BELLE LOVES

Playing with fire.

3 GUEST DESIGN EXPERT Melissa Penfold (pictured with Belle interior design editor Lucy Mccabe) believes a fireplace should be the central point of a room. “It’s much more civilised for family and guests to gather around a fireplace than the television. If you’ve got access to firewood, heating your house the old-fashioned way with golden dancing flames and crackling wood is an ancient human ritual that comforts and soothes our souls; otherwise there are plenty of modern, higher-efficiency options around. We use both in our houses.” melissapenfold.com