5 Benefits of Incorporating Fire into your Florida Home Design
By: John Cherveny, Homes by JMC
Fire – we love it, period. There is a magic is about fire that draws us in, quiets our minds and captivates us. Even in warmer, tropical climates like Florida we still love it – so what if our average annual temperature is right around 80 degrees? The benefits of adding big fire sources such as wood-burning or gas fireplaces, fire pits and fire rings or even the simple sources like lighted torches, gas or charcoal grills, lanterns and candles, will improve the look, feel and function of your home environment and warm your soul as much as it does your skin.
As a custom home builder in South Florida, fireplaces and fire sources are often mistakenly overlooked in the house design plan and usually one of the last luxuries on the list in favor of other traditional warm-weather options. It’s true that fire will not help us here in Florida to thaw out from a below zero wind chill factor, but it can help in a few other key areas – our wellbeing, social connection and enhancing our living space. There are intrinsic, sensory and design benefits to having fire incorporated into your home design in Florida. In my home, we made sure fire was a part of our overall home design – we have a gas stove, an indoor/outdoor fireplace, a backyard fire pit, strategically arranged tiki torches around our swimming pool and candles in every room. That’s how much I believe in the power of fire to add value to our homes and our lives.
5 benefits of adding fire elements to your home.
1. It’s Magnetic for drawing people in
Fires provide physical warmth – duh. But they also can warm the heart by drawing those you love to it and creating a place for connection. Case in point – my home is party central for my children as well as a handful of nieces and nephews and all their friends. Swimming is serious business and may go on for hours into the night. When the adults ruin the fun and make everyone get out of the pool, a tribe of dripping, shivering kids will finally emerge from the water and sprint directly to the fireplace to warm up. They sit warming their skin and faces and holding out their small, wrinkled hands to the fire. Shivers turn to coziness and rambunctious horse-play turns to quiet gazing into the fire and intimate family conversations. We are all drawn into close proximity to each other and share enjoy something special together. Even the moody teens cannot escape the lure and warmth a fire provides. I have had some of the best conversations and belly-aching laughs with family, friends and guests while sitting around the fire.
2. Relaxation is guaranteed
Staring into a fire and watching it dance and sway has a meditative effect second to none. I remember attending a team-building retreat where we had a fire circle breakout session that ended with the group walking across fire. It was an incredible experience and by far the highlight of the retreat. I remember feeling incredibly relaxed after the fire exercise and sleeping like a baby back at the hotel afterwards. I have spent many nights gazing into my fireplace searching for answers and working out problems. It is a wonderful and effective source of relaxation and comfort. There are many scientific studies about fire’s calming effect – they confirm that it has the ability to relax the mind and lower blood pressure.
3. It creates ambiance, mood, and a youthful appearance
Everyone can appreciate a candlelit dinner. It immediately evokes romance and an intimate mood. The nature and setting of the fire sources in your home can add ambiance – warm lighting, cozy feelings, glowing skin. They can also set moods – a connective summer campfire, a romantic evening for 2, a fun family gathering for toasting marshmallows and smores. For those of us over 50, there is an added bonus to fire ambiance – diminishing facial wrinkles and lines and giving skin a healthy, glowing hue – we look 5-10 years younger near firelight. That alone should have people scrambling to add fire elements to their homes pronto.
4. Alfresco cooking and dining is possible any night of the week
Typically, you can smell your neighbor grilling from a few blocks away and oh does it always smell good. Makes you want to start grilling yourself most of the time. Whether tossing a few hotdogs on the grill or cooking a gourmet meal in your outdoor kitchen, cooking over a fire and dining outside has never been easier or more enjoyable. Grill nights are commonplace in our home. Our go to grilled meals are salmon, steak and chicken. And yes, I have had a neighbor or 2 call on occasion and ask what we’re grilling that smells so good. Face it – fire-cooked food is darn tasty! There is something instinctive and satisfying about it that runs deep in our primal evolution. There is also something to be said and felt – possibly pride – when you see the line forming by the grill awaiting the delicacies to transfer from grill to plate. Enjoyment is a natural byproduct of cooking meals over fire, especially when it’s followed by the universal, fire dessert of toasted marshmallows or smores.
5. Creates a pleasing design element or focal point for your home
Fireplace design has as many options as your imagination. From rustic stone, colorful tile to smooth concrete – they can be designed as a significant design element to a room or as the focal point of your living area inside or out. Incorporating fireplaces or other large fire sources gives way to being able to set up smart and functional family gathering furniture options that aid in connection and socializing. In my home, we started out with a small conversation seating arrangement in front of our indoor/outdoor fireplace. We soon discovered we didn’t have nearly enough seating to accommodate the constant crowd vying for the seats around the fire. Since then, our conversational seating arrangement has grown 3-fold by spilling out onto the pool deck. Our goal ensured at least fire gazing views from any seat.
Fire, no matter the source you choose to display it in, can be beautiful to see, feel and sit beside. It adds design value and makes a wonderful addition to any home. Fire sources are useful and soul-nurturing elements to include in your home design – even in Florida. They can create a design focal point, add lighting, be a source of warmth and delight. Fire elements are magnetic and warm our heart, body, and soul – they create feel-good moments and a source for making memories with family and friends. Did I mention their ability to entice moody teens to sit within a 10-foot radius of you again? Oh, and we mustn’t forget the toasted marshmallows – pure joy on the end of a stick.
John Cherveny is the owner of Homes By JMC in Stuart, Florida. He has been building custom homes for more than 30 years. And in these 30 years, he’s gained incredible wisdom about how life and home intersect and shape our reality. He’s learned what is it that makes homes special, enjoyable, functional and satisfying. John is fond of saying to clients “the details do matter.” So in this Homes By JMC blog, he shares all the details he’s come across and why they matter for creating a pleasurable home experience.