I love this time of year, not just because the season is filled with merry and good cheer, but because the chilly days also mean a return to the seasonal ritual of lighting fires in our fireplaces. If you have a fireplace in your home you know just how wonderful and romantic they can be around this time of year. The aroma of a burning fire brings back fond memories and always reminds me of the holiday season.
When I purchased my home, Rosebrook Gardens, in 1997, my then fireplace was nothing more than a switch on the wall to turn on and off. Here in the United States, a fireplace is often listed as a requirement for many home buyers – I know it was for me – and having one or adding one can increase your home’s appeal and add both value and functional style. My once-gas fireplace was quickly converted to a wood burning fireplace faster than it took for my furniture to arrive! I strongly felt that if I was to only have one fireplace in my Connecticut home it needed to be wood burning. You agree?
Truth be told, I also love to keep a cozy blanket and all the proper accouterments at hand for lighting my fire at a moments notice. In addition, I like to stock a Duraflame or two for those impromptu, easy fires. Right outside my back door, I have a decorative teak planter filled with my supply of wood. The proximity makes it easy to access when inclement weather arrives while keeping the wood dry and accessible. I keep a larger stash behind the garden studio, but I simply replenish my smaller “more convenient” supply on a weekly basis. Plus the decorative planter has a dual purpose – a terrific looking planter in the spring-time and a mini firewood collector in the winter.
A well-appointed fireplace offers a romantic and charming visual interest to any home. As the snow begins to fall, I’ll no doubt get “fired up” while nesting away the winter months with my miniature schnauzer by my side.
