Keep Warm, Look Hot

Wise up to wood burners and stoves

We’re lucky here in Devon to have some serious expertise when it comes to flame-powered heating. Local companies – such as Dean Forge in Buckfastleigh and Arada Stoves in Axminster – actually make handcrafted traditional and contemporary wood burners and multi-fuel stoves.

These well-established firms can help guide you through what can be a slightly bewildering process. “Less really can be more,” says Simon Chew, managing director of Dean Forge. “We often have customers who say they want a stove to ‘really throw out the heat’. A heat output calculation will help you decide which kilowatt stove will suit your home.”

Places such as Dean Forge have staff available for home visits to help customers choose what products will suit their needs. All products will have to be installed by a Heat Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) approved engineer.

Once the technical stuff is done, it’s time to get down to the really important business of choosing your look. Do you want freestanding, inset, cassette body (mounted flush into the wall), eco or classic? “There are choices in function and styling to meet different budgets and domestic heating requirements,” says Rob Wiltshire from Arada Stoves in Axminster. “We are one of the few stove manufacturers that give customers the choice of having any of our stoves in a variety of colour options instead of black.”

Deep colours – including dark greens and reds, plus metallics, such as bronze – are fashionable interior shades right now, and there are stoves out there to match all styles. For many people, however, it’s all about the flickering fire. Many wood burners are now designed with large door sizes to maximise flame enjoyment.

Peter O’Brien, owner of the Gitcombe Estate near Dartmouth, installed a Danish-made Morsø wood burner in the newly built, contemporary Gitcombe Retreat. “I did lots of research and liked the quality, simplicity of design and the three sides of glass to evenly distribute heat and glow from the flame,” says Peter, who bought his Morsø from Hearth & Cook in Exeter. “I'm delighted with it because it burns with little fuss and provides ample additional heat within the building.”

What fuel?

The government is tightening the rules on harmful emissions. The advice now is to use only dry or seasoned wood, preferably sourced from a local supplier to reduce your carbon footprint. Try the Devon Log Store in Branscombe, Huxtable Farm in West Buckland (near Barnstaple), or Woodleigh Wood in the South Hams. Wet wood produces more smoke, which is bad news for your chimney and the environment.

For multi-fuel stoves, smokeless coal is the way forward. Pellet stoves are considered a carbon-neutral heat source because they are fuelled by a variety of biofuels, including wood pellets, which are usually a by-product of sawmills or industry. Briquettes made from waste wood are easy to store and handle, plus they burn hot and clean – just what you need.

If you like the stove look but don't relish the hassle of sourcing fuel, a gas-powered version can fire up at the touch of a remote-controlled button. Hole-in-the-wall style gas fires are also in demand, particularly for more contemporary eco homes. “Gas is still very popular,” says Kathy Brayne from Feature Fireplaces in Barnstaple. “The choices of styles are never-ending. And we’re selling more and more electric fires. With new builds, they don’t always need fires that give out lots of heat.”

Which fireplace?

Unless your heat source is freestanding in the middle of the room (that’s a big thing with wood burners these days), or is a contemporary cassette-style hole in the wall, you’re going to want a gorgeous fireplace to set things off.

Minimalist marble surrounds with square edges are a popular choice, providing a simple, sturdy framework for whatever is going on in the centre. A solid oak lintel never goes out of fashion and looks great in both modern and older houses.

Natural stone has real wow factor. Ashburton-based interior designer Siobhan Hayles says she was recently asked to inject some character into a large dining room and sitting room. As well as changing the paint colour and furnishings, she installed a stone fireplace.

“In Devon, it is fairly easy to come by some lovely old granite kerb stones or gateposts from local salvage yards, which I used to make a faux fireplace around an existing wood burner,” says Siobhan. “It created a focal point at the end of the long room and became a place to prop artwork and treasures. The granite acts like a radiator on a cold winter’s day.”

If you love a period fireplace (and I really do) visit some of Devon’s reclamation and salvage yards. Toby’s Reclamation in Exminster, Grosvenor Chambers in Plymouth or Browns in South Molton are good places to hunt for period mantles, surrounds and inserts.