Liz, Stovax Elise 540, Experimental Style

Liz, Nottingham
May 22, 2018

Tell us a bit about your interior style, and how your home project started.

I would describe my interior style as ‘ever-changing’; I don’t feel that my tastes have ever fitted into a particular style box and I am constantly rethinking our home décor. I try not to follow trends and instead experiment with colour, pattern and texture.

Generally, if I’m drawn to something and can afford it, I’ll buy it. I don’t think too much about where in the house it will sit. 9/10 times I’m happy with my choices – just occasionally I’ll have a moment of what was I thinking?

At the moment, I’m very much favouring ‘the dark side’ of interiors and love how all my accessories pop against the blacks and dark blues.

Which wood burner did you choose?

We chose the Elise 540 stove and bench from Stovax because we were drawn to its simple lines. We’d looked at a lot of stoves and knew we wanted a contemporary look for our open plan space, a stove that would stand the test of time and fit in with whatever look we decide to go for in the future. I’ve just painted the wall behind it black and the stove sits against it seamlessly.

Where do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration can come from anywhere. I can see a tiny scrap of colour and it will set off an idea… from a rusty, peeling, old metal fence next to bright green shrubbery, to illustrations in old books found in charity shops. I also read many interiors magazines. I studied Graphic Design at university and my favourite part of any project was always making a mood board… the bringing together of all the little ideas that ping around in your head.

What drew you to this Stovax product?

We loved having the option to sit the stove on the low bench. I asked the fitters to offset the stove to one side and now I have the perfect space to sit vases or other special pieces.* We went for a leathered stone hearth which I much preferred to slate. The texture is beautiful. We sourced this locally from Natural Cut Stone in Nottingham. Our stove looks amazing on it.
It felt great to buy from a British company with over 35 years’ experience. We knew we were getting a quality product and the fact that it is a multi-fuel stove with low emissions was the icing on the cake.

What’s your next project for your home?

Our next project is our bathroom and I can’t wait to get started. We currently have the original avocado green bathroom suite which we have lived with for over FIVE YEARS! It is definitely time to say goodbye to it. We are having a concrete sink and some crazy wallpaper and tiles. I’m really looking forward to having a large walk-in shower and some good lighting to do my makeup.

We are extremely lucky that my dad is a ridiculously talented retired joiner – he has been helping us with our house renovations ever since we moved in. He understands all the ideas that I can see in my head and brings them to life for us. He’s created traditional looking panelling in ‘The Blue Room’ and the recently finished vertical panelling in our open plan space. He made our OSB dining table and bench and laid our flooring… the list is endless. We would be lost without him. I have the crazy ideas but he is the one that makes it all a reality for us – no doubt, he will be cracking on with the bathroom plans with us soon.

I’d say we are now about 90% complete on the renovations but I’m already itching to redecorate some of the rooms and then it’s time to start on the garden!

*Always ensure that there is the required distance between your stove and any combustibles. It is important to refer to your instruction manual for the minimum clearance distances for your own model of stove.

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Please note that Stovax & Gazco accept no liability for their installation suitability, safety or building regulations conformance. The images shown on these pages are from real independent homes, many taken before installation is complete, and these form no basis of an installation recommendation by Stovax or Gazco. Please consult the complete installation instructions for your chosen product and consult with an appropriately qualified person for your own installation.