Fireplace Walls are typically the focal point of your house and one of the most important areas to design well to bring harmony and rhythm in your interior. In recent years, people love to add fireplaces, not only in their living rooms but also in master bedrooms, office spaces, restaurants and much more, as it helps to create a more welcoming and cozier vibe. However, designing the fireplace wall is one of the most thoughtful processes in terms of choosing materials that would wrap your expansive fireplace in luxury, the question comes down to what material to choose, what colors to choose and of course, the budget. Let us help you find the perfect fireplace option in terms of looks, cost, quality, design and installation.
Exploring the spectrum of material options:
Marble
Getting a dramatic look for the fireplace walls sounds impossible without going for something expensive, fancy, vibrant and sophisticated. One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about ways to design your fireplace wall is marble. So we often think of going for marble finish for the wall. We all are obsessed with beautiful big marble slabs because of their attractive colors, designs and luxury that they bring with them. Marbles are undoubtedly an excellent method to add a character to the wall in a timeless way. There are few other materials that can give a whole new look to your fireplace like granite, titles and many more.
Tiles
Tiles are an alternative to stone that many people favor because they are typically a bit budget-friendly. There are numerous style and color choices to choose from. People think of it as an option to stone as it is often considered a more practical choice because it has a comparable look and durability. Furthermore, because of their smaller size, tiles are less complex to install and often considered as handy, which is another reason for their low cost. Because of its distinct veining design, it has a calming impact on the space.
Porcelain Slabs
Porcelain Slabs have all of the characteristics that we associate with marble and often considered a better alternative than tile, just because it comes in the same size as marble. Ceramic materials like Porcelain have great durability, stain resistance, and ease of upkeep and porcelain tiles stole the show. Porcelain has the same luster as stone, but its porosity prevents discoloration and liquid absorption. These blocks are also excellent for concealing wall flaws.
Painting and leaving it empty:(
How dull? Clients generally find these options to be prohibitively costly, and after learning about the hassle involved in putting them, they decide for just a painted wall, but do they consider that a viable option to consider for their fireplace? We don’t believe so. Homeowners want to improve the appearance of their home, and adding a focal point to the area not only improves the appearance but also increases the property worth. Adding feature focal walls like these helps them to dress up the area and set it apart from the competition, if they plan to list their house in the future.
Key considerations before finalizing the materials for your fireplace wall project
Marble
First and foremost a complete marble fireplace is less likely to be on the cards because of the price that we need to pay. A single marble sheet cost approximately $1200. Though marble transpure a certain elegance to the wall but considering the other factors like the installation cost is a matter of worry sometimes as this is a huge investment to make. Not only this, the next challenge we often face is fabricating the marble.
Another issue to take into consideration is the weight of the marble slabs. These weigh so heavy that it is really hard to install it and we often need to make certain structural changes so that the wall can hold the weight of the wall and getting those changes is an additional cost element to consider. Sometimes because of the weight and the size of the slab, these even need to be transported in a certain way, which is an addition to the budget as well. Here are some things to consider for other marble alternatives available in the market:
Tiles:
Tiles are yet another option when it comes to giving your walls a luxury appearance while taking the durability into consideration but here are some things you might want to know before going for this option. Firstly, it does not provide a good marble-like finish due to the numerous grouts and seams on the wall due to its reduced size that comes along with it. Tiles require a lot of maintenance over time, as it starts to collect a lot of dust and the grout lines typically trap dirt and need regular upkeep. White tiles require a deep cleaning once a week as opposed to month. The designs are quite basic and if you would like to go over for something exclusive, the cost increases quite a bit, along with high installation costs.
Porcelain Slabs:
Porcelain Slabs are the most favored marble alternative. The size gives them a marble-like appearance, as opposed to other tiles which come in larger sizes, allowing for less obvious seams. However, there are some disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. Porcelain tiles are at least 60% more expensive than regular tiles, and the substance is still extremely heavy, necessitating structural modifications to the wall. Moreover, you cannot install these to any curved application as their slabs are not flexible and yet you need to cut it into smaller pieces while installation which is more time consuming and will not provide a clean appearance to the wall.
What are the Alternatives?
Everyone wants their fireplace to look visually appealing and a showstopper when someone walks into your space. But we also don’t want to break our bank by installing marble sheets and getting into so much hassle during the installation process but we understand the look is irresistible too. So, here is an alternative people generally go for is the porcelain tile. It is comparatively a cheaper option to consider and gives a marble look because of its huge size just like real marble but what about the same hassle for the installation as these tiles are also 50-60 kgs.
However, what if we introduce you to an option that does no compromise to the look and feel of real marble, is exactly the same in size, less heavy (that means easier install and transportation), 3 mm in thickness and you guessed it right, even significantly less than the price of Porcelain Tile Slab.
Now the question here arises:
Why is InterioMasters Artificial Marble Collection a leader in the game for your fireplace wall project?
We know, you might be wondering what makes it the best alternative of a real marble, right? Here are some things for you would want to know:
- Durability: Marble is primarily known for its strength and durability, so are our sheets. These sheets are made from PVC and are completely waterproof and also insulate well against heat.
- Plenty of designs: Patterns, colors and designs are things that make a marble look so attractive and adds a luxury to the walls in just no time. InterioMasters offers dozens of different colors and designs in its Artificial Marble Slab Collection which are an absolute favorite thing of our clients, builders and designers. From an authentic white Carrara marble look to the different shades of black, brown and grays.
- Size and thickness of the sheet: These sheets come in 4 feet X 8 feet size slabs which are 3mm in thickness which gives it a marble like look and makes it super easy to install. Because it is lightweight you can install it on your high ceiling walls and the cost for installation is much cheaper than the real marble.
- Increase the Property Value: With so many benefits it should come no surprise to find out the marble fireplace adds a significant value to the properties as well. As the buyers admire the look, elegance, feel and luxury of a marble finished fireplace. Our sheets will add the same value while also being cost efficient as to the end user it does feel like real marble.
InterioMasters does not only give you a product that is no less than a real marble but we also take budget into consideration. Our motive is to provide our clients the best products which are cost efficient without limiting their expectations in terms of designs, colors, patterns and of course the quality.
Some of our recent projects with the Marble that’s much more affordable 🙂
