Design Tips for Architects

Working with Fireplaces in Open-Plan Living Spaces: Design Tips for Architects

Open-plan living is one of the most defining features of modern Australian architecture. It celebrates space, light, and flow, but it also demands clever zoning, thoughtful materiality, and stand-out focal points. A well-integrated fireplace can offer all three.

In this article, we explore key design strategies for specifying fireplaces in open-plan spaces, featuring standout options from the JC Bordelet, Seguin Multivision, and Axis I1000 collections.

Use Fireplaces to Define Zones

Open-plan doesn’t mean undivided. In fact, subtle separation of spaces is what brings warmth and liveability to large rooms.

Double-sided and multi-view fireplaces like the Seguin Multivision series offer the perfect solution. Available in two, three, or four-sided configurations, these fireboxes deliver stunning visibility across multiple zones, such as between a kitchen and living area or along a corridor spine.

Seguin Multivision 8000 Double Sided

Design Tip: Use a peninsula-style wall or column to house a three-sided unit. This creates intimacy without losing openness, while maintaining heating efficiency across adjacent spaces.

Create a Sculptural Centrepiece

If you’re designing a home that’s unapologetically bold, a fireplace can be more than functional — it can be art.

JC Bordelet suspended fireplaces, handmade in Montpellier, are a statement in craftsmanship and form. Models like the Eva 992 or Leo 998 can be suspended from the ceiling, offering 360-degree flame views and a truly cinematic impact.

JC Bordelet Eva 992

Design Tip: Pair a Bordelet fireplace with timber or polished concrete flooring to contrast its vivid finish. High ceilings are a must, and in open-plan designs, they’ll draw the eye upward, enhancing a sense of verticality.

Embrace Freestanding Flexibility

Freestanding fireplaces work exceptionally well in open-plan layouts, where modularity and multi-use zones are key. The Axis I1000FS Double-Sided unit is a standout example, combining clean lines with visual balance and impressive heating performance.

Axis i1000 Freestanding Double-Sided

Design Tip: Position a freestanding fireplace centrally, and consider floating it on a concrete or tiled plinth for visual weight. This also helps with floor clearance and reinforces it as a design anchor.

Consider Material Harmony

With sightlines open across the home, your fireplace must harmonise with the surrounding finishes. Whether it’s the matte black body of the Axis range, the gloss enamel of JC Bordelet, or the industrial textures of concrete benches and steel surrounds, material selection is key.

Seguin Europa 7

Design Tip: Use the fireplace to tie together finishes used across zones. Echo its material or colour in nearby joinery, window frames, or furniture for a cohesive flow.

Conclusion

A fireplace in an open-plan home is more than a heat source, it’s a spatial tool, a visual anchor, and in the case of Sculpt’s exclusive ranges, a piece of design history. Whether you’re zoning with a Seguin Multivision, making a statement with JC Bordelet, or balancing a layout with the Axis I1000, Sculpt fireplaces offer flexibility and performance for contemporary living.