Pleasing proportions in the fireplace opening are desirable. The width
should generally be greater than the height, but as 30 inches is about
the minimum height consistent with convenience in tending the fire,
a narrow opening may be made square. Three feet and a half is a good
maximum for height of opening unless the fireplace is over 6 feet wide.
The higher the opening the greater the chance of a smoky fireplace.
A fireplace should be in harmony with the rest of the room in proportions
and details. This consideration and the kind of fuel to be used largely
determine the size of opening.
Generally speaking the day of large farmhouse fireplaces capable of
receiving cordwood is past. The tending of fires usually falls to the
housewife, and cordwood is a heavier weight than she should handle and
can not be stored near at hand. Cordwood cut in two is easily handled; so
that a 30-inch width is about the minimum for farmhouses where wood is
used for fuel. If coal is burned the opening may be made narrower.