A fireplace is ordinarily considered appropriate to a living room, dining
room, and bedroom; however, basement, porch, and outdoor fireplaces
are gaining in favor with the householder. Also public dining places,
offices, etc., frequently have fireplaces for the comfort and for the air
of informality they provide.
All fireplaces should be built in accordance with the few simple
essentials of correct design given herein if satisfactory performance is
to be realized. They should be of a size best suited to the room in which
they are used from the standpoint of appearance and operation. If too
small, they may function properly but do not throw out sufficient heat.
If they are too large, a fire that would fill the combustion chamber
would be entirely too hot for the room and would waste fuel.
The location of the chimney determines the location of the fireplace and
too often is governed by structural considerations only. A fireplace
suggests a fireside group and a reasonable degree of seclusion, and
therefore, especially in the living room, it should not be near doors to
passageways of the house.