Eternal Flames

Five timeless approaches to the fireplace inspire hibernating at the first whisper of winter.

Words: Liz Wallace
Images: Donna Dotan, Robert Lowell, and Kenneth Chen

118 East 83rd Street Upper East Side | 5 Bed 5 Bath $75,000 / Month | Steve Halpern, Christine Mariani 917.586.7421

This iron-framed stunner, set off by gallery-esque recessed lighting, becomes the centerpiece in a contemporary take on a turn-of-the-century carriage house. The wood storage completes the picture with a textural touch of the outdoors.

279 West 4th Street West Village | 4 Bed 2.5 Bath $45,000 / Month | James Morgan 646.681.3709

Preserved from the townhome’s original 1899 construction, the mantel’s ornate marble nods to the rich history of its West Village environs while balancing the clean lines and sliding glass walls of this airy sitting room.

57 Havemeyer Street Williamsburg | 4 Bed 4.5 Bath $3,950,000 | Christine Blackburn 917.392.4200

Rich, charcoal walls, suspended Douglas fir shelving, and a fireplace outlined in sleek metal take on a magical luminosity when juxtaposed with the expansive windows and subtle skylights in this eclectic Brooklyn lounge.

142 5th Avenue Flatiron | 4 Bed 3.5 Bath $8,995,000 | Kyle W. Blackmon, Jay Glazer 646.798.8898

Encased in luxurious French limestone, the flame of this downtown penthouse warms up the living room’s blackened-steel stair railing and wideplank oak floors and renders a flat-screen TV elegantly invisible.

323 West 74th Street, Upper West Side | 9 Bed 10 Bath $17,950,000 | Maria Manuche 917.328.2338

Complementing the 14-foot ceilings, this woodburning hearth enchants with its intricate marble mantel and millwork, all original from 1897. A few garlands of pine and the parlor of this Upper West Side mansion is ready for any holiday fête.

View even more hearths and homes at compass.com.