Cheating a little
All my life I have had open fires and there is nothing quite
like them. However I seem to have
reached a stage when the hewing of the wood, the humping of the coal and the
sweeping of the ash, has lost its charm.
So, egged on by my DIL who has just bought one herself I have bought a
faux electric stove with pretty flames.
I can imagine the purists among you shrinking back in shock
and horror – and I do sympathise, really I do – but regrets? Not a flicker – just a flick of a switch.
With various family coming it is asinine not to use the
drawing room and although it is well heated a flower arrangement in the hearth
somehow lacks the northern welcome one strives for. So there it is.
21 comments:
If purists are horrified, maybe they can volunteer to chop the wood and lug it in for you? Smoke isn't pure though. :-)
I've heard about hot water in pipes heating up homes, I don't have a clue how it works though.
From here you'll segue into a video of a roaring fireplace you'll run in a loop on your TV. It's a slippery slope, queenie.
Gas fireplaces are nice, too. Some are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Cheers.
UB: what is a loop on my TV? Maybe i should get one.
Randall: we have a gas one in the family room but there is no gas laid on in this room.
We scrapped our open fire some years ago to save dad the hassle of humping coal and logs around.
John: we're on the same hymn sheet:)
I understand, completely! Mine is still "gas", but with the fake logs and fake ashes....It saves the back, completely, and no one truly knows the difference.....
And in a way, the electric sounds even easier...One Switch!!! I applaud you, my dear.....
In my last home I had a gas fireplace and I must tell you it was fabulous... It look like real wood and was beautiful. One click and it was on warming up the room with no mess. I miss it.
I have 5 fireplaces in this home and really only use 2. I am thinking of switching over the one in the kitchen and studio to gas maybe I would use them !
I like your new electric stove and note to you.... your room looks very tidy and quite lovely.
cheers, parsnip
Very glad to hear you have found a way of providing a warm northern welcome without having to hump and hew.
So, what is it that needs to be tidied away in this shot?
Naomi: it even has a zapper so one needn't get out of one's chair.
Parsnip: thank you for those kind words. Did you notice my little square ones - two black, one white on the hearth next to the weird cat which belonged to my mother?
Eryl: the fire accessories are somewhat redundant now but on second thoughts may keep them as 'set dressing'.
Too many old cards and ornaments - you should see the rest of the room and there's a stray envelope lying around.
this big ole house has a large woodburning fireplace and several times my daughter has lit it up - now, much as i love the romance etc of a wonderful fire cracklin' and all that, this fireplace has made me see how the "others" can be just as beautiful and romantic or whatever one wants, as the monster that spits smoke if one happens to throw paper into it [which my daughter did the last time she started it] - oh my word! the smoke and smell lasted for DAYS! add to all that the cost of, in our case, buying the firewood or having someone come cut it off our land - so, as you know, i, too, have been looking for an "artificial" one - hopefully, it won't be needed if this warmer winter continues here -
anyway - here's wishin' you warm and toasty whatever! ;)
Gypsywoman: my gardener has a woodburning stove and told me today they have had the fire brigade three times.
In Lancashire, way back when, we had coal fires and they behaved and gave out glorious heat and ensured the paintwork was washed weekly.
What needs tidying? I am trying to talk hubby into a log burner when we decorate this year.
He's not too keen on the idea
No I am not trying to talk HIM into a log burner, I am trying to talk him into puting one in.
LOM: I can see his point with the hewing and the humping and the spitting. You did mean a real one didn't you?
It's not so much tidying as trying to make it a little more minimalist. Fat chance:)
The stove looks lovely!
I hope it's not one of those with the flickering flame effect. A couple of years in and mine slipped a cog and started making a horrendous grinding noise every time I switched it on.
Mind you, that did wonders for my love life (it was a cold day and the choice was sitting in the living room listening to the fire or going somewhere we could cover ourselves in blankets).
Marjolein: thank you;)
Kevin: are you sure you didn't tamper with it?
Even though we have a brand new chimney, I have decided that we need a gas stove/logs in our fireplace. I can no longer hump logs into the house or clean ashes out easily. Yours is beautiful!!
Judy: wise decision!
Yes Pat I did mean a real one, but somehow I don't think i am going to win this one. haha
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