Of course, it may have been that my view was somewhat clouded by the company and the fun that I was having. Looking back on that occasion with hindsight, it's become increasingly apparent to me that many of us like the thought of having a real fire in our own homes.
For those of us who live in modern properties this isn't always possible. Most new homes in the past few decades have been constructed to include integral central heating and hence don't have chimneys. That makes things more difficult if you're looking to have an open fire.
Rather than having to spend a large amount of money on construction work within your property, a cheaper and easier solution is to install an electric fire. In years gone by, this may not have seemed like a very good alternative.
With their tendency to appear rather false, they bore little resemblance to real fires. Fortunately, times have changed and they can now provide a really elegant solution. That's exactly what I had found when I spotted that electric fire in operation last year.
When I started to look at buying an electric fire for my own home it soon became clear that there were plenty of options and that costs varied considerably. This wasn't just about the cost of buying a fire but about the cost of getting it installed too.
Some could be bought and then simply plugged in. They seemed to require no special skills and were the cheapest option. My view is that they also look the least like a real fire - most don't include any sort of flame effects.
They clearly do a job, but maybe lack the elegance that I was looking for at the time. Luckily there are alternatives that are also simple to install but can create a stunning effect for a relatively low price.
I was particularly impressed by those that come supplied with their own fire surrounds - these are often known as fire suites. This can be fitted to an existing interior wall of the home, but they create the effect of having a real fireplace, as well as the appearance of having a real fire.
What about those like the one that I originally saw? These seem to be a more expensive option and may even need the assistance of a builder in order to get them fitted. They do, however, look absolutely fantastic.
In many ways, I remain convinced that they are the best option to look at. I think I may need a larger home before making such a purchase though!
Information about electric fires is available online, as discussed by Keith Barrett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.
