What do buyers look for in a new home? A big living room? A spacious master bedroom? A winding staircase? Any number of features can make potential homeowners swoon, but one element consistently shows up on every wish list: a gas fireplace.

For years, Ortal has led the way in modern gas fireplace design and technology. Now, we’re reinventing hearth and home once again with our Lyric indoor fireplaces, our newest line of direct-vent gas fireplaces. When we established Lyric, we reinvented our fireplaces with a different kind of space and buyer in mind. The goal was simple: to bring the luxury of a modern, frameless fireplace within reach of more buyers. How did we do it? What sets Lyric apart?

Why do people still thrill at the sight of a fireplace? Why do fireplace designs still have the power to captivate? Why do they still raise the value of any home? Why will they never, ever go out of style? Here are five reasons the fireplace is the most enduring feature of the home.

When you think of a fireplace, you think of the living room or perhaps the family room. Yet the modern fireplace, with its infinite design possibilities, has so much more potential. With Ortal’s advanced technology, there’s no longer a limit to where you can place it.

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all fireplaces. Now, Ortal makes linear gas fireplaces to suit every personality. These days, you can personalize your fireplace to satisfy your own aesthetic sensibilities.

Everyone loves a good fireplace, whether they live in southern California or the North Pole. Still, in some places, a fireplace isn’t so much a luxury as an essential part of life. How can you be sure you absolutely need one? If you don’t already know, we’ve compiled a list of five American cities in which it’s impossible to live without the comfort of a modern gas fireplace.

Gas fireplaces are far safer than their wood-burning counterparts—no matches, no smoke, no sparks, no backdrafts, no soot—but that doesn’t mean owners should ignore basic precautions. Here are a few things you can do to minimize the dangers posed by even the safest modern fireplace.

Why should beauty and comfort stay indoors? Indoor/outdoor fireplaces, one of the latest trends in luxury living and entertaining, bridge the divide between architectural planning and interior design, between indoor coziness and outdoor luxury. They may be more expensive to buy and more complex to install, but those who want the ultimate fireplace experience will find that they’re well worth the effort and expense.

You’ve selected a stunning, front-facing modern fireplace for the living room. Or perhaps a corner fireplace for the bedroom. You know where you’re going to place it. You know it’s going to look stunning. Now it’s time for installation. That may sound easy enough, but it gets complex quickly. Before adding a fireplace to an interior wall, be sure to ask these four questions of your installer.

Why own a gas fireplace? You’ve heard all the usual reasons—they’re cozy; they’re beautiful; they’re efficient—but there’s more to the modern fireplace than warmth and charm. Today, you can install a fireplace that’s smart, efficient, stylish, and fully customizable. Here are five surprising benefits of having a fireplace made by Ortal.