We don't have it yet, but this is what we're planning. It's a Tulikivi soapstone heater. You burn it hot for a couple of hours each day and the heat radiates off of the soapstone for 20+ hours depending on what size you install. If it is centrally located, a soapstone heater (aka masonry heater) can heat a good sized home (even though you only load it up once a day.) Also, because they burn so hot and because the heat/smoke goes through a baffle system . . . they don't give off a lot of pollution. Oh yeah, and you don't have to buy much wood because of the once a day load up. The one also has a bake oven. They make a lot of different sizes, models. Also, these soapstone heaters can be custom built.
{{!gwi}}

thanks judydel. i've never seen/heard anything like that and it sounds really great. i should have been more specific,though, that we're interested in a gas fireplace. this is actually a rebuild after we lost our home in a house fire due to the construction around the chimney. we used to love the ambiance of burning wood, but psychologically for us if we do a fireplace at all, it's gotta be gas!

there was a thread on this recently with great pix...

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: fireplace thread

Thanks hollylh-- I had seen that thread, but they all look very rustic/castiron/wood-burningstove-esque. I'm curious if anyone has photos of a traditional mantle/fireplace in a more formal kitchen. I've checked on FKB and google image searches- not much out there! I've attached the one image we found through google which is more like we're thinking. Hoping someone else has done something like this and could offer some more photos to help us visualize.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen fireplace

Have you seen Sharb's kitchen? I think she has a more formal fireplace in her kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sharb's kitchen

alku05-- missed that one! thank you so much :) what a beautiful kitchen-- saving that one for multiple inspirations!

Wow, sharb's kitchen is outstanding! Those pictures could be in a magazine. I hope she's enjoying it.

I planned on a woodstove-- very appropriate for my area, and the 'target period' of my home-- but didn't asign a space for it in the begining, as I should have.

Then my builder got very resistant when we needed to resolve the venting issues, and the whole thing was scraped.

Pity: I think its the thing I regret most-- maybe my only real regret-- about this house. I wish I'd found a way to do a double sided unit, or two units with a single chimney, between the kitchen and dining.