The Fireplace King
By DC Rutherford
I ordered my usual two cords of wood this week, preparing to get the old homestead going as we head into winter. Sure, I have more industrial and modern forms of heating my home – an oil furnace, an energy-efficient system of mini-splits – but why? There’s nothing quite like the smell of wood sparking a morning, cutting into the crisp cool of burgeoning autumn that’s falling towards another inevitable winter. The fire, indeed, is so delightful.
Fireplaces have evolved as much as any home utility over the past half-decade, but their simplicity and anachronism define it. In Muskoka and its surrounding regions, Huntsville’s The Fireplace King has been keeping homes and cottages warmed by postcard-perfect hearths for over 35 years. Offering “heating and cooling solutions for your home, cottage, business, and lifestyle,” The Fireplace King installs and services gas and wood-burning fireplaces; inserts and pellet stoves; boilers, furnaces, and geothermal heating; air conditioning, heat pumps, and hot water heaters; barbecues, outdoor and fireplaces, plus patio heaters, gas and wood firepits, and more.
Some of The Fireplace King’s favourite modern conveniences, heading into the 2021-22 season, include the Renaissance Rumford 1500, Town & Country’s WS54, as well as The Architectural Series by Town & Country, “North America’s most sophisticated luxury fireplace.”
These fireplaces aren’t simply about keeping the pipes from freezing and warming up romantic winter nights. These are works of art that complement any space, and can be customized to fit the aesthetic preferences of discerning homeowners and cottagers.
The more traditional hearth aficionado will love the Renaissance Rumford 1500, boasting 1,500 square inches of high-quality ceramic glass, a guillotine door and screen, and specialty refractory panels. “The shape of the firebox creates a taller fire and reflects more heat into the room than a traditional fireplace,” according to the literature, “an excellent alternative to a traditional open-hearth fireplace. It has the size and appearance of a stone hearth, but the added benefit of an air-tight door, tons of heat and reduced emissions.”
Those more enamoured with the contemporary will adore the Town & Country WS54, “a massive, widescreen landscape of deep, generous flames that captivate from any angle, making a statement in even the most spacious rooms. This ultra-modern fireplace is sleek and luxurious and can be customized for your space,” switching out burners and firebox panels to offer dozens of combinations.
For those who wish to luxuriate in the opulence of their fireplace, The Architectural Series by Town & Country is poised to redefine the marketplace. “Designed for visual performance, The Architectural Series features a dramatic flame powered by 16,000 BTUs per foot, combined with a custom firebox airflow control system to allow fine art or the ultimate TV to hang directly above the viewing area. Narrow depth cool-touch glass makes the flame the focal point, while loadbearing construction offers the interior designer complete flexibility.”
These are not your parents’ fireplaces. These are the very height of hearth technology and beauty. Since the fire is so delightful, why not delight in all it has to offer?