Why we chose a wood burning stove
The design elements we love + reasons we’d never go back to a gas fireplace.
We sometimes get asked on social media, why we “kept the old stove.” I love to explain that we actually custom built our whole home and we designed the center of our living room with this amazing piece of art…intentionally. I know it’s not common to see a wood burning stove in a brand new home. Our builder told us they hadn’t installed one in at least 10 years. Really, that just made me smile. Thanks for being here, let me run through our top reasons to love a wood burning stove and which one we have, all below. AND…NO, our house doesn’t smell like a bonfire one. single. bit.
Welcome to our main living area in 2020 with our show stopping focal point; our wood burning stove. Where is the TV? Not in this room. We have since upgraded from this original stove. Keep reading. :)
Our new stove is a STUV www.stuvamerica.com. While we loved our old stove, and there was nothing functionally wrong, we really wanted a contemporary look that many of our European friends have, and is next to impossible to find here in the US. Insert our new STUV.
It’s unique and adds an artistic focal point to our home. No surprise, I like being different. I love the look of our stoves black matte body and it’s sleek chimney piping that passes by our herringbone tile backdrop. Our tall nook (that the stove sits in) adds an architectural dream space to our home. It runs up the center of the wall and the white space connecting to the ceiling is everything. In the design world, thats called: white space. (Dreamy).
It’s minimalist and simple. All you need is wood and a flame.
Self-sufficiency. No power? No problem. Here in the Minnesota winter, it would be a huge problem if we didn’t have heat. Live in the South? We used to live in Texas and I watched my friends in the ice storms of 2021 go through rolling natural gas rations. Sometimes their gas fireplaces worked and then they didn’t. A wood stove puts you fully in control.
Wood stacks bring a natural element inside. Stacks of wood are beautiful and we use them as art. We also use them as fuel. We keep wood stacked on either side of the stove in the custom built cubbies. We also keep wood piles on our back porch (ready to use) and another stack outside (ready to be split).
See the difference? Homes are ever changing- and always getting better!
5. Radiant Heat. There is absolutely nothing that warms you to the core more than a real fire. Plus, there is the crackle. AND, when you step outside; the air (from the chimney) smells like the yummiest bonfire or someone slow cooking BBQ on a Sunday in the summer.
6. Scandinavian/Hygge Vibes. I really wanted my Nordic roots to shine through when we designed this home. Wood burning stoves in the Nordic countries are much more common. Just search “Scandinavian wood stoves,” and you’ll see what I mean… and all of the contemporary ones I referenced above too!
7. Good Old-Fashioned Fun. I mean work. Sawing, chopping, splitting and stacking. Working with Dad and Grandpa, being in nature. Can you roast a marshmallow inside? Sure! Can you make hot cocoa in a pan? Yes!
As much as I enjoy the ease of turning on a fireplace with a remote, there is just something special about the process of building your own fire and the lifestyle of living with a wood stove. Thanks for reading!