Autumn
Just back from my stone fireplace ‘researching’ trip in the French alps. Hard work, but found some nice plain rustic examples. That’s what we specialize in…. stone fireplaces that are just plain and simple, and although the French probably make/have made some of the most elaborate and decorative stone fireplaces ever, they are also probably the best at producing very plain and unadorded designs too.
We looked mainly at rural and farmhouses, and there were some very beautiful places. It was very nice weather, and no need for fires to be lit, but every alpine house had a lovely pile of split logs ready for the impending winter, and it won’t be long till those stone fireplaces are again ablaze with log fires!
Alpine houses are very beautiful: It’s all natural materials: weathered wood and stone, sitting there in wild flower meadows, cows with gently ringing bells… all very idyllic!
Although there are a few stone staircases in evidence, they are more a stack of stone blocks forming an external stone stairs, than a ‘proper’ stone staircase. They normally go up externally, as the living quarters are normally on the first floor, and the cattle live in the ground floor. It’s a sort of organic underfloor heating, though I’m not sure if you get underfloor odours as well? I suspect so.
Anyway, we have a few more ideas for new designs, and we’ll get photos on the site as soon as we can