Making a resurgence as an eco-friendly heating source, wood stoves are finding themselves being described as chic. So what better way to add a certain flair to your living room than by adding not just a wood stove, but an antique wood stove.
Franklin, Pot Belly and Parlor Stoves .
Stoves have been part of the American heating experience for well over 200 years. Encompassing the humble Box, Franklin, and Pot Belly, it was not until the late 1800's that the Parlor Stove started to grace the living rooms of the well-heeled as an ornamental addition to their lifestyle.
Now the stove not only cheerily issued warmth, it served as an entertaining focal point for the whole family and guests to gather around.
With the invention of modern-day central heating systems, the wood stove had to relinquish its grasp on our hearts and melt into the forgotten shadows of the past. The cleaner and cheaper energies of gas and electricity were certainly here forever and wood stoves were a remnant from our great grandparents' lives.
Sometimes though the world turns full circle and now eco-friendly wood burners are back in fashion. No more expensive to run than gas or electric fires, cleaner to the environment and much more inviting to look at. The wood stove looks to have it all.
Reproduction or Refurbished
Now the burning question you're probably asking is 'What do I want?' A refurbished original stove or a modern- day antique reproduction; well to be truthful it all depends on your bank balance and desire to live with a working piece of fascinating history.
Reproductions, are just that, reproductions of the past, they're cheaper to buy than the originals, come with a working guarantee and if they go wrong you'll be able to find a spare part to fix the problem with.
Refurbished stoves though, are actually a link to the past. As you sit by them it's easy to imagine the past lives they're individually touched and warmed. And for the hard-headed business men amongst us hopefully a refurbished antique wood stove will only, over the years, gain in value.
Whichever you choose though, an antique wood stove can only be a heart warm addition to your life. And before long, when you return home at night, you'll find that not only have you invested well in an invaluable source of heating, you'll also be coming home to a friend.