![]() ![]() Green Motawi field tiles are combined with landscape and other decorative tiles in a seemingly random layout on this fireplace.Ĭeramic tile was also much in favor as a fireplace facing, from plain 6″ x 6″ field tiles to decorative art tiles from now-famous Arts & Crafts potteries like Grueby, Rookwood, and Batchelder. These were molded and colored to resemble tile or stone, and sometimes real tiles were inset as accents. Pressed concrete was another option, molded into panels about 1½” thick, and large enough to constitute the entire front of the fireplace. ![]() It could resemble whatever sort of stone was required, although sandstone and limestone were most prevalent. Cast stone, a molded product made from concrete and fine aggregates, often was used in place of actual stone. Split-face ashlar (rectangular cut stone with an irregular face), though a bit more formal, also was used on fireplaces. Stone, including fieldstone, river rock, cobblestone, or rubble stone, had the rustic look esteemed by bungalow designers. Set off by a spindled colonnade, this brick fireplace is surrounded by a generously sized inglenook with cushioned benches. Occasionally some use was made of glazed bricks, which were finished like pottery. In Craftsman houses, brickwork was sometimes combined with river rocks to form what is generally referred to as peanut brittle, because of its lumpy appearance. ![]() Brick also could be laid unevenly and randomly, known as eccentric brickwork. Multicolored brick patterns were referred to as tapestry brick. Flemish bond features one brick turned on end every other brick. Most people are familiar with running bond, where joints in each row are staggered by half a brick. They come in many colors and textures, and there are many ways of laying them, called bonds. Many other kinds of brick were used as well, from basic red or gold bricks, to wire-cut (textured) bricks, to bricks that were multicolored or spotted, and even decorative molded bricks.īrick sizes have been standardized for centuries at 2¼” x 3¾” x 8″. Because clinkers were organic and interesting to look at, the movement embraced them, and soon they became trendy. Before the bungalow era, clinker bricks were thrown away, making them cheap or even free, which no doubt made the eyes of many a speculative bungalow builder light up. Brick was much favored, especially clinker bricks, those that had become vitrified and misshapen by sitting too close to the fire in the brick kiln. ![]() (Photo: Linda Svendsen)Ĭhimneys were of masonry construction (brick, stone, concrete block), but the fireplace itself could be faced with a wide array of materials, including brick, stone, ceramic tile, cast stone, concrete, stucco, metal, or plaster-anything that wouldn’t burn. The firebox is home to a set of 1930s vintage gas logs. Bricks and MoreĪn arched limestone fireplace in another Memphis bungalow features a hearth of Rookwood tiles. With or without an inglenook, the fireplace usually was surrounded by some sort of built-ins-often glass-door bookcases with high windows above, but a drop-front desk on one side was fairly common as well. Frequently the fireplace was surrounded by built-in benches or settles to form an inglenook, which often had a lowered ceiling that provided a feeling of coziness and set it off from the rest of the room. Gustav Stickley was a big proponent, writing in The Craftsman, “The big hospitable fireplace is almost a necessity, for the hearthstone is always the center of true home life.”Īlmost always a feature of the living room, fireplaces also were found in dining rooms, bedrooms, dens, and basements. In Arts & Crafts homes, the fireplace took on almost religious significance, and even bungalows in warm climates were built with one. Even today, when fires are no longer needed for heating or cooking, fireplaces are routinely installed in houses. (Photo: Linda Svendsen)įire fulfills a deep and primal role in the human psyche. It’s hard to believe a previous owner had painted the entire thing red. Stunning green tile accented by riveted iron straps makes the fireplace the centerpiece of the room in this Memphis bungalow. ![]()
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