Do you still have a fireplace in your lounge.

Our house was built in the 60s and has no fireplace. I’ve often thought of installing a ‘real’ flame gas fire, as a neighbour has, but it would would mean putting a flue on an outside wall and totally rearranging our seating - 3 sofas - so I don’t suppose we’ll ever get around to it.
But I do love to see a fire in winter, and it’d be v useful on chilly evenings when it’d be nice to warm up the sitting room, but don’t need the actual heating on.

I’m still happy with TV on a unit in the corner, don’t care if it’s seen as old fashioned. I don’t care for mega-tellies dominating a room.

We had our gas fire and fireplace removed at the beginning of the year.
It was an Adams style with a coal effect gas fire.

The fire had become temperamental when lighting and after speaking to our gas fitter, we decided this was the time for a new fire.
The gas fitters advised to go electric.
Gas boilers in the not too distant future will no longer be fitted.

We had the whole fire and fire place removed.
We chose an electric wall mounted fire.
Unlike the gas fire we can have flames without the fire on.

It now looks quite cosy when we have central heating on and t just the flames from the electric fire.
I always disliked the dark hearth when we didn't require the gas fire.

Bonus we moved the fire more central to the room and without the fireplace our sitting room looks much bigger.

Yes and the dining room.

I've moved into a newbuild where there is no fireplace. I was a bit concerned initially as I've always had one. However, I find, so far, I don't miss it. I have a television where one would be instead of having it in a corner. In my previous home, also a new build, there was a fireplace with a gas fire. Only on a very cold winter evening would that be switched on. I haven't spent a winter here yet, there is a halogen heater and a convector heater waiting in the garage in case of need. But this is a thoroughly insulated house so I'm hoping they won't be needed.

I think it depends on the room and how you want to use it. Dds 3 year old new build has no fireplace. Instead they have a ginormous, yes ginormous TV in the middle of the wall. A lot of families like these extra large tellys so a fireplace wouldn’t work.

We have an enclosed wood burner with a stone surround that suits the lounge. We used to have a pathetic living flames gas fire where all the heat went up the chimney. The woodburner is far more efficient and keeps the room warm so we don’t put the gas ch on. (I have my own wood and a moisture meter to make sure it is dry.)

When I was flat-hunting, I was always very surprised as how many of the current owners had put in a false fireplace (with some sort of electric fire), along the longest wall in the Lounge. Always turned me off purchasing those flats. I had (still have), lovely range of expensive golden oak units (cupboards, drawers, display cabinet, etc), which need a long run of wall to keep together and these are more important to me than an unneccessary fireplace in a centrally heated flat.

Do not understand how a fireplace can be a 'focal point' in sitting room/lounge. Surely, these false ones are rarely, if ever used. I did have one in my last (1930's) house, with a gas fire. Had this all done when I first moved in, but later on regretted the waste of space by the kerb surround, and if I had re-done it would have just had a fire fitted IN the chimney breast.

The two radiators in my large Living/Dining room in my flat give me all the heating I require. Suppose, for me, the 'focal point' of the Sitting area is the Tv.

I have the Valour gas fire, installed in 1987 when the house was built, the one that is the first thing Homes under the Hammer insist must be ripped out. It looks hideous but is very efficient and is the only form of heating I need at present, turned on very low. I am looking to replace it but want another gas fire. Regrettably, there is no fireplace.

MaizieD Oxfordshire, he is the cheapest we have been quoted, and the only one who would let us book an appointment.
I don’t think Sweeps like chimneys full of twigs.
However, we do get a Certificate afterwards. He will need to fit the cowl very soon after he has cleaned the chimney though, because the Jackdaws ( who don’t seem to go away for Winter any more) will be waiting for him to leave and will immediately start to rebuild.

I have a wood fire. People tell me I should change to a much more efficient wood burning stove like yours grannyactivist but I love the open fire.
You have reminded me I should get the chimney swept. The sweep is also a paramedic could be handy
When we moved here 40 years ago all the fireplaces had been boarded up and we had to find them again. We reopened 4 but only 2 have working chimneys. One has an electric fire now and the 4th is a work in progress. I may board it up again.

I would hate to be without a fireplace. I seldom use the radiators. As long as I can forage wood and have a grate to burn it, I'll not worry about being cold.

Oopsadaisy1

We haven’t used our chimney for years, we have a chimneysheep up it to stop the drafts, unfortunately the jackdaws pulled off the wire cowl and I suspect the chimney is now filled with twigs. This morning I booked a chimney sweep at the princely sun of £110 for the first hour and £80.00 every hour afterwards, he will then have give me a price for a new cowl. Ouch!
The jackdaws will have to find another chimney to fill.
Oh and he’s fully booked until December, he’s the 5th one we’ve contacted none of the others were interested in clearing the chimney.
This is all ‘just in case’ plus the jackdaws drive me crazy in the nesting season as they are incredibly noisy and they have broken the TV Ariel.

Good heavens, Oopsadaisy. Where are you? My sweep charges me a flat £60 and I thought that was expensive We're in the NE.

When you get a new cowl make sure it's really bird proof, can't be pulled out (wire ones are useless) and without any gaps they can squeeze in and out of. One of our chimney cowls has a gap and I watched them popping in and out with their twigs this spring. Luckily we don't use that particular fire. ?

My husband was out this evening so I made myself a huge fruit cocktail and lit the fire before snuggling down with my iPad to catch up on Ambulance (BBC1). Bliss.

Thanks all for your input, you have some lovely cosy fireplaces.

At our last house an old nori brick council house, we had a proper real coal fire! Dirty but lovely in winter.

Everywhere I've lived, I've always had a working chimney - and can't imagine living without one. There's nothing like sitting by a real fire or stove when it's chilly outside.

I had a large marble mantlepiece on which I loved to display things but never used the gas fire underneath. Now I have neither. I miss the mantelpiece but not the fire as I'm perfectly happy with central heating and the room is more spacious.

We had an open fire in the sitting room. About 5 years ago we had tge offer of a log burning stove which we accepted. DH found a man who could fit it for us. I do like a fire.

We have 4 working fireplaces. 3 downstairs and one in a bedroom.

I'd not be without them.

We have a working fireplace, the original one 100 yrs old. We only light it at Christmas. The CH is more than enough to keep the room cosy, but I do like the original feature.
I keep logs in it when not in use.

Germanshepherdsmum

We have one of the wall mounted fires like Jane showed. We never need to use it for heating but the ‘flicker’ or ‘flames’ make a nice feature.

My friend has one that looks similar to the one in Jane's link but I think it's gas-fired.
It is very smart.

We have one of the wall mounted fires like Jane showed. We never need to use it for heating but the ‘flicker’ or ‘flames’ make a nice feature.

We have a typical 1980s gas fire but it's a pain to ignite. I covered it and put this electrical fire in front of it last year. I think a living room is lost without a fireplace.

No we don't. It's a new build house without a chimney. A fireplace was an extra several hundred pounds. It had no practical purposes so we declined to buy one. The room is more flexible without it.

bikergran I think you are very lucky to have a working fire place, so cosy in the cold months to look at as well as feel. However, I would update it to a contemporary closed in log burning one. I am envious of my DD who lives in a house and has just installed one, I live in a flat.

I have a gas fire AND behind it, there is a working fire place. Neither has been used in the time I've been here (15+ years).

I used to live in a house with TWO fireplaces in the drawing room and after the initial novelty of them, I totally stopped using them.

They're not for me. I'm with you. I'd LOVE to get mine taken out altogether, but it is on the very long, very expensive list of jobs I need/want to do and isn't anywhere near the top.

We have a, woodBurner. Extremely efficient and if we leave all the doors open it warms the whole house