Creative space filler needed!

[Twasacceptableinthe80s]

We’re having a largish kitchen/family room extension added (10x5m) and in the dining area corner we were meant to have a log burner. Unfortunately, owing to some confusion between our technical drawer/project manager/hetas engineer the pitch or the roof and the amount of timber used has now rendered it entirely unsuitable to have one installed.

So…now we have a corner between two sets of bifolds approx 2mx2m that is dead space which should have been the focal point of the room. I am hoping the hive mind of mumsnet can help us find something attractive to fill the space. There is no power as obviously we were anticipating a wood burning stove going there.

All ideas gratefully received!

A fake woodburner with a long electric flex?

A massive and beautiful indoor tree?

A sculpture by a local artist?

Well firstly I'd be going back to the professionals that cocked up your (presumably not inexpensive!) extension plans and asking for ideas/solutions - you must be so frustrated!

Is it built yet or can you get wider openings in instead?

Bio ethanol feature fire?

Really funky chair?

Can you put the stove chimney through the wall instead of the roof? I've seen this done in a house that had no fireplace to start with

Time to celebrate because wood burning stoves are epically bad for indoor air quality. Go in the opposite direction and get a big indoor plant/tree

I agree with the air quality comments. A friend of mine has really bad lungs from heating his room with a log burner & he's super skilled & knowledgable with it. He got covid & was fucked basically. The hospital said he'd lost 70% of his lung capacity. Directly related back to the micro pollutants.

Wood burning stoves are worse than sitting in the middle of the busiest of roads. Scandalous that there is no guidance and controls for indoor air quality

Hope your friend gets well soon

If you want a fireplace but can't have a wood burner maybe take a look at bio-ethanol fire places, you can get traditional and modern style ones and they do heat the room well (no idea about what it's doing to my lungs though as I'd never thought about it!)

I would use the space to fit built in floor to ceiling book cases but I would live
in a library if I could

tell your builder / architect that they have got to get you a power socket in that corner. Then you can have (or even swap around)

• a TV that shows only images of a log fire burning


• a large christmas tree with all the lights


• a fake log fire


• a giant indoor fountain

or whatever else you feel like. but they have to put in the electricity asap.

Given the cock up getting electricity put into that corner (at whoever made the error's expense) would seem a reasonable compromise to me.

I’d get electricity put in if you can. And then put lamp and big plant on built in shelves.

or if not built yet, a non opening window.

How about a flueless/balanced flue gas stove?