The Modern Hearth: How Fireplace Design Is Evolving in Today’s Luxury Homes

Fireplace design has quietly but meaningfully shifted in recent years, becoming an architectural

element defined by materiality, proportion, and craftsmanship rather than ornament or nostalgia.

Designers across luxury residential projects are approaching the hearth with a level of precision that

treats it as part of the architectural language of a room—not an accessory added at the end.

According to Elizabeth Graziolo, Founder and Principal of Yellow House Architects, the most notable

change is the move toward fully custom solutions. “Instead of relying on traditional, off-the-shelf mantels,”

she notes, designers are now “approaching the design of the fireplace, its mantel and hearth as a fully

custom architectural element...tailored to the specific design language of the space.” Graziolo describes

this shift as treating the fireplace with “the same level of intention as other major architectural features.”

A variety of New York City residential developments illustrate this approach. In the amenity lounge at

200 East 75th Street, Yellow House Architects designed a fluted plaster fireplace integrated directly

into the room’s traditional paneling, allowing the fireplace to feel inherent to the architecture rather

than layered on top. Graziolo explains that because their team guided the scale and detailing from the

outset, the final result “feels entirely unique to the space.” The building’s garden extends the idea

outdoors with a sculptural exterior fireplace—an example she points to as the kind of early-design

integration she expects to see more of.

Materiality is also shaping how fireplaces contribute to residential environments. In Gramercy, The

Willow features a travertine-block fireplace by Rockwell Group that reads as both a functional hearth

and a sculptural installation. Brad Zuger, Partner at Rockwell Group, says the team saw it “as both a

gathering place and a work of art,” adding that its sculpted form “anchors the Hearth Room” and

naturally draws residents together. For Zuger, the appeal is rooted in the sensory experience:

“Fireplaces have an inherent pull, and they feel particularly luxurious in urban environments...They

invite people to slow down and connect.”

Other recent developments, including The Henry on the Upper West Side, reflect this same sensibility

through custom marble mantelpieces and closely detailed millwork that emphasize permanence and

clarity of form. Whether expressed through carved stone, plaster, or stacked natural materials, the

underlying intent is consistent: fireplaces are being designed as spatial anchors, not decorative

afterthoughts.

Looking ahead, Graziolo anticipates more deliberate integration of fireplaces in the earliest stages of

planning. She sees future designs “continuing to evolve toward greater innovative design,” becoming

“part of the conversation from the very beginning as a true design moment or experience.” This early

focus allows the hearth to play either a quiet, cohesive role within a room’s architecture or a more

sculptural, standalone one.

Taken together, these shifts point to a broader, understated trend: the modern fireplace is less about

spectacle and more about atmosphere, proportion, and the way people gather in a space. As

designers refine how hearths function within both private residences and communal amenity

environments, the fireplace remains a steady architectural tool—one that brings clarity, material

richness, and a subtle sense of calm to contemporary living.