COMFORT & JOY
We may be spending a bit more time at home than we had planned this Christmas, so it might be worth investing in a wood-burning stove, a super-chic electric fireplace, or even a gleaming fire pit for the garden
Wood-burners, electric fires and fire pits – here’s how to make your home super cosy
Making a fire is one of winter’s greatest pleasures, from setting the stove with kindling and seeing it dance into life, to placing log upon log to keep the flames flickering while the wood gently cracks, pops and sizzles behind glass. Whether you light the stove to warm up the house on a cold workaday morning, or it’s an essential part of your weekend relaxation – with dog at foot, cat on lap and a kettle on the warming plate – the hearth is the heart of the home during these chilly months and especially at
Christmas and New Year when, this year, bubbles gather together. Having a real fire sparks other activities too: blustery walks to collect kindling, and log splitting out in the garden. If your lumberjack days are over or you prefer snuggling on the sofa, ready-cut, then kiln-dried logs are the way to go. Those that give out the most heat and burn longest are hardwoods – seasoned logs cut from deciduous trees such as oak and ash. At Christmas and New Year why not add some wood for scent too? Cherry, apple and pear logs all smell delicious as they burn.
WALL WINNER
If an inset stove is what you’re hunting for, the cast iron Vogue 700 by Stovax (above) has the good looks as well as the practical engineering to make it the star of any style living room. The dimensions of 802mm width and 586mm height give it a wonderful wide viewing window – who could fail to be mesmerised while cuddling up on the sofa, sharing a bottle of red and staring into the flames. This Ecodesign 2022-compliant stove has a heat output of 7kW and costs from £1,696 (stovax.com).
MIGHTY WARMTH
For big rooms and open-plan spaces you need a stove that gives out a lot of heat. Enter the Churchill 10 wood-burner by Somerset’s Mendip Stoves, which offers an impressive 10kW output. With its big, curved glass door, this mega stove will become the focal point of any room when lit, as flames dance and delicious heat toasts the toes of people and pets. The stove is Ecodesign 2022 ready and it’s also nice to know that for each Mendip Stove sold, £10 is donated to The Woodland Trust. Price from £1,472 (mendipstoves.co.uk).
FLICKER OF FLAME
For a variety of reasons wood-burning stoves don’t suit every home, which is where electric models win, providing the look without needing a flue. The British-made iLektro range of electric fireplaces offers a flame effect behind low-reflection glass, with or without heat. The 2000 Landscape is the largest model in the series, with a viewing window just under two metres wide. It has seven multi-flame settings to choose from, operated from a remote control touchpad, and comes with a seven-day programmable timer. Price from £2,609 (eurostove.co.uk).
SMALL AND STURDY
The new Charnwood Aire 3 cast iron stove is perfect for smaller spaces, with a 3kW output that nicely heats a cottage, cabin or yurt. The little stove has all the practical features of larger siblings the Aire 5 and 7, with a large, glass, viewing window, cool-touch handle and sliding ash bed. British made, it also meets the criteria for Ecodesign 2022 – the UK stove industry’s response to DEFRA’s clean air strategy beginning in 2022 – with a fivestar Clear Skies rating. Available in eight colours, on a low stand or a log store stand, from £996 (charnwood.com).
CHRISTMAS OUTDOORS
Make your outdoor space extra cosy and welcoming with a portable fire pit for warmth, glow and, frankly, excitement. The Solo Stove Bonfire, sold by Ludlow Stoves & Renewables of Shropshire, has been zooming (no pun intended) out to gardens all over the UK. The advanced stainless steel fire pit with ash pan and vent holes is powered by logs or large sticks but benefits from ultra-efficient airflow, meaning no more un-burnt logs or clothes smelling of smoke. The Solo Stove Bonfire weighs just 9kg and comes with a stand, £373 (ludlowstoves.co.uk).