Email this page  Print this page  del.icio.us  digg

	Photo: Philip Kaake

From the glowing incandescence of fading embers to the wild crackling of dancing flames, a lighted fire in the fireplace is one of winter’s undeniably delightful experiences. An evening by the fire is also the kind of old-fashioned pastime that reflects the very essence of Alameda. So here’s a toast to some of the finer things in life—the smell of wood smoke, a nip in the air and three Alameda fireplaces that help give our town its special spark.

The Girls Inc. Fireplace at 1724 Santa Clara Ave.

Dr. David Greenleaf commissioned English architect Ernest Coxhead to design his new residence at 1724 Santa Clara Ave. in 1891. While little is known about Greenleaf, we suspect he liked luxury. No expense was spared in the construction of his home, which cost a staggering $7,000 to build—more than three times the cost of the average home in Alameda at the time. Today, the nonprofit Girls Inc. of the Island City is the property’s lucky resident owner.

Like many Coxhead homes, the Greenleaf residence looks a bit like an English cottage with a swayback shingle roof that suggests thatch. Step across the threshold and the cozy feeling continues in the front parlor as redwood paneling instantly draws in a visitor with its burnished glow.

Known for drawing on a variety of historic styles, Coxhead was fearless about mixing up elements from past eras. For the front parlor’s fireplace, he relied on a rich variety of ornamentation to create detail upon detail. In less expert hands, combining so many styles would be dangerous, but Coxhead pulled off the trick to great effect. Above the hearth, a molded arch encases Tudor-style paneling, which is set in a geometric pattern. Greek Revival columns,Victorian dentille trim and a variety of crown moldings are all incorporated into the elaborate design.

While the fireplace is no longer actively used, a Girls Inc. benefactor, struck by the beauty of the hearth, donated a small set of electric logs that can throw off a cozy glow whenever Girls Inc. staffers wish to provide some atmosphere to the room.

The McClure Fireplace on Gibbons Drive

For Jan and John McClure, a fireplace has been a “must have” in every single home they’ve bought since they married 33 years ago. Even so, Jan McClure didn’t particularly care at first for the fireplace that came with the home they purchased on Gibbons Drive 10 years ago.“We’d always had traditional brick fireplaces,” she said.This one,with its classic Art Moderne design, jarred her sensibilities and didn’t evoke the old-fashioned fireplaces she was accustomed to.

Over time, however, the fireplace has grown on the McClures and even captures their imagination.“We like how it looks like a ship’s smoke stack, with three tiers on the front and the column on the left,” says John McClure.The shape of the chimney also echoes the home’s nautical lines as it surges south towards the front windows.

For entertaining, the McClures’ raised hearth and stepped chimney offer unusual decorating opportunities. In the summer, lit candles go inside the firebox to create a special evening ambience. During the holiday season, in anticipation of their annual “Meet and Greet the Neighbors” party, a large wreath hangs just to the right of the chimney and garlands swag the mantel with clusters of Christmas lights bundled like grapes.

The DeBoer Fireplace on Pacific Avenue

According to Arabian folklore, opal fell from heaven in flashes of lightning. For Darrel DeBoer, fragments of opal are the centerpiece of a mosaic design he created and executed for the hearth of his fireplace on Pacific Avenue.

The new fireplace is a creation borne of necessity. “When we lifted the house 6 feet, the fireplace fell apart,” says DeBoer. Fortunately, it wasn’t a heartbreaking loss: the old Arts and Crafts mantel was made of paint-grade wood with a simple, unexciting design. DeBoer was happy to plunge into creating a new hearth that would reflect his personal aesthetic of organic design and use of natural materials.

Painstakingly designed and executed, the fireplace’s focal point is a ribbon of chocolate-brown opal flecked with threads of coral, deep blue and aqua. For the ribbon’s twist, DeBoer used opal fragments as small as jewelry stones and set them tightly together to create a central focal point. Serving as the ribbon’s background, glacial stone tiles display a wide range of hues ranging from gray to black, with bits of shining metal folded into their grain.

An award-winning “green” architect, DeBoer sourced his materials in unusual ways. An eBay vendor from Australia supplied shards of opal left over from larger slabs, and DeBoer’s father cut the background tiles by hand from stones gathered on his beach-front property near Seattle.