In spite of the fact that winter is finally just a memory, now is the time to get planning if you are considering adding or renovating an existing fireplace in your home in time for the next frost. There are very few homes with rooms that would not benefit from a fireplace feature as the centrepiece and even fewer people for whom the idea of huddling round a fire in the depths of winter with a glass of wine does not hold great appeal. The challenge of you dreamers as well as the interior designer Leicestershire is selecting the right fireplace for each home.
This choice may represent country cottages with traditional inglenook fireplaces that simply cry out for a traditional wood-burning stove, or Edwardian houses with a blend of period features and modern touches that could look great with either a traditional option or a glass fronted gas fire with a sleek black surround that sits comfortably below a wall mounted flat screen high definition TV.
When choosing the right fireplace for you and your home, you should ask yourselves the following questions.
- What is the primary desired function – heat or decoration?
- What is more important among ease of use, authenticity or fuel efficiency?
- Do you have a fuel preference?
These three questions can go a long way to narrowing down your range of options before you look into the minutiae of detail and the myriad options on the market today. In today’s fast-moving and costly age the gas fireplace has gained in popularity, bolstered also by the minimal design options that match the sleek technology-centred living spaces that many people choose for their homes. Gas, despite recent price hikes remains a competitively priced fuel option and is especially attractive for those whose homes do not benefit from existing masonry chimneys. Gas fireplaces also provide comparable heat and radiance without the mess and storage required for wood-burning stoves. For the young, working couple the time, money and space saving nature of the gas fireplace is an attractive draw. Elegant and modern glass fronted gas fireplaces can look stunning even in big, old properties, a stand-out nod to the modern world in an otherwise rustic surround can be truly stunning.
This all said, if you are blessed with a property benefiting from a good masonry chimney, properly lined and with a hearty draw, there is nothing quite as satisfying as lighting a real, wood-burning stove and while it can provoke lively debate in the household (“it’s your turn to put another log!”) they really do radiate quite a wonderful heat and atmosphere and you can’t toast a marshmallow through a glass panel.