Woodburning stoves make for a great addition to any home and can completely change the atmosphere and ambiance of a room. As well as an efficient and clean source of heat, a wood-burning stove should also be a focal point within a room and compliment the overall aesthetic.
Whether you want a cosy homely feel, or something more dramatic and contemporary, we’ve put together some wood-burning stove design ideas for inspiration.
How do you decorate a room with a wood-burning stove?
How you choose to decorate your room with the addition of a wood-burning stove will depend on several factors, including the style of your home, where the stove will be positioned and whether you want to achieve a modern or traditional aesthetic.
What do you put behind a wood-burning stove?
Stone and brick are popular materials to use behind a wood-burning stove if you want to achieve a rustic, natural look. However, you may wish to use patterned tiles, stone veneer or specialist fireplace chamber lining panels such as vitreous enamel. Again, what you put behind your wood-burning stove will depend on its position in the room.
How far off the wall should a wood-burning stove be?
Generally, a wood-burning stove will need at least 100mm clearance from the wall, however, it may vary depending on the stove you choose. It is worth considering a wall mounted heat shield if you are tight on space. This will allow you to safely place your stove upto 95mm from the wall even if it is made from a combustible material. When you purchase a stove from one of our recommended Charnwood Stockists, they will be able to provide the exact information for the stove you choose. They will also tell you all you need to know about finding a qualified installer.
Woodburning stove design ideas
Classic stove
If you have an alcove or fire chamber in which to place your stove, opt for exposed brick with a wooden mantel above for classic charm.
Corner stove
Wood burning stoves placed in the corner of a room with an exposed flue look great in modern homes. They also come in a variety of unique shapes and colours for you to choose from.
Make it a centrepiece
Stoves don’t always need to be against a wall. If you have a larger room and are able to run a chimney up to the roof, consider making it a centrepiece and choose something tall and dramatic with a large picture window.
Add colour or pattern
Stoves come in a range of beautiful colours. If you choose black, you can still have fun with colour and pattern by tiling the hearth or surrounding area, or even by painting the brickwork a bold colour.
Go minimal
If you prefer a more minimalist approach, choose a black or white stove against a plain neutral coloured wall.
Stone veneer
Stone veneer is an affordable way of creating a traditional and luxe-looking fireplace that works in both contemporary and rustic homes.
Industrial look
Use a metal backdrop to create an industrial, modern look that gives the feel of a New York loft. You could also create a custom structure with metal or vitreous enamel panels for something truly unique.
Considering a wood burner for your home can be an excellent choice. Wood burners provide efficient heating and a cozy ambiance, often becoming the centrepiece of a room. They offer a sustainable heating option, utilising renewable wood resources. However, it’s crucial to assess factors like available space, proper ventilation, and local regulations before installation. With proper planning and maintenance, a wood burner can enhance your living space with warmth and style while aligning with eco-friendly heating solutions.
To install a wood-burning stove, ensure proper clearances from combustible materials and consult local building codes. Next, prepare the installation area, including a non-combustible hearth and proper floor protection. Install a stainless-steel flue liner through the chimney, connecting it to the stove’s flue collar. Secure the stove in place, making sure it’s level. Attach the flue pipe and cap, ensuring a secure and airtight fit. Complete the installation by testing the stove and chimney for proper ventilation. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions and seek professional assistance if needed.
Discover unparalleled expertise and quality at Charnwood Stoves. With a legacy of excellence spanning years, we stand out as leaders in wood-burning stove design and innovation. Our commitment to craftsmanship is evident in every product we create, ensuring timeless aesthetics that blend seamlessly with your interior. By choosing Charnwood Stoves, you opt for eco-friendly heating solutions that marry style and sustainability, backed by a brand trusted worldwide. Our design ideas inspire your creativity, while our products guarantee efficient, clean-burning warmth for your space.
Join the Charnwood Stove family and experience the difference of a heritage rooted in quality and driven by passion.
Are you ready to transform your space with a wood-burning stove? Please get in touch with Charnwood today. Our experts are on hand and ready to answer any queries you might have. Alternatively get some inspiration from our Instagram page or explore our range here.
The Charnwood Cooking plate is a highly durable and versatile addition to your stove. It can be fitted to the top of a standard stove, in place of the blanking plate, to create a hot plate that’s perfect for cooking a range of tasty dishes*
The key to cooking on your stove top is in the preparation, ensuring your wood stove is hot enough and burning away nicely before you start.
If you’re looking to test out your cooking skills on your stove top, you have certainly landed in the right place. We’ve gathered some of our favourite one-pot, stove top cooking recipes that are sure to go down a treat and transform you into a culinary expert.
Here are 4 things to cook on a stove top:
1. One-skillet healthy paella
Bring the taste of Spain into your home with this delicious cuisine. Paella is a superb, social dish to cook on a stove top.
Using a single pan, you can cook a healthy paella on your stovetop, achieving a crispy finish on the bottom and a soft top, which is exactly what you want when cooking this classic Spanish dish. Start by browning off your chicken, and then add your onions, garlic and preferred vegetables. Once this is done, add rice and combine with the other ingredients. Give it a good stir and it’s good to go.
2. One-pot beef stew
The perfect winter warmer, this one-pot beef stew can easily be cooked on top of your log burner.
Add olive oil to a pan and heat. Cut the beef into bitesize chunks and sear in batches, ensure the meat has developed a nice brown crust. Set the meat aside and add onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar to the pan, then add tomato paste and the beef. Add red wine, beef broth, water, bay, thyme and sugar and stir well. Cover and leave to cook slowly for two hours. Add carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes, and leave to cook for another hour. Enjoy.
A family favourite, this stove top lasagne is super easy and incredibly tasty.
In a large skillet pan, cook mince and onion until the mince is brown. Add in onion, tinned tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, green peppers, mini lasagne sheets (or you can simply tear up standard ones), water and Italian seasoning. Stir and leave to simmer until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle cheese over the top and serve.
4. Stove-top pizza
Another Italian favourite – gather round the wood burner and prepare this tasty treat and enjoy all-year-round.
You’ll need to prep the pizza dough in advance. Cook the pizza base in a skillet pan, flipping it over so that it is golden and toasted on both sides, but not burned. Now it’s time to add the toppings – add your sauce, cheese and desired toppings before covering the pan with a lid. This step is key if you want the cheese to melt! Once the cheese is melted and bubbly, your pizza is ready to eat. Serve and watch your families’ faces light up.
Selecting Charnwood Stoves means opting for exceptional quality and expertise. Our commitment to craftsmanship and innovation is evident in every aspect of our products. When you choose us, you’re choosing wood-burning stoves designed to enhance your cooking experience. With a rich heritage spanning years, Charnwood Stoves offer reliability and efficiency that stands the test of time.
Our dedication to sustainability ensures that you’re making an environmentally conscious choice. Trust in Charnwood Stoves for top-notch wood-burning stove solutions that combine style, functionality, and durability, all backed by our reputation for excellence. Join countless satisfied customers who have embraced Charnwood as their preferred choice for stove-top cooking.
Feeling inspired to get cooking on your wood burner or stove? Please get in touch with Charnwood today. Our experts are on hand and ready to answer any queries you might have.
*Please note the stove must be fitted with a vertical rear flue adaptor in order to accommodate a cooking plate.
A primary consideration when getting a wood-burning stove will be making sure it is installed and situated safely. If you have limited room, a heat shield can play an important role in protecting your surrounding space. Furthermore, a wood stove heat shield offers a great opportunity to elevate the visual appeal of your fireplace to even greater heights.
The importance of a wood stove heat shield
Without adequate clearance from your stove, a combustible wall or object can overheat, dry out and present a fire hazard. The Fire Protection Association recommends that in general the common radiant-type stove maintain 900mm of space from a combustible surface. When this is not possible a heat shield is your only option. Situated between your stove and the exposed surface, a heat shield can reduce the required distance for safety. For more information on the minimum standards for heat shields and their installation, HETAS provides a comprehensive guide.
Additionally, to learn about our 8 tips wood stove users should do during the holiday season, view here.
VLAZE Heat Shields
3 stunning heat shield options from VLAZE
VLAZE, our sister company, fabricate heat shields from vitreous enamel, a superior material known for its many outstanding properties. It is heat-resistant up to 650°C, which allows you to reduce the distance between your stove and another surface to 95mm. For Charnwood stoves that reduces even further, to just 75mm – a vast improvement on HETAS regulations. This allows you to maximise space, providing greater flexibility when configuring your room layout. VLAZE’s heat shields are easy to install and available in 3 sizes and 30 luxurious glazes – ample options to match your fireplace dimensions and your style.
Design
The images above show the potential of heat shields to add a splash of colour, texture, and designer flair to your fireplace surround. VLAZE have developed a wide range of styles drawing on both historical and contemporary references.
Heat shields are available in a wide range of flat colours, subtle textures or with screen-printed graphics. Once fired in the furnace, the surface is colour-fast, meaning the colours and artwork will never fade. Working alongside several designers, they have created many beautiful options catering for both modern and classic tastes. From statement patterns to minimalist hues, there are plenty of options available to accent or blend with your existing colour scheme.
To also find out about how to get heat from a wood-burning stove to other rooms, view here.
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A wood-burning stove, whether alight or not, is something that draws the eyes of whoever is in the room. With such a beautiful piece of craftsmanship providing the focal point of your home, it makes sense to give equal consideration to the other elements that will complement it.
For more information on VLAZE Heat Shields click here. To keep up to date with the latest news follow us @charwoodstoves.
In today’s fast-paced world, stress and anxiety have become commonplace. While there are many ways to combat these issues, you may be surprised to learn that a wood-burning stove can have a profoundly positive impact on your mental fitness and wellbeing.
In this blog, we’ll delve into the ways lighting a wood-burning stove can benefit mental fitness, including reducing stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and mindfulness. With Mental Health Awareness Week approaching (15-21 May), there’s no better time to explore this simple yet highly effective technique.
How lighting a wood burning stove can support mental fitness
A wood-burning stove is more than just a source of heat and can support mental fitness in multiple ways. The experience of making a fire, followed by the warmth and soothing crackling sounds it generates, creates a calming and meditative atmosphere that promotes relaxation and reduces stress. Focusing on the process of lighting and maintaining the fire can also help shift the mind away from negative thoughts and distractions.
‘Results indicated consistent blood pressure decreases in the fire-with-sound condition, particularly with a longer duration of stimulus, and enhancing effects of absorption and prosociality. Findings confirm that hearth and campfires induce relaxation as part of a multisensory, absorptive, and social experience.’
By incorporating wood burning into your self-care routine, you can enjoy a mindful and fulfilling experience that promotes mental fitness and overall wellbeing.
The physical/mental fitness benefits of wood burning
As well as providing a source of heat that is both sustainable and environmentally friendly, wood-burning can also benefit physical health. Chopping and carrying wood requires physical activity that can help improve cardiovascular health and build muscle strength.
These benefits to physical fitness have a positive knock-on effect to one’s mental fitness:
“There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the positive effects of exercise on mood states such as anxiety, stress and depression, through physiological and biochemical mechanisms…”
Additionally, the unique bone warming heat produced by your wood-stove promotes physical activity as it is a great way to ease any aches and pains of the day. For example, a long winter walk is far more tempting when you know you have a warm fire to cosy up to when you get home.
Wood burning as a type of mindfulness
Lighting a fire and tending to it requires a level of patience, focus, and attention to detail that can bring a real sense of calm and centeredness.
As the flames flicker and the wood crackles, it’s easy to become absorbed in the sensory experience of the fire and let go of distracting thoughts or worries. This type of mindfulness practice can be particularly beneficial for those who struggle with anxiety or stress.
How to get started
With the fire lit, sit comfortably with eyes open or closed and try focusing on the sound of the crackling wood and the warmth of the flames. Allow yourself to be fully present in the moment and let go of any distracting thoughts as they arise and simply return your attention to the fire.
Wood burning Increases bonding and improves relationships
Gathering around the fire with family and friends provides a sense of warmth, comfort, and connection that is often missing in our fast-paced, technology-driven world.
Invite friends or family to join you around the fire and enjoy the warmth and connection that it can provide. You’ll be surprised how much more the conversation flows when there is a fire crackling in the background!
Here are some quotes from some Charnwood customers:
“My grandchildren ask for the fire to be on when they are having a hot chocolate on a frosty day.”
“Winter evenings with friends. Whenever we have visitors during the winter, we always make sure the stove is running as this usually ensures nobody will request the television be turned on, leading to an altogether much nicer atmosphere with people actually chatting and engaging much more, rather than staring at the screen.”
“Chopping wood is a great way to relieve stress! Everyone congregates around the fire and the children like to help with the kindling etc. It just creates a special atmosphere.”
“The stove is the catalyst for family bonding, which helps with relaxation & mood improvement. It helps to unwind after a days exertions at work.”
“You can just gaze into the fire and be taken away from the stresses of work. It gives opportunity for the family to come together and talk. Talking just seems to come easier when siting around the stove.”
A wood-burning stove also has some very practical ways of reducing common life stressors. With energy prices going up and supply issues still a real concern, a wood-burning stove provides a great way to mitigate both worries.
Here are some more Charnwood customer quotes:
“We love our log burner. It makes us feel warm, safe and secure. It helps heat the whole house, which has proved an asset in power cuts. Nothing beats sitting in the living room with the warmth of the fire in the depths of winter.”
“Lighting the stove after a walk by the sea during winter is a joyful experience. Has helped to alleviate the worry of power failures as we live in an area prone to electricity outage during bad weather. Just knowing that we have our lovely stove for independent heat and low light is fab.”
“As an electric only house, we wanted a plan b during a power cut to heat the home”
“Having a wood burner means I am less vulnerable in power cuts. I can still have heating, boil a kettle, cook food if I need to.”
Ensure you use best wood-burning stove practices to save money, reduce emissions and to stay safe! Read more here
Look out for the Woodsure Ready to Burn label which guarantees a moisture content of 20% or less.
For a list of approved firewood sellers in your area click here.
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With such high demand for wood-burning stoves, particularly in the colder months, now is an ideal time to prepare for next year. We highly recommend purchasing through an official Charnwood stockist where you can be assured of excellent after-care, and you will also qualify for our dealer-backed 10-year guarantee.
Bonus: Podcaststhat contribute to our mental fitness
Disclaimer: The content in this blog is not a replacement for professional medical advice. Please always contact your GP for help with any mental health issues.
Whether we like it or not, autumn (and winter) is on its way, bringing cooler weather and darker nights with it. But what better way to embrace this seasonal shift than with some cosy living room updates?
Today, we’re going to be sharing some interior design tips on how to pull off a cosy living room design. Taking the lead from some of the latest seasonal trends (as well as timeless upgrades), we’ll give you all the ingredients you need to cook up a snug and soothing living space.
Neutrals aren’t typically renowned for their statement-making capabilities, but this year that’s changed.
Neutral hues like beige, grey, taupe and terracotta are standout colours this season and can make a refreshing change from cooler colour palettes like white. Mirroring the natural world outside, they bring an earthy, warm feel that’s perfectly timed for autumn.
To optimise their visual impact, keep the overall colour palette simple. Pairing one anchoring neutral hue with a complementary shade can help to break up block colours, giving it a softer, layered look.
For a classic comforting finish, soft clay-coloured walls with ivory woodwork and accents can transform your living room into a sumptuous space. For a more modern vibe, use eye-catching feature walls to show off your neutrals, like a pale grey wallpaper colour paired with a blush pink or an on-trend mustard yellow.
Turn up the heat
With cold weather on its way, getting your living room heating just right is key to creating the ultimate hunkering-down haven – and nothing makes a living room feel cosier than a real fire.
With the ability to command attention, fireplaces provide a natural focal point for living rooms of any size, so it’s time to make them roar.
For a practical and stylish option, a striking wood burning stove is guaranteed to give your living room that all-star treatment.
Whether you opt for classic black or gorgeous green, a stove that radiates style and heat is never a bad addition to your living room design, helping you to enjoy all the visual beauty of a roaring fire without the worry of a sooty hearth.
Embrace autumnal shades
Neutral hues are primed for giving living rooms a grounded and cohesive base, but unless you’re going for a monochrome masterpiece, there’s always room to add some popular autumnal shades.
To keep the colour palette warm and welcoming, why not introduce flourishes of spice-inspired hues like burnt orange, turmeric, mustard yellow and mulberry that match the natural colour changes outside?
Alternatively, give your living room a luxury edge using stunning jewel tones like cobalt blue and emerald green. Perfectly matched to pale grey or taupe, these rich hues are guaranteed to indulge the senses.
To ensure these hues don’t overpower the room and take the vibe from soothing and serene to busy and bold, use them in moderation as accents through your selection of accessories and soft furnishings.
Snuggle up with layers
During the cold, dark winter nights, we all crave (and deserve) some extra comfort. The introduction of different textures can be just what’s needed here, giving your living room a layered look that feels like a giant hug every time you enter the room.
To pull this off without the finished look feeling frumpy and cluttered, choose your fabrics and furniture wisely. These can be statement pieces like a new sofa covered with soft, sumptuous and on-trend boucle, velvet or corduroy.
Alternatively, use accent pieces to do the leg work, creating an indulgent and inviting space. A new statement rug, extra sofa cushions, throws and assorted accessories will create a wonderfully layered look.
While contrasting textures and finishes work well, you need to find the right balance, so don’t be afraid to play around with your positioning and fabric options before deciding on your final design.
Giving your living room some TLC this autumn could be the ideal way to ensure your home epitomises comfort when the cold sets in.
Whether your living room’s due a full overhaul or you just want to make a few updates in time for winter, we hope these ideas give plenty of seasonal inspiration to create a cosy and charming space.
For more information on living room ideas, check out our additional blog here.
Author bio
Alex Jones is a content creator for 1ClickWallpaper – one of the UK’s leading online suppliers of affordable wallpaper and decorating supplies, offering a huge online range of wallpapers, paints and decorating essentials.
Every year we send a limited-edition Charnwood calendar to each of our fantastic Charnwood stockists. It has become something of a tradition and a nice way to share some beautiful artwork and our latest wood-burning stove images.
We are delighted that the wonderful author/illustrator, Rachel Bright, has generously given us a beautiful graphic poem to take pride of place on this year’s front cover.
It’s so wonderful, in fact, that we just had to share it with you.
Doesn’t it just capture the imagination? It weaves a story that surely resonates with anyone lucky enough to own a wood-burning stove – it really makes you want to light the fire and snuggle!
Most of us have our own magical stories that were only possible due to the warm and cosy focal point the fire provides. Bone warming heat and mesmerizing flames that draw loved ones together and into orbit around the woodstove on a cold winter’s night.
And to some peoples’ surprise, many of us actually look forward to winter precisely because of the joy our wood-burning stove brings.
With all the uncertainty in the world, it’s truly comforting to sit back on a cold night with a warm fire blazing. Knowing that you can depend on it whatever the weather and circumstances in the wider world. This is a huge motivator for us to continue creating the latest, most efficient stoves on the market and contribute to a more sustainable future.
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All of us here at Charnwood and A.J Wells & Sons wish you a very merry, warm and toasty Christmas.
Interior design can have a dramatic impact on the overall look and feel of a room, but this doesn’t always require a complete overhaul of a space – or even super matchy-matchy decor, for that matter. No, often it takes just one or two key features to transform a room from bland to beautiful.
Want to know more? Well, luckily for you, today we’ll be sharing a number of focal feature ideas for different areas of the home that are guaranteed to completely change a room’s ambience. From eye-catching staircases to cosy boiler stoves and more, we’ll show you how just one focal feature can steal the show.
1. Use stairs to create heavenly hallways
There’s no escaping the fact that most hallways simply serve the purpose of ushering people through to the more exciting rooms. However, as the gateway to your home, let your hallway be the star of the show for a change, using your stairs as an eye-catching feature.
If you have the space and budget, one idea is to install a fairytale spiral staircase. Curving around as you ascend to the next level brings something magical to a typically mundane act, as well as creating a stunning focal point for your home.
For more traditional staircases, why not use colour to accentuate their natural beauty? This could be brightly coloured carpet runners or a bold wallpaper print used on the back of stair treads. You could even go for painted stair treads or spindles in an ombre effect for a more playful look. The key here is to pair bold tones and patterns with pale, neutral hues like white, light grey or cream to allow the colours to speak for themselves.
2. Create a focal feature with fire
Fireplaces are a tried and tested focal feature in many homes, and for good reason. Back in the olden days, they were the place to gather to keep warm and cook, but in modern homes they offer the perfect opportunity to make a stylish design element – regardless of whether the fireplace is functional or not.
If you’re blessed with a traditional-style open fireplace with a mantlepiece or chimney breast, bring it bang up to date with a colourful makeover. This could be embellishing the hearth with patterned tiles or giving the fireplace itself a fresh coat of paint. If the fire isn’t usable, don’t leave it empty. Use candles, flowers or other decorative ornaments to draw the eye in and transform it from a functional element of the room to an integral design piece.
Of course, open-fireplaces aren’t your only option. If you’re looking to give your living room a cosy feel, then a free-standing stove could be the way to go. With models available in a choice of colours and styles, you can give the heart of your home that centrepiece it deserves. Finish your design with a collection of stove accessories like a funky wood basket and a sumptuous rug laid in front of the fire for soaking up that warm glow of an evening.
For further information on enhancing your fireplace design, check out our blog here.
3. Give your kitchen the wow factor
Whatever set up you have in your kitchen, this busy room is primed for making a style statement in your home – and it doesn’t require a full-scale kitchen makeover either. Instead, pick one key feature to update and let this be the core focus of your kitchen interior.
As the workhorse of most kitchens, we love the idea of making your kitchen worktops do more than just food prep and display various kitchen appliances. With a simple countertop update, you can transform the entire look and feel of your kitchen without even having to consider replacing any other integral pieces like cabinets and appliances.
For a timeless look that can be adapted to both classic and contemporary kitchen design, sleek and elegant granite worktops are a sensible choice. Not least, they’re incredibly durable and practical, meaning they’ll stay looking pristine and beautiful for decades with minimal effort, but also the wide choice of colours gives them incredible versatility to suit almost any decor style.
For more information around why you should have a fireplace in your kitchen, check out our blog here.
4. Let original features shine through
Whether you’re updating your bedroom, living room or kitchen, sometimes you don’t need to invest in adding new decorative details to a space to give it a fresh new look. Stripping back rooms to accentuate their original features can work equally as well in altering its aesthetic.
If your property has some quirky original features like exposed brickwork, wooden ceiling beams or vintage parquet floors, let these features come to the fore. You may think this will only work if you love rustic or industrial interiors, but you’d be wrong.
Contrasting old and new interiors correctly can make these design elements even more distinctive. Think a high-end modern all-white kitchen set against a striking red brick backdrop with pops of zesty coloured accents added in to soften the look. Or an ultra minimalist bedroom design that’s centred around original wooden floors, using a cool colour palette and simplistic decor to highlight its natural beauty.
Whichever avenue you choose to go down with giving your home defining focal features, we hope this gives you plenty of ideas on how to use one or two core elements in your interior design to transform the space.
Author bio:
Sophie Armstrong is a content creator for granite and quartz worktop specialists Burlington Granite who provide a full bespoke worktop solution by offering templating, cutting, polishing and fitting, all driven by 25 years of industry experience
As the heart of the home, the kitchen is the perfect place to pay attention to when it comes to your interior design. If you love to spend time whipping up a culinary storm and dining together as a family, it makes sense that you give the kitchen the touch of TLC it deserves when it comes to decorating. In the name of creative inspiration, we’re here to help. Today, we’re looking at 3 reasons you should consider bringing a fireplace into your kitchen design - offering tips and advice along the way so you’re left with a space the whole family simply loves spending time in.
1. It can be stunning focal feature
Unlike most other rooms in the home, the kitchen serves several practical purposes, and this means that the appliances often act as the focus points in this space. While you might have an attractive looking fridge or top-of-the-range washing machine, it’s unlikely that you want to draw attention to functional appliances when you’re considering interior decor.
By bringing in a fireplace, you can accessorise the borders and hearth with fireplace tiles to completely transform the look of your kitchen and make the fireside the focal point. A wood burning stove, acts as an eye-catching feature in its own right. However, you can always add the finishing touch by having a basket of wood and any pokers or accessories beside the stove.
2. It will provide warmth in winter
When the winter months set in, home cooked food is what most of us crave. But preparing to spend potentially hours in a frosty kitchen doesn’t hold much appeal, especially when you can be sitting snug and cosy with your throws by the fire in your living room – so how do you remedy that? Bring the fire into the kitchen, of course!
Heating your home using your kitchen fireplace can also be a way to keep energy costs low. Most modern stoves today are highly efficient and very clean burning. From wood pellets and firewood to mineral fuels, there are several options available to you when it comes to using your fire, so you can spend some time figuring out the best option for your home.
For more information around making the most with a fireplace during winter, check out our additional blog here.
3. It will create an atmosphere
Last but not least on our list of reasons for adding a fireplace to your kitchen is the atmosphere that this can create. A fireplace can add character to a room that has perhaps previously been all about being functional. While it still provides a purpose, it can be an attractive centrepiece even when not in use.
If you’re lucky enough to have space for a dining table and chairs in your kitchen, a fireplace could be the perfect finishing touch. In the winter evenings, you can light it up and allow the warm glow of the fire to bathe the kitchen in an ambient light as you eat together as a family. In summer when the fire isn’t needed, use the hearth to display candles and freshly picked flowers.
By choosing to have a fireplace in your kitchen, you can create a truly unique focal point that is practical, yet gives off bags of aesthetic appeal.
Author bio:
Suhayl Laher works at Tiles Direct, one of the UK’s largest independent tile distributors and retailers – bringing design inspiration to homeowners, architects and developers.
This blog is a review and closer look at the results of the Charnwood Stove Accessory Survey 2022. A survey of over 1000 wood-burning stove users with the aim of better understanding stove accessory preferences and usage.
We were delighted to receive such an incredible response from our engaged wood-stove community. From discovering the most popular stove accessory to users’ other must-haves and how easy people find them to use – many interesting and useful insights were gained!
Read on to learn about the Charnwood Stove Accessory Survey and the other top wood-burning stove accessories!
The results
A woodstove is a wonderful addition to the home. Those of you who are new owners will be starting to notice how much more you are enjoying the colder evenings than before. What you will also notice is the ritual of building and maintaining a fire is much easier with the right tools.
The answers to the following questions will provide some ideas about which stove accessories you should consider next!
What is the most popular wood-burning stove accessory?
The results in the graph above show that the trusty Stove Pipe Thermometer is the most popular wood-burning stove accessory with 29% of the vote. 99% of respondents also found it easy to use.
Stove Pipe Thermometer
It’s perhaps no surprise that the trusty Stove (Flue) Pipe Thermometer is the favourite accessory of stove users. It is a crucial tool for conscientious wood stove users who prioritise safety and efficiency.
The ideal wood burning temperature range is between 140 and 240 degrees Celsius (284 to 464 degrees Fahrenheit) which avoids damage to the stove and a potential fire hazard from creosote buildup.
How to adjust the fire temperature?
To reach a sufficient temperature, ensure a good draft, use seasoned wood and build the fire correctly ensuring your fire burns hot enough. To reduce the temperature of your fire when in use, you can close the air vents.
Which of the following do you consider ‘Must Have’ stove accessories?
Here are some quotes from survey participants relating to the top 7 ‘Must-Have’ stove accessories.
Log Storage/Basket
“Having a full wood basket during these crazy days makes me feel safe and secure, whatever happens I know I have heat and hot water and light.”
“Keeps all the logs tidy and looks great beside the stove. Also useful for carrying in logs from the store outside!”
“Add to the aesthetics of the fireplace and is obviously useful for keeping wood supplies topped up.”
“It reminds me of my grandparents’ days as they always had one. It also keeps all my logs safe and tidy away from the children.”
“A good quality basket enhances the look of the stove as well as being practical.”
“My log basket really enhances both the look and the “feel” of my log burner.”
“Keeps my living room very tidy. Really neat and elegant looking item. Sturdy and robust”
“Looks great and saves having to leave the room/ go outside for logs.”
“It adds to the ambient feeling of the room when partially or fully loaded but I suppose more importantly it stops me from having to pop outside too frequently to get more logs, thus letting me enjoy the fire uninterrupted.”
“It saves us fighting about who is going to get more logs when it’s cold!”
For a full range of log holder storage click here!
Stove Pipe Thermometer
“Ensures I always know the temperature my stove is at as to whether I need to add more fuel or calm it down.”
“Makes it so much easier to see if my fire is working at optimum temperature and if I need to adjust amount of wood/air flow.”
“Because it allows us to check whether we are burning at too hot a temperature or too cool. We use both hardwood and softwoods so it would be difficult to know without this vital tool.”
“It means that I always burn my logs in the most economical and environmentally friendly way.”
“I hadn’t realised just how hot the stove gets at full output making this an essential piece of it when topping it up with firewood.”
“It allows me to regulate my stove temperature to maximise the life of the stove and have efficient burning of my wood”
“Ensures the fire is hot enough to keep down the accumulation of creosote. Wouldn’t be without it!”
“I constantly use it to check that the stove is burning in its optimum range for efficiency and to prevent damage and tarring.”
“Invaluable, the little thermometer lets me know when the fire is at optimal temperature and I can then maintain that temperature throughout operation. Probably helps conserve wood too, a great bit of kit.”
“Just gives you so much information in regards to heat output from different fuel types, different wood species, hard woods, softer woods. It really allows you to dial in the stove to get the best from it.”
“This provides us with an idea of how well the stove is burning. For example, over the last two years we have been testing wood purchased from sellers and our own seasoned wood and the stove pipe thermometer gives us a real measure of the heat output (even though most of the time, we can tell the difference ourselves based on how nice the room feels). It also helps us regulate the flu for optimal burn. We learned a lot using the stove pipe thermometer about our stove and the wood we burn.”
“It reassures me that I have the right burn, low emissions and great heat output.”
“As an engineer I love indisputable visual indication of when things are operating correctly! Such a simple device and has definitely altered how we ‘set’ our stove.”
You can get a Charnwood Stove Pipe Thermometer here!
Stove Gloves
“Without them it would be very difficult and dangerous to use the burner”
“Only burn your fingers once to realise they are useful!!!”
“Provides confidence in 100% protection when refueling the stove.”
“Really effective and protects hands while loading logs”
“Just love them, total safety when loading the stove”
“Because it stops me blistering my hands.”
“Offers safety when handling logs, opening & closing stove and promotes attention to avoiding burns.”
“Makes me feel safe when stove has become very hot”
“They just make life so much easier handling logs and placing logs in the stove. No splinters or burns!”
Watch this space – Charnwood stove gloves are on the way!
Dustpan & Brush
“It makes emptying the stove so much easier and cleaner, the house is relatively dust free after clearing.”
“It helps to keep the room relatively dust free”
“Keeping the hearth clean and tidy stops ash and debris, from the stove and wood pile underneath it, from spreading to the floor and messing up the room.”
“Whenever the stove is used it is necessary to clean up small amounts of ash that fall out. The brush and pan are thus used very frequently.”
“The dustpan & brush makes removing the Ash so much easier, our charnwood is used every day from October to February so we collect a lot of Ash which we use as compost. We have other accessories but they don’t see as much use as the pan & brush.”
Poker
“An absolute must have accessory to reposition burning logs and coal.”
“Can re-arrange wood in the stove when going, safely.”
“Brilliant for getting fire going”
“I like poking the fire! Breaking it down to a bed of hot burning wood so I can get more fuel in!”
“I can poke the logs to get maximum burn.”
“Great to look at, well made and does the job perfectly.”
“You can move the logs about to create space and so regulate heat a bit better.”
“It’s so satisfying prodding at red hot embers on a freezing cold evening and feeling the heat on your face”.
“Great quality and have stood the test of time with good amount of use. Quality product.”
“We have a wrought-iron poker made by a friend from years ago..handle in the shape of a hare’s head..love it, wasn’t cheap but a real beauty.”
“Simple basic tool allowing rearranging of fuel to ensure even burning and helping keep glass door clean.”
“Get the fire going. Can push the logs back into the fire so they burn probably.”
“Easy to use. Metal. Compact. Stops dust flying around. Carry handle is useful.”
“Great 4 carrying ashes out on a windy day.”
“Ease of use in keeping ash contained and not flying all over the place.”
“Allows dust free disposal of ash.”
“I have two Charnwood stoves. One has the ash bin/carrier and the other doesn’t. It’s SO difficult to get the ash out of the stove that doesn’t have the ash bin/carrier.”
“It is a safe and clean way of dealing with the only downside to a log burner, the ash.”
“Ease of emptying.”
“Makes it easy to empty ashes no fear of dropping them all over the floor.”
“Makes it more convenient to remove ash over several days without having to fill smaller bin bags thus reducing plastic waste.”
“Easy to use with minimal dust released when moving around can hold at least 1 month’ worth of ash.”
“Simplifies the worst job – cleaning out the ashes and getting them to the bin without being covered in ash from head to foot in a gust of wind. Neat to store, fits the ashcan perfectly and contains the dust when you tip the ashes in.”
Surprisingly only 23% of those surveyed own a moisture meter. We consider a moisture meter a must-have stove accessory to ensure wood is properly seasoned before burning and we urge you to get one!
It is very important to only burn wood with a moisture content of 20% or less. This will keep harmful emissions to a minimum and significantly improve efficiency, while protecting your stove and chimney – saving you money!
Look out for the Woodsure Ready to Burn label which guarantees a moisture content of 20% or less.
For a list of approved firewood sellers in your area click here.
Here are what some moisture meter owners had to say:
“I know I’m complying with byelaws and also prolonging the life of my Island 2 stove”
“Because I like to know that the logs I’m burning are dry and safe to use”
“Allows us to keep the stove clean by making sure we only burn the driest wood”
“This plus thermometer can’t really be replicated using non specialist tools.”
“It means I know when I can burn the wood that I’ve collected myself from the neighbourhood.”
“Vital for the whole seasoning process.”
“Especially Important given that the cost of kiln dried logs has doubled compared to this time last year!”
“I know I’m complying with byelaws and also prolonging the life of my Island 2 stove”
“Because it saves me burning wood which is too wet. Genuinely get a buzz when I ‘detect’ anything too moist on my meter!”
If you are seasoning your own wood, make sure you test it with a moisture meter before burning. You can get yours here.
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As you can see, there are a whole host of useful stove accessories that will enhance your wood-burning stove experience. For more information on all the stove accessories available, click here.
Finally, thank you to everyone who took part in the survey!
At the bottom of a garden in Hackney, London, lives this striking, modern, geometric ‘Writer’s Shed’ by British architects Weston, Surman & Deane. It was designed as a writing retreat for an author and acts as his city sanctuary where he immerses himself in his work. A Charnwood C-Four was selected to feature prominently in the design from both a visual and functional perspective.
Read on to learn why Charnwood was the ideal choice for these designers
The shed’s design responds to the client’s passion for literature and mythology. Outside, the glowing cedar façade, shingle cladding, log store and chimney invite you into its world. Inside, a large skylight floods the workspace with natural light. The bookcase on the gable wall is carefully crafted around the Charnwood C-Four wood-burning stove situated in the heart of the space.
The Writer’s Shed was shortlisted for the architect’s journal small projects competition 2014 and won the Hackney design award and Hackney People’s Choice award in 2015.
Charnwood C-Four
The C-Four, with its large picture window, benefits from Charnwood’s latest Cleanburn technology and delivers a heat output of between 2 to 5.5kW. It’s a classically styled wood-burning stove that features one single air control and an integrated inlet for ducting external air to improve performance and efficiency. This stove meets Clean Air Act requirements and allows you to burn wood in smoke control zones in London and other densely populated areas.
Key Features:
-Cleanburn airwash technology
-Drop down throat plate enabling the chimney to be swept through the stove
-DEFRA exempt for burning wood in smoke control areas
-The stove can take logs up to 282mm (11”)
Relaxation & focus
The crackle and warmth produced by fire creates a perfect creative, scholarly and stress-free environment. It blocks out and reduces the need for distractions allowing you to be present and focused on the task at hand. Below are some quotes from our customers from a recent well-being survey that highlights how a stove can be an antidote to the digital age and help create an ideal workspace.
“Helps to switch off from the technology that takes over our everyday lives. You feel a sense of achievement when the first sparks ignite.”
“It’s extremely relaxing to sit by the fire and watch the flames dance away. So much so in fact, that we opted to cancel our Netflix subscription and we simply don’t watch it any longer. We’d much rather sit and watch the fire instead!”
“Sitting round the fire has become a special tradition. We’ve removed our technology from the living room and now have the fire and bookcase”
“We watch the flames not the TV (even the dog likes to sit and stare)”
“I sit on the sofa watching the flames. It’s better than watching tv”
“Mesmerising flame watching takes us away from our worries and concerns. The room has a focus that isn’t a screen and gives warmth with it.”
