Fireside tales for cosy days indoors

The fireside becomes a natural focal point as the nights draw in and weekend afternoons gravitate towards a lounging rather than busy mood. Real or faux, a flickering flame will draw the eye and create a cosy cocoon from which to enjoy films, family games or the plot of a good book. This week’s Style Notes offers everything you need to celebrate this special corner of the home. 

Whether contemporary or classic in style, the fireplace will always be the main attraction of the living room through the autumn and winter months. Warming numbed fingers after the final tidy up of the garden, or enjoying a restorative brew after a long damp walk with the dog, you want the fireside scene to be welcoming. Encourage relaxation with comfortable armchairs and sofas placed close for warmth, and a cosy rug to sink chilled toes into.

Make fire lighting easy by ensuring your fireplace has everything close to hand, from a well-stacked log holder to a rattan basket of kindling. For a traditional hearth, wicker log storage is an ageless choice – opt for baskets on wheels or with well-placed handles to ensure trips to the woodshed are swift and efficient. More industrial in style, a metal log holder will allow you to safely stack enough logs to keep the fire burning all night long. Our brass styles bridge the gap between classic and contemporary.

No fireplace housing a real fire is complete without a companion set of fireside tools. A good fireside set will contain the minimum of a small brush and shovel for keeping the hearth swept and emptying ashes, as well as a poker and tongs for stoking the fire or repositioning errant logs. Available in a wide range of styles and finishes, it’s easy to choose a set that complements the period of your fireplace. A tall brass set will sit elegantly alongside a Georgian fireplace, or for a more rustic look to coordinate with a wood burner, consider a set in wrought iron.

Safety always comes first with an open fire, so reserve putting a match to the kindling until the chimney has had its yearly visit from the sweep and make sure any decorations are arranged a safe distance from any flames or excesses of heat. A firescreen is essential to prevent stray sparks singeing the rug, but can also be a decorative feature in itself, ideal for dressing an empty grate throughout the year. If your fireplace is decorative rather than functional, such as a small Victorian grate in a bedroom you can embellish the hearth the lights to recreate the glow of a real flame. Fill a heavy based vase with our Lit Olive Leaf Sprays or arrange light up paper stars for a soothing laid back look. 

Those with a traditional mantelpiece have a beautiful blank canvas for seasonal decorating. Those with a statement mirror can introduce a garland or heavy vase filled with Christmas stems to dress the space. A wreath above the fire is a great alternative for more contemporary fireplaces. Complement faux foliage with the scent of real greenery - our Winter Sage ceramic candle fills the gaps with a festive and cocooning scent for darker days with warming white sage and deep cypress to wrap around you.