Marble Fireplace

A fireplace that has already decided how the room will behave.

This fireplace is Egyptian marble in a warm cream color. Its serpentine lines owe an obvious debt to the French mantels of the 18th century, which favored curves over columns. A shaped shelf runs across the top, stepping forward at the corners. Below it, a low relief panel centers on an oval cartouche, and the opening's upper edge follows a gentle wave. Jambs swell outward and end in carved scrolls. A plain slab hearth extends in front. Just over five feet wide at 60.13 inches and 49.25 inches high.

Nothing is burning yet, and it already looks warm.