What you show is NOT a raised hearth.

So, are you planning to add one on?

Thanks for responding, I am planning to add one, but scouring the web and houzz there really are no good illustrations of a raised hearth without a surround in a flush double sided fireplace. The fireplace will be sitting between two double french doors leading from living room to the sunroom. I was thinking of a hearth like this except without the surrounding stone work.

We are doing this too. Raised the hearth to allow for a bench in front (and view from kitchen), but doing what our sub calls a picture or portrait style surround, ie, flat surround. How high you raise the opening is up to you, but he recommended leaving a minimum of 6-8 inches between the bottom edge of fireplace and the bench to allow the flat front to go around the opening.

Hope that helps!

Adding a raised hearth changes the traffic patterns in a room and greatly increases the needed overall space needed for the room. You can't just add it onto a space without making the room larger by at least 5 feet. More would be better, as that is the most minimal of clearances.

Mayberry, is your bench connected to the "portrait style surround" in any way - for example does it share the same material or were you planing to do a custom bench? If your project is under way, do you have a picture?

Holly, thanks for the space consideration comment, I didn't really think about the extra space that it may require - you are right, but I think if it is done right, it could give coziness to a room and a place to sit.

bevangel, thank you. That is exactly what I meant. I will research concrete benches. As we haven't started construction, I still have time to coordinate the finishing and height of the fire box to work well with the bench.