burning wood

Summer is in full swing and we are enjoying it immensely so far. Berry picking and birthday parties. Planting flowers and making jam. Tree swings and flip flops. These are the sorts of things that have been filling our days this season.

I'm no fool and I know that summer must come to an end at some point. First autumn and then winter, before the warmth of next year's spring and summer return. And in the midst of enjoying all of the warmth and easiness that summer has to offer, I can't help but begin to prepare for the coming of colder, harsher weather.

Call it nesting, foresight of just necessity, but we have begun thinking about how we will keep ourselves warm (and feed ourselves well) during the chilly, barren days of winter.

Specifically speaking of heating our home, we are pretty much facing two options: going completely broke from buying heating oil or investing in a wood-burning stove.

Well, the verdict is in... and I see lots of stacked wood sitting in my living room corner in our near future. The wood-burning stove has officially been put on our priority "to buy" list.

Being the lover of beautiful and useful things that I am, I was slightly fearful of what sort of massive clunky piece of metal (I'm picturing the stove that I grew up being warmed by) would be the focal point of my living room. I figured that finding a wood-burning stove that fit into both of these categories would be nearly impossible.

Until I saw this gorgeous stove from Dutch designer Dick van Hoff...


I can totally see this gorgeous wood-burning stove keeping us warm this winter (and many winters to come).