How do you find the right wood-burning fireplace for your home?

Dreaming of a fireplace? What are you waiting for to make your living room irresistible? Unfortunately, you’re still not sure what kind of fireplace to choose. Traditional or electric wood-burning fireplace, antique or modern, wall-mounted or built-in… don’t worry, this article is here to help you make your choice.

A wood-burning fireplace, a dream of conviviality

The hearth is the heart of a home. Centuries old, a fireplace is the place where families have always gathered to share stories. While many things have changed in our time, a fireplace is still the ideal place for a group of people to get together, or simply to contemplate the beauty of its fires alone.

In which room should you install your new wood-burning fireplace?

The choice of where to install your future fireplace depends entirely on your interior. It’s different if you live in an apartment or a house, if you have a large space or not. Traditionally, a wood-burning fireplace takes pride of place in the liveliest room in the house: the living room. However, there’s nothing to stop you putting it elsewhere, or even having it in several rooms. An electric fireplace in a bedroom can replace the heating and give a warm, dreamy feel to your nights. What could be better than falling asleep comfortably with the changing light of an electric fire? Kitchen, dining room, bedroom, conservatory, living room: it’s all possible.

How does a wood-burning fireplace work?

A fireplace is fairly simple to operate, but it does require a certain daily commitment and a few skills to acquire. You put in some wood and the fire starts, spreading its heat throughout the house. The smoke produced is evacuated through a flue and discharged outside over the roof. But you still need to know how to light a fire!

Many people quickly tire of this task, which they find tedious, while others continue to do it daily. Hypnotizing and fascinating, fire is a fascinating attraction. Its heat and noise are very elegant, but you mustn’t forget that there’s also smoke, ashes and smells. All this has to be weighed up when choosing between a traditional and an electric fireplace. With an electric fireplace, you don’t have to do a thing.

A wood-burning fireplace: prices and consumption?

An electric fireplace consumes as much energy as an electric heater. So there’s no difference between a fireplace and electric heating. A traditional fireplace, on the other hand, requires the purchase and storage of wood. In itself, this is not a huge cost. But a wood-burning fireplace is a commitment. Wood is purchased in advance, before winter, and usually in large quantities. The cost of installing the hearth and flue, as well as frequent chimney sweeping, are all costs that need to be taken into account. Nevertheless, there are many possible solutions, and they vary greatly according to the characteristics of your home, particularly as regards ventilation. There are different types of chimney, and they vary in efficiency and energy consumption. It’s important to find out more about each model.

An ecological solution?

The ecological footprint of a fireplace is not the same if it’s a traditional combustion fireplace or an electric fireplace. Electric fireplaces are not harmful to the environment, as they use electricity like electric heaters. A traditional wood-burning fireplace is a worse solution for the planet. Used sparingly, there’s nothing to stop you enjoying it on winter evenings. As a heating solution, it is likely to cost you more than a traditional electric heater, while emitting a lot of smoke and gases.

A few tips to match your wood-burning fireplace to your décor

Harmony in interior design is essential. To ensure that your home’s decor is perfect and impresses many of your friends, it’s important to choose the right fireplace. Size, appearance, color, hearth material: the choice is yours. Consider the fireplace as a piece of furniture, bearing in mind that it will be one of the main pieces of furniture in the room. It’s hard to look away when it produces light and warmth. Try to select a fireplace that matches the room’s colors and materials.

The different types of wood-burning fireplaces

Electric log fireplaces

There are different types of electric fireplaces, depending on how they fit into your interior.

• Freestanding fireplace
• Built-in fireplace
• Wall-mounted fireplace
• Mobile fireplace
• Fireplace insert

A free-standing fireplace can be placed wherever you like! Like a piece of furniture, you can place it in any room you like. It can be wall-mounted or placed in the center of the room, whether it’s a living room, bedroom or even kitchen. Perfect for warming up while contemplating a very realistic fire. What’s more, you can decide to turn a tabletop fireplace into a piece of furniture for your TV, for example.

The wall-mounted fireplace is built directly into your wall. The space in your living room is no longer cluttered with this space-saving fireplace. What’s more, a wall-mounted fireplace is extremely beautiful, looking like a moving painting on your wall.

The built-in fireplace is the solution between the free-standing fireplace and the wall-mounted fireplace. Embedded in a niche in the wall, it stands out slightly while taking up less space than a free-standing fireplace.

You can move the mobile fireplace as you like. It’s an excellent auxiliary heater that’s much more stylish than the little white convector heaters you see everywhere. A mobile fireplace is a decoration that will sublimate your interior, especially as so many models are available.

The insert fireplace is perfect if your house or apartment already contains the hearth of a traditional fireplace. In large cities, it is now forbidden to use these fireplaces. It’s a prized decorative element, so why not revive it with an electric fireplace?

Traditional wood-burning fireplaces

Finally, there are traditional wood-burning fireplaces. Using logs, there are also several types. As with electric fireplaces, they differ in the way they fit into the room: open hearth, closed hearth, built-in or mobile (stove).