combustion, there's no need for flue ventilation. These units typically consist only of a hearth with an edging. Otherwise, the electric version is no less impressive than the traditional one: it features a beautiful flame simulation and glowing embers, and sometimes even sounds like crackling logs.

Electric fireplaces are especially useful in the transitional season when indoor and outdoor temperatures drop, but heating hasn't started yet. The only issue might be the installation process: hidden wiring requires wall grooving. To solve this, you may have to run a cable channel in the baseboard or buy built-in furniture with a fireplace.

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These units are sold at a wide range of prices. For example, a regular floor-standing fireplace costs between 5,000 and 10,000 rubles. More functional models cost between 15,000 and 30,000 rubles, while an electric fireplace with a portal or realistic flame simulation with embers can cost from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles (depending on dimensions).

Don't forget that electricity is more expensive than gas. If you use such a fireplace as a heating device, prepare for hefty electricity bills. In flame simulation mode, the power consumption of an electric fireplace is significantly lower — no more than 14–200 watts, depending on the type of lighting.

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3. Bio-Kamin (Eco-Fireplace)

An alternative to fake and electric fireplaces is the bio-fireplace, which does not require wall installation or electrical wiring with a flue. It can be placed freely in an apartment without any approvals and even built into furniture (the flame emitted is safe).

These fireplaces do not smoke or heat up, so manufacturers produce them in the most whimsical forms and sometimes from unconventional materials.

Design: GM Interior

Bio-fireplaces can cost between 10,000 and 100,000 rubles depending on the quality of construction. With a relatively low price, it's unlikely you'll avoid high operating costs.

Design: MOOD interior

4. Fireplace with Real Flame

The most realistic fireplace is one with a real flame and glowing embers. However, this is the most complex type to implement and isn't always possible to install. If it is, you’ll need special permits.

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Besides, a traditional fireplace requires a flue and hearth. In an urban apartment, building a brick or stone hearth is nearly impossible, so you can only rely on gas. Naturally, you'll need to consider safety measures and aesthetic design. To seamlessly integrate a fireplace into a residential interior, it's best to place it near a wall.