A mountain home isn’t complete without a fireplace or wood stove. However, because the house is built so tightly a wood burning or gas fireplace would pollute the air indoors and overheat the structure. So, I wrote-off this upgrade during the design phase.

Then I came across electric fireplaces. They are becoming quite popular and you often see them now in the garden section at Home Depot and Lowes. I purchased several units to try out and ended-up settling on a unit made by Classic Flame. This fireplace is actually made for new construction and looks realistic. It also puts out a decent amount of heat and a pleasant warm glow.

The photo below shows the “chimney” tucked into the corner. It is faced with Stonecraft Ledgestone. The mantle is fashioned out of 12/4 pine harvested locally and the hearth will be a solid piece of black soapstone.

As you can see from the photos below, the living room is abuzz with activity. In addition to the fireplace, the tile floor is being installed in the bathroom and front hallway and trim work  has commenced.