LES CHEMINEES SANS BOIS
Winter is fast approaching in my neck of the woods. Not my favorite season, but it is coming, like it or not, so we'll have to deal with it.
Just because your home has one or more fireplaces does not necessarily mean they need to be used. Conventionally I mean. With kindle and logs. The mess and effort involved might discourage you, safety might concern you and you might find your house to be just as comfy a nest without a fire roaring. No worry. All kinds of solutions are there for the choosing.
You may opt to go the hearth-as-niche way, with candles. You might even dare to light them...
or, like this clever occupant, turn it into a bookcase
And then there is the gas fire route. Have a gas line brought to your fireplace, add classic imitation logs, imitation coal or the more modern style of river stones or crushed colored glass and voila! you have a roaring fire. You may even acquire a remote control gizmo so you don't have to get up from your chair and bend down to turn it on and off. This idea I like. A lot.
the classic
or the contemporary
There is also a methane burning option. Clean, compact and, yes, "portable", they advertise. Just hang on the wall- with certain safety codes to be followed of course.

And if you don't want anything at all burning in your hearth, there is always the wonderful world of make believe.
Fireless fires
The pre-programmed flip-a-switch convenience
The insert-and-hit-play DVD solution complete with crackling noise. For the sweet smell of a fire there are special scented candles. Yes, they have thought of EVERYTHING!
and for the suspended-reality crowd:
The cardboard fireplace. Recyclable, charming, a tad childish, and talk about portable!
images apartment therapy, gallery fireplaces, furniturestoreblog, hole2, loftlikemag, digital treasures, sinwi, homedesign find, fuelless, trendir, casa sugar
Stay warm this winter if you can.
au revoir.