I don't have one in my kitchen but have always wanted one!

I tried adding some links but for some reason it wasn't working. If you don't mind rummaging through my Pinterest kitchen board I have quite a few with fireplaces pinned:
http://www.pinterest.com/caubin/kitchens/

This post was edited by Christina222 on Fri, May 30, 14 at 8:35

We had an actual woodstove in my kitchen growing up, not an open fireplace. That isone reason I wanted a Frenchtop on my range. Wood is very messy. Both storing the wood to burn, and the actual soot, creosote, and stuff that comes along with burning it. Make sure you are up for all that if you plan to actually use the fireplace. I love wood, but at this point we keep the woodfire outside.

My parents have one and I've always loved it! I personally would love a Tulikivi masonry stove or a kakelugn in the kitchen- beautiful and warm in winter!

Thanks everyone. Christina that is some great eye candy! We already have the wood burning fireplace so that's a done deal. Yes, it is messy but it sure makes for some great ambience. Here is ours before we purchased and whitewashed the brick.

I don't have one but I think I'd prefer for it to be where people are sitting/hanging out, rather than in my work space. I know that even in the winter, when I'm cooking, it can get pretty warm in my kitchen and then I get sweaty if I'm actively moving around. When visiting some relatives in Italy, they had a wood burning fireplace off to the side of their dining area which was adjacent to the working kitchen. We were all gathered around the table as well as a few sitting on the hearth (that would be meâ¦I was freezing that day!). It seemed so cozy but I personally wouldn't want it *in* the working area of my kitchen. Mine is close enough, just off to the side, and it still warms my kitchen up more than I appreciate when I'm working hard in the kitchen (though I'm glad I have one!).

Are you considering a true masonry fireplace or a manufactured one? I think you need someone very informed about your end choice of product. This isn't really about looks as much as practicality.

It isn't a product she's looking for - she already has the fireplace.

I already have the fireplace, as shown above. Very good points Fourkids. I think it wouldn't necessarily be in the working part of the kitchen but close enough to still feel the heat I bet. Good things to consider. Thanks to all.

We are open concept now and have a gas fireplace "in" the kitchen. Love it so much, but definitely near the the sitting area if possible.

Cinjos.

Would you happen to have a picture? It sounds lovely.

We had a woodstove in our old kitchen, and in the new kitchen before it became a new kitchen. Ours were there out of necessity. We have a closed floorplan and the old kitchen was absolute misery to cook in when the woodstove was going. The new kitchen wasn't as bad due to more area and taller ceilings, but still toasty when you're trying to heat an entire house with two small stoves. The mess was annoying, but not much could be done about it. I'm sure a fireplace wouldn't be as bad about super-heating a room.

My biggest concern would be your fireplace drawing air out of the room. Your chimney is going to draw air from the entire room, your kitchen exhaust will do that as well. I'm just guessing you're either going to pull cooking grease/smoke/odors through your room up your chimney or you're going to pull smoke/ash/odors from your chimney out your range hood. I would want to talk to a professional. There is a very real chance your kitchen could fill up with smoke. Of course, it might not, but I'd want to know for sure.

See, now that is something I definitely wouldn't of thought of. Thanks mrs mortarmixer. Your kitchen has the "homey" feeling I'm trying to capture. I guess it comes from growing up in an old farmhouse. Memories.

Like MrsMM we heat with wood(primarily). My house is an open floor plan built to heat with wood, ie convection and therm friendly, it is also VERY tight. We have outside air line directly into our woodstove to ensure that it doesnt steal the the oxygen we need. The wood stove is not in our kitchen, but I always check how well the fire is burning before I turn on the kitchen fan. I have pulled smoke into the house.
Also, I wouldnt want dirty firewood in my cooking space. Sometimes hiberbating 'critters' come back to life next to the nice warm fire- not in my kitchen, please!

A house full of smoke is not what I want. I seriously would probably only have the fireplace going a couple times while cooking but it is definitely something to think about, so thank you local. Do you think it matters that it's a fireplace vs woodstove?

I had a kitchen with a fireplace, similar to the layout in your picture. When I stood at the island, I was facing the fireplace. There were stools on the fireplace side of the island but several feet away from the fireplace. I used the fireplace, mostly when I entertained and it was really nice.

When I built an addition, mostly open to the kitchen with the fireplace, I decided to move the kitchen into the addition and keep the detailed room with the fireplace as the dining room. It makes a great dining room but I no longer use the fireplace. The dining table is in front of the fireplace and it's uncomfortably hot. It wasn't really a loss for me as I have a fireplace in the adjoining living room which I continue to use.

Personally I would prefer the fireplace in a sitting room but I don't know your trade-offs in terms of improved layout. How long do you plan to live there? Would you be decreasing the value of the fireplace by having it in the kitchen?
Do you like using the fireplace? Do you use it now? Will you use it the same way if it is in the kitchen? Will you be able to layout the kitchen so the fireplace remains useful?

Most (all?) fireplaces are not EPA certified, which means you will be able to use it on a limited basis in many parts of the country - you are aware of that? You'll need to add an insert, which often removes the ambiance, but does make it a more efficient source of heat.

If the area around the fireplace gets too warm, why don't you add a fan of some sort? An insert can come with a built in fan, or you can add an Eco Fan - if you can find a place on your fireplace to put it (it's non electric and heat generated).

We have a wood stove in our great room (kitchen/dining/living). Not terribly close to our cooking area...and since we only keep a few pieces of wood in our house - in an old copper wash tub - the wood related bugs don't come into the house. If you do it with a little thought (and a lot of effort, I admit), wood burning isn't that messy.

(We also heat primarily with a wood stove, btw. One wood stove for a 2000 square foot log home - we are in the foothills of Washington State).

Judeny. Thank you for your input. It's nice to hear from someone who has lived with the set up and enjoyed it. The experts here feel that this way is the most beneficial for getting the best kitchen possible. I've linked my post about layout at the top of this page.

Gladys. I did not know that about limited use of fireplaces. I don't believe that would be the case here in Michigan because so many homes are still heated with wood as the main source but I will look into it. Thanks again for all the info. This place is a wealth of knowledge.

Yeah, it really depends on how the air quality is in your area. South of here we have Mt Rainier - *many* people heat with wood there. The air quality has deteriorated there so much that they can now burn infrequently, thanks to tightened EPA regulations for their county.

If this doesn't impact you now, it may in the future...something to check into. Although it's still good to have a certified wood stove or insert - they tend to use wood more efficiently and heat better.