Electric Fireplaces

Regarding my electric fireplaces, I furnished my home with them for several reasons.

-These portable fireplaces, although functional heaters,  are mainly decorative for my purposes. I wouldn't have it any other way, because I very much need the look of a real home for this type of house.

Since I do not own my home, I instead own the things that make it a home: the chandeliers are mine, as well as any architectural embellishments.

-The house I live in does not have a built-in fireplace and  there is no possibility of adding one.

-The electric fireplaces  supply a good decor item that gives the house a warm, lived-in look.

-Electric fireplaces are portable, which makes it easy to heat up any part of any room, or rearrange the furniture.  "Real fireplaces" have to stay in the same location, but a portable one makes rearranging the room more interesting, at least, to me.

-It is not necessary to use the heater and run your electric bill up. You can just use the light to light up the fireplace.

-They can be used in the summer, since you don't have to turn the heater on, only the lights.

 If you are planning on getting something like these, I would advise against any of them with the darkened glass because the fire in it does not shine as brightly. Instead of this one, above, get this one, below.

 I did not know about this until I received the white fireplace and discovered the darkened glass. The only time the flames show through the darkened glass is when the room is completely dark.

So if you are in Walmart looking at the variety of electric fireplaces, get someone to take it out of the box and let you look at the glass, if you can. If not, Most of them are clear glass. 

The brown one, above, has an optional hinged leaf in the back whereby you may make it into a corner fireplace. Corners are great places for these units, and give the room a different shape.

All of my fireplaces came from Walmart.com and were delivered to the door. However , they are available in the stores and can easily fit in a car, as far as I know. 

I particularly like the little black stove with the flame and the heater. It fits so nicely in small rooms and tiny corners and can be put in the most unusual places--a hallway, a bathroom, an inside porch, the sewing room.  It is being used as a bedside table here, and in the living room next to Mother's chair it makes a nice table for a reading lamp and her books.

The larger fireplaces look great in bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms. I have three altogether.  

Our main source of heat is propane, which we like very much, and the electric fireplaces are just supplemental, to take off the chill for 5 minutes or so in the mornings or now and then. Otherwise I use the lights in them that make the fire flicker as though it was really burning.

I would not recommend the portable electric fireplace as a main supply of heat, but it helps warm up a cold bedroom and looks ever so nice in a guest room.

In spite of the covering of snow, one of the primroses on the porch bloomed:

Inside, I enjoy using the electric fireplace as another piece of furniture that can be used in other ways. The mantel makes a nice book shelf or place for framed  family photographs, a big bouquet or anything that suits your creative thinking.

Adding things like stacks of wood in a kettle, or fireplace screens and other fireplace equipment, adds to the fun of these portable fireplaces. You can also place a little mat in front, or make your own by braiding a rug from fabric you don't want anymore, that goes with your color preferences

...and add a few pieces of real wood , which smells great. I'm using artificial wood, made with styrofoam and bark. You may remember I made a fake cake using bark, and this is the same kind of craft. If I ever get time, I'll show you how to make one of these logs.

If you are ordering one on Walmart.com read the description and make sure it is fully assembled. They are "a bear" to put together but the recent models are fully intact. The stores also have them, in one unit, and  the box fits in the car.

 The portable fireplace also, in my opinion, provides a little elegance to even the poorest of rooms!

If you do decide to get one of these portable heaters, make sure it is completely assembled  right in the box so that all you have to do is slide it out and plug it in. In years gone by when these first came on the market, you had to put them together, and what a job that was.