Some of our clients are purists regarding fireplaces; for them, it is wood-burning or nothing at all.  That’s fine. We love wood-burning fireplaces.  Most often, there is a mix of fireplaces in the homes we design, some burning wood and some gas.

I have an old home, the core of which was built from about 1790 to the 1860s.   We have 4 wood-burning fireplaces.  I am uncomfortable sleeping with fire (or embers) burning in my master bedroom fireplace while I sleep.  Other reasons to have a mix of gas and wood fireplaces are the need to store firewood, dispose of ashes, and the fact that sometimes you just want the ambiance at a moment’s notice.

We often design gas fireplaces so they can be converted to burn wood easily if the homeowners ever change their minds.  That rarely happens since, over the years, the look of a gas fireplace has improved so that some people don’t notice the difference.