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Home » Home Improvement Articles » Small Fireplaces Gel Fuel Electric Wall Mounted Or Virtual

Small Fireplaces: Gel Fuel, Electric, Wall Mounted Or Virtual?

Although most of today's homes no longer rely on a fireplace for heating purposes, they are still in high demand. Fireplaces will always have a special allure. The vision of cozying up in front of a roaring fire, mug of hot chocolate in hand, while snow falls gently outside the window or sitting in front of a rippling fire while you and your beloved spend a romantic evening together are two appealing scenarios that may come to mind when thinking of a fireplace. If you live in a small home, apartment or condominium, you may not have the luxury of a built-in fireplace. However, today you can purchase a fireplace that would fit into even the smallest of spaces. There are various options to choose from.

These include:

* Virtual/Digital fireplaces
* Compact fireplaces
* Wall-mounted fireplaces
* Tabletop fireplaces

Whether your style leans more toward modern, contemporary or anywhere in-between, one of the above-mentioned fireplaces would suite it perfectly.

Electric or Gel Fuel Fireplaces

When looking into purchasing a fireplace for your small space, you will discover that some use gel fuel and others electric. The advantages are both are eco-friendly, do not require venting or special hook-ups and are clean and odor-free. However, you may want to consider the cost and convenience of both before making a particular small space fireplace purchase.

Gel Fuel

Each gel fuel can lasts approximately 3 hours. They come in a case of twenty-four and cost $65 on average. By doing the calculations, it can be determined that one case of gel fuel will last around 72 hours. Due to the cost, most retailers will inform you that small fireplaces that run on gel fuel are mainly for decorative purposes rather than heating.

Electric

The advantage of purchasing a small fireplace that runs on electricity is the ease of use. It is also unnecessary to spend your valuable time (not to mention gas), to make trips to the store to get what is required to keep the fireplace going. The disadvantage is that your electric bill may increase significantly. However, this can be remedied by monitoring the amount of time the fireplace is in use.

Virtual/Digital Fireplaces for Small Spaces

Many may not consider a virtual fireplace as a serious fireplace option. However, before it is written off completely, it should be noted that today's technology has brought the virtual fireplace a long way from the mock fireplaces of yesteryear. Today's virtual fireplaces are basically a DVD that you put into your television or personal computer that creates a realistic illusion of a crackling fire. The DVD loops around and plays continuously until you turn it off.

Depending on your expectations, you may find yourself disappointed either by the quality of the video or that it is just not "real" enough for you. However, a virtual fireplace is perfect for small spaces. If you have room for a television or computer, you are already one step closer to having a fireplace. It may only be a facsimile of the real thing, but it is worth looking into if you have limited space and you want to add an ambiance of romance or the warm cozy feel that a real fireplace adds to any room.

Compact Fireplaces Made for Small Spaces

A normal size fireplace is around 40-50 inches wide. Those in the range of 25-35 inches wide would classify as a compact or small fireplace. Most traditional fireplaces are available only in floor models. Compact fireplaces are wonderful space savers as many are designed as corner units.

Wall-Mounted Fireplaces Perfect for Small Spaces

Wall-mounted fireplaces obviously take up no floor space. For that reason alone, a wall-mounted fireplace would be considered the ultimate in space saving design. If your style in décor is traditional, you may have difficulty finding a wall-mounted fireplace to suite your taste as most have a contemporary look and feel. However, as wall-mounted fireplaces increase in popularity, it is probable that the selection will grow offering more variety in design.

Tabletop Fireplaces Uniquely Designed for Small Spaces

Tabletop fireplaces are in one word "unique". If you are not wanting a floor model or wall-mounted fireplace, but you desire a small fireplace that is not only fun, but also out of the ordinary, then a tabletop fireplace may be just what you are searching for.

From a smokeless glass-fire tabletop fireplace made specifically to enhance the view of the dancing flames to a contemporary tabletop fireplace with stainless steel logs mounted on a slate base, these small scale fireplaces are miniature works of art that are bound to be great conversation starters.

Today, there are various options to choose from to have a cozy romantic fireplace in even the smallest of spaces. From compact, wall-mounted, tabletop, to a virtual/digital fireplace, there is sure to be one to suite any home or even office décor.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

The Only Option is to Succeed

With the end of the year fast approaching, now is a great time to take stock of 2004. It is likely that your company set specific goals at the beginning of the year. As you review the past year, the question that must be asked is, "Have I achieved my goals? Has my company achieved the outcomes we set?" If your answer is yes, congratulations! If not, what stopped you?

There are always unplanned occurrences that prevent us from accomplishing all the goals we set. However, our roadblocks are often as simple as getting caught up in the day to day activities of running our business.

Without constant reminders of our vision and goals, they probably won't materialize. It's as simple as that.

The difference between those who achieve a desired outcome and those who don't is evident. The most common causes of failure in achieving a desired outcome are a lack of goals and focus, lack of direction, lack of appropriate action and lack of being willing to risk â€" and risk big. On the other hand, those who seem to get the desired result have specific goals, clearly visualize what they want, have clear direction, take massive action and are willing to take incredible risks.

One of my goals for 2004 included writing and publishing another book by year's end. In creating my newly released book, 101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door, this goal was accomplished.

As my co-authors and I were in the initial planning stages of the project we all expressed our desired outcomes or goals. First, the book had to convey quality to the art of selling. Second, we wanted it to be unique, like nothing else currently on the market. Lastly, we wanted to have little, if any, out-of-pocket expenses on what is normally an extremely expensive proposition.

With these goals clearly stated, we set out to create something from the seed of an idea. We were all confident we could achieve the first two goals based on our over 100 years of combined sales knowledge.

It was the goal of achieving as close to a debt free product that would add even more excitement to an already high energy project. The fact is, once we made a public announcement of our book release we had to figure out how to make it work. We did what many high achievers do - we gave ourselves no option but to succeed. We would have to figure out a way to make it work.

Although there are people who would buy simply because they know us, that was not our objective. Our objective was to reach multiple markets where we weren't necessarily known.

In a moment of high creativity, we decided to sell the book before it was published. We knew if people were willing to buy the book sight unseen we either had to deliver on our promise or lose all credibility in the marketplace and with clients who trust us.

We had to develop an incentive for buying the book before it was printed. As an information products specialist, I know that people value great information. My co-authors also know this to be true. Based on this information we decided to host a complimentary bonus training session for anyone who bought the book before it was published.

The response we received was more than we anticipated. Right from the start the bonus session created quite a few sales. This helped us to pay for a portion of our production costs up front. It also forced us to stay within our stated timeframe for delivery. After all, we couldn't very well promise hundreds of buyers they would have something on a specified date and not deliver it. Our reputation and credibility was at stake.

With these clear goals, focus, creativity and action, 101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door was released on December 2nd. I'm proud to say we achieved all our goals.

As you review the past year, what accomplishments are you extremely proud of? What would you have done differently? What roadblocks got in your way?

The New Year is here and with it the opportunity to focus on your personal and business goals. What are the outcomes you truly desire for 2005? Are you willing to give yourself no option but to succeed?

Copyright © 2004 by Kathleen Gage
Web address: www.kathleengage.com

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.