Help me with gas fire choices!

[TinaBacon]

Newish house, a bit architecty. There is no fire in the living room, but there's a gas pipe. There is also no hearth or surround, so we have a blank slate. Any ideas?

I'm not sure about repro wooden surrounds but quite like the black iron all in one piece jobbies.

Or maybe a hole in the wall type?

Is there a chimney?

Yes.

And the living room is on the first floor, if that makes any difference.

Something like this?

Yes, I quite like that. Although the curved sides feel a bit executive bachelor pad. I wonder about this simple version: www.stovax.com/stove-fire/riva2-500-gas-fires/riva2-500-edge/

Would something like this look weird in a modern house?

Yes the simpler stovax is nice.

Your last link I think would look odd in a modern house.

With one of those inset ones like the Stovax would you just carpet up to the edge of the the chimney breast, as there's no need for a hearth?

Damned modern houses, they mess with everything I know about decor! I do love mid century stuff and architecture, I wonder if there's any inspiration in that direction...

Yes, I woüld go no hearth and carpet all the way.

Have you looked in Pinterest for inspiration.

Sure, you don't fancy a nice modern log burning stove? Something like this?

I love mid century as well and we've just bought a 50s build with restorable parquet and wall panelling, can't wait to get cracking on it but the fireplaces for that era are awful. All tile surrounds with those horrible crackle glaze rounded off edges.... Bleurgh. I do think a simple Modern style surround works quite nicely though to compliment both a modern look and a retro mid century look, so I'll be checking back to see if you find anything amazing!

The issue with a woodburner is that a) we'd have to take the gas supply out and b) OH is always too warm, so he'd be cracking up at not being able to instantaneously turn it down.

Are gas faux woodburners desperately naff? I suspect so.

Ooh, Alias, I'm jealous of your mid century house.

Also wondering whether I should be thinking of herringbone wood or parquet instead of a carpet.

I think a wooden floor in an architecty type house would probably be nicer.

Parquet all the way Tina. I have high hopes for an original floor once we rip up the carpets in the new house. I will cry if it's too badly damaged to salvage. It's great for texture to put a minimalist look on top of rather than a flat colour, adds interest and warmth of you're going for a minimalist scandi feel

Yes, I like the serenity of Scandinavian type decor, although sometimes I crave colour. If I had a period house I think I'd go the whole F&B brights thing. Considering a navy living room at the mo, with the stairs and landing this type of thing or the one with the red doors in this post.

Does parquet need a particular surface underneath? As the room Is upstairs the floor is boarded.

What happens if the size of the opening is a differently size to the fire? Is opening it out a big job? The hole we have would look fine for a traditional fireplace but would look small and mean for one of those inset hole in the wall style ones.