The hearth room is a home's hot spot. Centrally located, often adjoining the kitchen, it becomes a place for families to chill out around to the fireplace. Historically, a home's hearth was an integral and utilitarian part of the kitchen, used for cooking and for heating the house, says Stephen Melman, National Association of Home Builders spokesman in Washington, D.C. Today's hearth room still brings people together," Melman says, "Families congregate in areas of a home where there's warmth and comfort. With a fire going, that is often the hearth room." More