Vintage or modern fireplaces: what’s your vote?

A warm, roaring fire is one of the few things we enjoy as much now as we did as when we were club-wielding cave dwellers. They’re timeless and provide fantastic focal points for most rooms. What’s changed, though, is the sheer variety of fireplaces you can now choose from.

In this blog post, we’re going to attempt to answer a question which may be running through your head as you search for the perfect fireplace: should you go vintage or modern? Which is best for your home and requirements?
Let’s look at the advantages of both.

The case for: modern fireplaces

Fireplace inserts
It was Benjamin Franklin who came up with the idea of an insert for a fireplace whose sole job it was to improve safety and efficiency. Fireplace inserts are essentially well-designed stoves which fit inside the fireplace firebox and can typically be found in masonry fireplaces. They’re particularly useful for ensuring that the heat generated isn’t lost up the chimney and make cleaning far easier.

The gas option
If the idea of stoking up your own flames and cleaning the resulting remains of your last fire don’t fill you with a sense of traditional home making, modern fireplaces offer a brilliantly-convenient alternative: gas. Turn it on and you’ll have near instant heat and no mess.

Heath Exchangers
Put simply, heat exchangers blow additional heat into the room by capturing combustion gases and burning them. Additional heat means additional warmth, and that can only be a good thing.

Design choice
Perhaps the most compelling reason to chose a modern fireplace is the sheer number of design options available. They can be sleek, modern affairs or elicit a feeling of vintage homeliness and no matter the decor of your living room, you’ll find a fireplace which fits perfectly.

The case for: vintage fireplaces

Timelessness
Modern fireplaces look fantastic when the right design choice is made, but design trends come and go, and what was once on-trend may quickly become old hat. That’s not the case with vintage fireplaces; they are timeless and will last for countless years, no matter where they’re placed.

The ‘event’ of keeping everyone warm
Lighting a vintage fireplace and keeping it going on cold nights is an event. You’re intrinsically involved in the production of heat and there’s something very reassuring about stoking a fire and watching your hard work keep everyone warm.

Theatre
The popping and cracking of a vintage fire and the scene it creates will add a sense of theatre to your living room. There’s nothing quite like it.

Inexpensive
Running a vintage fireplace is relatively inexpensive. Fuel is incredibly easy to come by and the receipt you take home from the local wood merchant is likely to be far less than your monthly gas bill.

Summary

So, which one is it for you? A vintage or modern fireplace? Hopefully, the battle above will have swayed you one way or the other, but regardless of which choice you make, you’ll be presented with an exciting range of options for your new fireplace.