What? Don't have a fireplace? Or the one you have doesn't quite fit your idyllic picture?

Now's the time to create a fireplace that's a step up from your basic firebox and screen.

While all fireplace models come with a standard opening between 26 and 50 inches, according to Terry Welnicke, president of Manitowoc Heating and Refrigeration, it's where you go from there that determines your fireplace's statement.

Kelly Fischer relaxes by her fireplace as she reads a book and enjoys a cup of coffee in her home in Manitowoc. The Fischers had a Lennox gas fireplace surrounded with black granite installed in their living room.

"To start building a higher-end fireplace, you begin in the firebox where a larger burner on a gas fireplace means a more realistic flame," says Welnicke. "Add a more expensive log kit — and ceramic glass — and you're getting the look of burning logs as well as substantial heat into the room."

At The Energy Shop in Sheboygan, store manager Mark Reinbold says 95 percent of the fireplaces his store installs are gas. He says his customers like how easy they are to use.

A gas fireplace at The Energy Shop.

"With just the flip of a switch," Reinbold says, "you change the atmosphere in a room."

Once you step outside the box — the firebox, that is — you have an endless combination of options to create the high-end fireplace look you want.

A wood-burning fireplace from The Energy Shop.

"At the opening, you can change the look with a set of cast-iron doors for the feel of a log cabin," Welnicke says. "If you want something modern looking, install a set of square stainless steel doors for a sleek appearance."

Even though all fireplace openings are rectangular, Welnicke says round doors on the face can give you a whole new look.

Closer to the ground, the hearth can set the stage with a classic piece of marble or contemporary glass tile. Mantels continue to be the most popular way to top off a high-end fireplace but more people are choosing to make a big statement with floor-to-ceiling stone or slate.

Reinbold says high-end fireplaces, at a cost of $4,000 to $8,000, are popping up all over the house.

A gas fireplace from The Energy Shop.

"Of course, we place them in the traditional den and family room, but because of new venting techniques, we can put them in bedrooms, kitchens and even bathrooms," says Reinbold.

Welnicke describes a fireplace his company recently installed in a bed and breakfast.

"It was a two-way fireplace with one side facing the bathroom hot tub and the other facing the bedroom," says Welnicke.

He adds that you can pretty much install a fireplace anywhere in your home.

"Some fireplaces can be found 4 feet off the ground or on a staircase landing," Welnicke says.

So pick your spot, create the fireplace you've dreamed of and retreat to its warmth on those cold winter nights.