Instant Fireplace : For Any Home
August 30, 2011 at 3:17 pm
by Designer Dad: Stephen Saint-Onge
The nights are getting cooler again and I can start thinking of having a fire in the fireplace again soon. To me, that is one of the best parts of the colder months – just the smell of the smoldering fire in the house – but also the visual of a roaring fire is something that reminds me of the comforts of home too.
Before I had a fireplace in my home, I searched long and hard for an incense that smelled like smoldering firewood. I finally found one that was not too sweet and it smells like a camp fire and I love it: PINON. I have actually used this scent many times when styling the final look of a client’s house before revealing it to them. All your senses are affected when you come home.
Not long ago, I did a renovation of an attic space for a client (you’ll soon get to see that project in a new series of slide shows that we will be featuring here on FamilyCircle.com – but these picutres are a sneak peak of that project). Part of that renovation had a brick wall that we kept exposed. I kept thinking it should be a fireplace to make the room more inviting, but a real fireplace wasn’t possible. However, I found a creative solution to give them the inviting visual of a fireplace - as well as be something that could heat their space as well.
I started thinking about all those homes that do not have fireplaces – even apartments or condos where you could create a comfortable focal point – yet probably a fireplace was not something that could be considered. So I started researching options for something you could easily bring in – something that looked good and served a purpose – but also something you could take with you if you moved. Then I found the perfect solution: a wall-mounted, electric fireplace…AN INSTANT FIREPLACE ANYWHERE…
It mounts on the wall just a flat screen television, yet it simulates the look of a real smoldering fire…
As you can see here, the front is glass – with a mirror behind it - which reflects the room in front of it, yet the flames are quite visible even in the daytime. A remote (just like a TV remote) allows you to control the height of the flames and also the levels of heat. Yes, it produces heat as well. Though you can just have the flames turned on with no heat – if you wish too. Great solution for a room that needs extra heat or one that just needs a fireplace!
It literally came in a box the size of a flat screen TV and you simply take it out and the pieces of it are easy to assemble. The bracket provided (seen above) gets mounted to the wall just like when you hang a regular television to the wall. In this case, I used screws made for going into brick or stone. Then, the unit slips right into the bracket very easily.
As you can see here, it does stand out from the wall just a little – but that is fine. The best part is that you do not need an electrician because it simply plugs into the wall…So easy. This image above shows the unit before the glass front is installed to finish it off. You see the mirror at the back reflecting the lamp. The glass panel that is provided just screws on and finishes off the whole look…
Along with the unit, you get a bag of glass stones to place on the bottom of the narrow pan to simulate embers when the lights are on. There are various options for the stones…I chose “amber” to give the look of true ember glowing.
As you can see for yourself, it truly does look like a real fire. I was a bit worried about it looking real because I wanted it to look good in the overall space – but being one that loves a real fire – I was very impressed in the end. It’s a great effect because there is no real flame.
Here is the unit with the flames turned off. It does act as sort of a mirror when not in use – which is fine…
Then, with a click of the remote, your fire is illuminated…
I’ve seen the room at nighttime as well – to get a good sense of the fire’s glow and it does look good. It changes the whole feel of the room and creates an inviting focal point anywhere.
I love the idea that it can be done easily and you can take it with you. So all of you that have dreamed of a fireplace in your home, apartment or condo – this could be your creative solution! There are other versions to check out – some that insert into the wall, some that are free-standing, but I love this unit because it gives you the effect you want so easily and can be moved around later on. Check out their website: NAPOLEON FIREPLACES – This one is a Wolf Steel Fireplace.
In the end, you will not get the smoldering fire smell – but you can bring in the incense I mentioned too and you’ll be all set…












Eco-friendly Product for the Family Home
American Home Style : The Split-Level 




Awesome website…
[...]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[...]……
Great website…
[...]we like to honor many other internet sites on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[...]……