Either for a small room or for a room you plan to fill with furniture and accessories, you may want a rather unobtrusive fire that doesn’t require additional space to be installed, being nevertheless effective in terms of its heat output and design. In such cases, your best choice is obviously not a traditional fireplace with hearth and mantelpiece, but an economical hole-in-the-wall fire, which practically doesn’t require any space in the room, but can be placed flat on one of the walls.
This does not mean that it’s invisible. Most of these types of gas fires, especially if raised up from the floor, look like pictures in frames, especially those that are not open fronted. But this ‘unreal’ look is counterbalanced by the dynamism of flames and by the natural log, coal or pebble bed that adds a fireplace effect.
Due to their sleek fascia frames and slim aspect, such fires with a cast metal or stainless steel design would integrate perfectly in a minimalist-styled living room with quite few small furniture items with stainless steel or cast iron frames and legs to match, or even in a bedroom with a modern bed with metal frame and legs. The satin polish of the brushed steel or the sleek elegance of cast iron would make this fire ‘picture’ stand out in such a room, becoming a focal point amid the scarce furniture. If, on the other hand, gray or black are too dull for you, you can order a fire with brass trims and fascia frames.
For a larger living room with lots of furniture, where such an unimposing picture frame would be lost among the numerous accessories, you can go for an open fronted gas fire with stone-finish fascia. A travertine floor or just a small area around this fire would perfectly match both the fascia and the large colored pebbles of the bed. Such a fire would suit any modern-styled room, adding a touch of vibrancy and grandeur. If you want to place it into a formal dining room, elegantly floored with marble tiles, you could just choose some graphite-finish fascia and match the pebble color with the color scheme of the room. You’ll obtain thus a refined look, without any help from or need of furniture and accessories.
Therefore, whatever the style or function of the room, a hole-in-the-wall fire looks not only spectacular, but also efficiently heats and spares your space. Besides, by being flueless, this kind of fire doesn’t need any chimney, flue or outside wall, therefore is economical through and through.
