Cast Iron vs. Contemporary: Choosing the Right Fireplace for Your Home
Most people start to think about their next appliance when they see an image of one. A person may share an image of a modern black matte contemporary range set against a light colored extension wall. The same user may then post another image of a cast iron range installed into the old brick breast of a fireplace. In this case, the first image has a polished concrete floor and pale painted walls, while the second has a weathered oak beam over the fireplace as well as a dog napping at its base. Each image shows a possible stove or range. However, at that point, most users will stop thinking about their home as their “home” and instead start building a “mood board” around what type of stove/range they want.
Choosing A Fireplace
Choosing a fireplace requires examining two primary areas of concern, which include the heat output produced by the stove itself and the method of installing the stove into your home. Additionally, when deciding on a stove, there is an element of “personality” or character to consider. Although a stove will be inactive for most of the year, it can have a huge visual impact at some point in your home. Consequently, picking a stove is also somewhat related to establishing an appropriate atmosphere within a space, based upon your own personal preferences. A well-organised showroom like Barton Fireplaces could help with the technical aspects of buying a new stove; however, before making a trip to visit a showroom, you should think through what kind of visual presentation you would like the stove to contribute to your overall living space.
Picking for the Photo Rather Than Your Home
One of the simplest mistakes to make when selecting a stove is choosing based on photos rather than the specific characteristics of your home. An example would include placing a styled image of a stove in a room filled with children’s toys, uneven alcoves, a TV that has to fit somewhere, and furniture you currently possess.
Cast-iron stoves tend to offer more texture, weight, and detail. Cast-iron stoves also have more prominent legs and softer line doors. As a result, these stoves tend to give off a sense of rootedness and familiarity. Older homes with original features and uneven spaces can easily accommodate cast-iron stoves. These types of stoves do not feel as though they were added after the fact; instead, they feel as though they have been part of the home since its construction.
Modern stoves tend to be clean in shape. Often, you will obtain a larger glass viewing area, a cleaner, less detailed body, and less detailed decoration. There are instances in which restraint can be beneficial for making the fire visible and for eliminating clutter around the stove. The important question is not which style appears nicer on its own. The important question is which style feels believable in your particular space. If your space features existing exposed brickwork, timber, multiple layers of texture, and soft finishes, you may prefer a cast-iron stove.
On the other hand, if your space is cleaner, lighter, and more architectural, a modern-style stove may fit more naturally. Evaluate the periphery of your space and not just its centre. This is generally where your solution will present itself.
Ignoring the Fact That Stoves Can Have a Personality When Off
Individuals often focus on how their stove looks when it is lit on a cold winter day. Fair enough. This is essentially what everyone hopes for. For most of the remaining year, the stove is simply there, cold and silent, as part of the room. This has importance greater than many realise. A cast-iron stove can create a sense of grounding in your space, even during the summer months. Cast-iron stoves have a sense of permanence. Depending upon your individual circumstances, this can be either a great benefit or a drawback to having a cast-iron stove. In some cases, it adds substance to your space. In other situations – specifically those involving smaller or lighter spaces – it can create an unexpected sense of heaviness.
A contemporary-styled stove is often easier to visually assimilate when you desire to keep your space open and unobtrusive-looking. Contemporary stoves have slim legs, elevated designs or minimal frames that allow your space to “breathe” slightly more freely. In newly constructed homes or open-plan renovated areas, this may be particularly advantageous.
Standing back from the room and envisioning an average Tuesday in April – not Christmas Day in December – will enable you to determine whether your chosen style remains acceptable even without the presence of flames.
Misjudging Fireplace Chambers & Hearth
In addition to possibly misjudging the proper style for your room based solely on trends, there are occasions when the true culprit lies in the surrounding chamber/area adjacent to the stove.
Unless there exists some tie between two different looks, a traditional cast-iron stove inside a very defined/minimal opening can appear somewhat detached from its surroundings. Conversely, while a contemporary-styled stove may appear perfectly suited for use in a rustic-chunked surround chamber, it may also be jarring if the components’ dimensions are not properly aligned.
People point fingers at their improper selection of stove style as the primary cause; however, in reality, the issue is typically related to the relationship between the stove’s style and that of its accompanying hearth/chamber/mantle.
Choosing a Style That Doesn’t Align With How You Live
Another potentially subtle yet important consideration is how formal or informal you wish for your room to be perceived. Some stoves are extremely precise and aesthetically pleasing, whereas others appear designed for active/lived-in use.
While this description may seem ambiguous, most people recognise it when they experience it themselves. In an informal/family-oriented room where shoes are commonly left next to the couch, and water drips from your pet shaking off rain droplets near the hearth, a cast-iron stove with some mass and texture will likely feel more suitable for your lifestyle. Conversely, in a serene/formal room where everything is stripped bare, an aesthetically pleasing/modern stove will probably better align with your desired ambience.
Ultimately, a quality stove should feel as though it belongs in your space; not necessarily due to matching every single surface finish precisely, but due to fitting the rhythm/harmony of your home and the people occupying it.
