As the nights draw in here in Scotland we will be starting to share some ideas, inspiration and experience in relation to winter living and architecture/ interiors. We are starting with a recent project that incorporates a sustainably sourced reclaimed slate fireplace that was found in a Glasgow Salvage yard. The fire surround was installed together with a contemporary inset wood burning stove that efficiently utilises locally sourced air dried windfall/ storm damaged tree limbs to generate thermal energy and keep the Georgian House warm on cold winter nights. The mix and match modern meets traditional style of the fireplace helps to settle the new fireplace feature into this country house setting, which also adopts a mixture of other contemporary and traditional features that we will share in future blog posts. This fireplace installation in the Scottish Borders makes use of an old chimney breast that had served a back kitchen and new leathered granite hearth and back were selected to complement the materiality of the surround and inset stove. We think the patina of the old fire surround suits the context of the elegant, but less than perfect window shutters, which can be closed at night to prevent the warmth from the roaring fire escaping through the traditional crown glazed hardwood windows. We'll be following up shortly with a night version of this interior to show the cosy stove in action!. We will also be sharing other examples of how to effectively utilise salvaged design features in refurbished interiors.
