Jo, View 5 wood burning stove, 1960s house

Jo, Derbyshire, @ourvillagedreamhouse
June 12, 2019

Tell us about your home, your inspiration…
Our home is in a little village in Derbyshire, built back in the 60’s and it’s only ever had one family live in it up until we purchased it last year so it was in need of a full renovation which gave us a blank canvas to work on!

Both my husband and I grew up on farms so we both knew we just had to have a log burner. The living room is a large room with a huge window but it only gets morning sun, which is great for keeping cool in the summer but it can be a bit of a cold room in the winter.

The first thing we ripped out was the old, low, stone effect surround and electric fire. Then went in went a false chimney breast, complete with oak beam and Indian stone hearth.

There is a chimney to the house but the opening was so small and we wanted the stove to be a real feature in the living room.

We’ve taken our inspiration from many places but have mainly tried to be a little different rather than following a trend.

We’ve kept everything very light and bright and have used a lot of wood and natural products throughout from the oak beam to wood cladding on the dining room wall and wood panelling on the wall in the bedroom. I’d like to think it has a cross between a Country house and an American modern farmhouse feel to the decor.

What is your favourite feature?
There are so many!

I love the large open wreath with hand spread butterflies that surrounds the giant letter board on my dining room wall. We love to put up motivating and funny quotes each week.

I love the antique French copper pans that hang over the stove which we use each day and the antique Victorian birdcage in the hall that I’ve turned into a large planter to hide the WiFi router and house phone that we never use!

There are so many different and unique pieces that make me smile every time I see them but I’d say the favourite has to be the fireplace, I love to snuggle under a blanket all year round and will happily light a fire if it gets a bit chilly! I could watch the flames all night so it’s definitely our chill place.

What drew you to our Stovax View 5 wood burning stove?
We loved the clean modern look of the Stovax view 5. The large glass viewing window really draws your eye and you can’t help but watch the flames once the fire is lit.

What is your advice to anyone looking to renovate their own home?
Look past everything that’s currently there, research your colours and ideas to make sure they fit and dare to be unique and make it personal to your style!

Trends are great but I wanted to inject a little character so that people to walk into the house and not feel like it looks like a new build show home.

Lastly I’d say prepare for mess and chaos. Try to do a room at a time so you can keep a “safe haven” where you can escape to when you’re fed up of dust, plaster and paint! Trust me though, it’s all worth it in the end!

If you knew your retailer, can you tell us why you chose them?

Yorkshire Stoves and Fireplaces, based in Huddersfield. They were incredible, from the first visit to listening to my ideas and being patient with my over pickiness on the beam and stone for the hearth to the installation.

We wouldn’t be without our log burner, if you’re unsure talk to your retailer and get their advice. Stovax have so many beautiful stoves, there’s literally one to suit every home! We can’t wait to extend our kitchen/diner and include a free standing one in there too!

Retailer Name: Yorkshire Stoves & Fireplaces
Social Media: @ourvillagedreamhouse

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