(BPT) - What makes a house a home? Its fireplace. What makes that fireplace special? The design, beauty and comfort of the hearth.But the hearth isn’t just for your living room anymore.This National Fireplace Month (October), the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) wants to remind home builders and homeowners that, thanks to the ingenuity of designers and architects, a beautiful hearth can center any room of the house.“The hearth is the home’s heartbeat, the connection point for all who live there,” said Jack Goldman, president and CEO of HPBA. “For centuries, when you think of hearths, you envision living rooms and dens, but our lifestyles have changed. Where we congregate and how we spend our time has evolved. Combine those changes with home builders and remodelers’ creativity, and you can now consider a fireplace for nearly any room.”Consider these six spaces:

1. Bedrooms: Make your bedroom even cozier and consider giving it a cabin-like feel with a gas fireplace or even a stove.
2. Kitchen: Steep your morning tea and read the news at your breakfast nook warmed by an assuring, alluring flame.
3. Office/study: Want to fire up your best thinking? A sleek electric fireplace beside your home desk can be your best collaborator.
4. TV room: Fireplaces are the new flat screens. As more consumers cut the cable cords, hearth manufacturers are boldly reclaiming their rightful place as the TV room’s focal point, offering thin, long, horizontal gas fireplaces for installing in the center of the wall.
5. Bathrooms: An evening soak in warm suds can be made even more relaxing and intimate with a remote-control fireplace.
6. Your outside wall: Want to make your home even more open? An indoor/outdoor fireplace connecting your favorite indoor room to your backyard patio truly opens up the home.

Warming up to the idea of fireplaces beyond the living room? Contact a specialty retailer today. Learn more about fireplaces, stoves and heaters with HPBA’s helpful online resources.About the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA)The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), based in Arlington, Virginia, is the North American industry association for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, representatives, service firms and allied associates for all types of barbecue, patio and hearth appliances, fuels and accessories. The association provides professional member services and industry support in education, statistics, government relations, marketing, advertising and consumer education.A Home Is Where the Hearth Is