AIBU - fireplace

[nokidshere]

We are redoing our living room. There is a very ugly fireplace that we don't use and I am considering removing. We have been here for quite a long time and never use it as the radiator is plenty of warmth.

However, everyone (and dh) says that I should leave the fireplace as a focal point (will replace it if we do) and that the room will look strange without it. Removing it will give me lots more scope for arranging furniture.

So keep or move? Would you prefer to buy a house with a plain square room or one with a fireplace?

We've taken ours out, and had room for a naice sideboard instead. Looks much better.

We live in an ex shop and the large room that had the counter, etc, hadn't got a fireplace. There was no focal point and the room didn't feel right to me. So.... we got a local carpenter to build a fake fireplace, which is actually a door. We put a red bulb the in the "grate", so we get a friendly glow. It fooled the estate agent, when we had the house valued.

I briefly lived in a flat with no fireplace and I didn't like it.

It's where birthday cards go, and nice pictures, and a fancy candle and a mirror above it and small children sprawl out in front of it like cats while napping.

I just really like a fireplace. But mine is pretty and works which makes all the difference. It was massively fugly when we moved in so we replaced it.

Its just like the one in our new house only we have an even more fuck awful beautiful tiled hearth, surround and mantelpiece. It's on the long list of things to be changed but I'll change it for a fire / woodburner that I actually like rather than leaving the room without.

A NICE fireplace and NICE fire is a huge focal point of a room and regardless of other forms of heat, you cannot replace the coziness of even just the look of a fire (even switched off). Builders don't put them in as standard in new properties, not because all new owners don't want them, but to save money. Hence why loads of new houses look featureless.

To instead make your TV the centre piece of the room may be practical but it's naff.

Sticking my head on the line, to not have a fireplace is a fad like big open plan kitchen/diner/lounge trend.

Just point your furniture at the telly! We took our stone monstrosity out and have no regrets!

Honestly I'd keep it and install a nice one when you can.
I'd never even look at a house without a fireplace, unless it was a modern flat.
Your DH is right, it's a great focal point in a room.

Does it have a flue/real chimney? If so rip out and replace with a lush log burner. If not. I would rip out and not replace.

We have a really fire and wouldn't be without it.

I've only ever lived in pre
1900 houses, so not having a fireplace/hearth would be weird to me. BUT, if you have one of those hideous (and most of them are) gas fires then yes I would rip it out

We have a very similar modern fireplace with the worlds ugliest now non-working gas fire.. Its also in the shortest wall which makes it awkward..I would only miss it at Christmas

I would get rid of it, ours is the wooden version of yours...(we also have the same/similar speaker stands somewhere)