The cavernous fireplace of yore is history. In its place are upscale models that combine modern design with fuel-efficient features, yet retain the crackle and cozy ambiance homeowners love.

Gone, too, is the notion that fireplaces must be confined to a single big room. Today, consumers tuck fireplaces along walls and in corners of virtually any room in the house.

“The fireplace has really become another popular appliance for the home,” says Kurt Rumens, president of Fireplace Xtrodinair, a fireplace manufacturer. “Homeowners still want fireplaces for comfort and warmth, but are now coveting faceplate designs to match their decor.”

Fireplace sales are white hot. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a fireplace trade association, fireplace sales soared to more than 3.2 million units in 2005. That’s up 50 percent since 1998. More than half, 55 percent, of U.S. homes have at least one fireplace.

So popular are fireplaces, the National Association of Home Builders rates desirability of a fireplace in a home as the third most wanted feature in new home construction behind outdoor porches and upscale kitchens. Michael Gruber, an interior designer in Havertown, Pa., says his customers “still respond to fireplaces because there’s psychological warmth and people like to gather around the fireplace.”

What else is behind this super-heated growth? Fireplaces are no longer bulky, stone-faced behemoths. Units have become smaller and efficiently fueled by a variety of sources including wood pellets, natural or propane gas, electrical and, of course, wood logs. Gas models account for nearly two thirds of all fireplace sales.

The stone façade of the fireplace has given way to materials consumers have embraced in myriad other home products. Brushed nickel, wrought iron and hand-rubbed copper now grace the front of fireplaces. Rumens of Fireplace Xtrodinair says this broadens the ability of the fireplace to fit many architectural styles.

“Maintaining some sort of architectural consistency makes all the difference to homeowners who want the fireplace to look like it fits a room rather than seem as an add-on,” he says.

The ornamental fronts of solid metals mask other purposes: heat is pumped through these openings rather than clunky-looking louvers or vents.

In fact, today’s fireplace is rarely built on site of brick and mortar. More than 75 percent of all fireplaces sold last year were factory-built with many fireplaces being direct-vented, so homeowners have reduced expense for chimneys and flues.

According to Rumens, a direct-vent appliance brings fresh air into a sealed firebox then distributes heat through the decorative front grill or rooms throughout the house. Exhaust is sent outside, protecting indoor air quality.

Even better, fireplaces can be considered a significant source of heat in a home, and clean burning gas-fired fireplaces can crank out 1,200 F of heat output at an efficient rate of 86 percent. For some units, that’s enough to heat up to 2,000 square feet of interior space.

Fireplaces also are showing up in unexpected places. Popular now are corner ’portrait style’ models that fit in kitchen cabinets, bedrooms and bathrooms, like the Bed & Breakfast model by Fireplace Xtrordinair. These 21-inch wide units are elevated well off the floor for a unique, handsome look that can still serve as a source of heat.

Interior designer Gruber said he even added a small fireplace inside a dining room server. “We could not have done this in the past, but with new technology and gas, we could,” says Gruber. The fireplace cost under $1,000 while the server topped out at more than $10,000.

“The fireplace was inexpensive, but its small size gave us a lot more flexibility in use,” he says.