A Kitchen Fireplace- The "Hearth" of the home.

For the better part of the last half-century, fireplaces were reserved for a home's living room or family room. The need for a masonry footing, stone hearth and roof-clearing brick chimney all but guaranteed it. But thanks to the arrival of new gas fireplaces, some requiring little or no ventilation, homeowners now have the freedom to install these heart-warming fixtures in any room of the house, including the kitchen and bath.
Adding a fireplace to your home can increase its value, provide warmth and ambiance.
"Fireplaces in the kitchen or bath are a great selling point. They really set your home apart from the others," says designer Cheryl McCracken, of Cheryl McCracken Interiors in Foxboro, Mass. "The kitchen is where everyone hangs out already, so why not make it as cozy and comfy as possible by adding a fireplace?"
Cheryl recommends treating fireplaces like any other design element being introduced into the home. "You want the fireplace to complement the cabinetry, furniture and fabrics in the room," she says. Fortunately, today's gas fireplaces come in a wide range of materials, including fieldstone, brick, marble and granite. "The new gas fireplaces on the market look great; they look like real wood-burning fireplaces."
"Greenside  has built fireplaces into kitchens and exterior rooms. This is not a trend but a facet of a lifestyle that promotes family gatherings in the heart of the home....the kitchen" says John Fullard, owner of Greenside Design Build.