I googled the ThermArt site, and the word portable did not come up. If you email them, they are very responsive. I called recently and the inventor, Nick Barber, answered the phone. He is the real McCoy. He obviously loves what he is doing and is very generous with information, of which he has quite a lot. Here are some things I have learned: They look the best at highest flame. That means you want to have your ThermArt provide fewer BTU's than you will need at the coldest times, in order to have healthy flames on days that are not bitterly cold. (So you will want some supplement for the coldest days of the year). The material they use for designs can be cut like wood. They are very accomdating with original designs. Their wave design was actually done by a customer. If you want to wall mount the unit and can't vent directly out the wall, you will need about 15" or 16" of clearance. There are two units, as of now, a fireplace insert and a wall-mount unit. This is not clear on the website. They are planning to introduce a new unit in March that is two and a half times as wide. These are the main components: Gas component  Mertik - Maxitrol G60 series is their newest design and is taking off like wild fire in this industry for use in the top models of each manufacturer, and weÂve found that it is the best control system in the market today. We had sample controls before the certification testing was completed to check out its performance. This component is made in Germany. Ceramic glazing  Shott, Robax glass has inherent qualities better than other ceramics available, this product is also made in Germany. Refractory  Skamol, this product has been used in many applications, it is ideal for use because of its machining qualities, rigidity or durability in handling, the product does not soften or disintegrate when exposed to heat the material is inert and is environmentally friendly. Burner  Aeromatix stainless steel burner from England. High efficiency burner. We are currently waiting for a proposal from our fireplace installer (he did our wood fireplace rebuild). Our installer said the the price was reasonable given that you're not just getting a fireplace, but a work of art.

I have a split field stone fireplace so am coming at this from a bias where neither of those choices are in my experience--but I wanted to add a thought. I have been watching all these "contemporary" applications to the home fireplace and have been wondering how they will date the rooms. A fireplace is not an easy thing to switch up...they tend to be LASTING elements in a home. I am just not sold that many of the applications, like the one shown, will stand the test of time. The logical thing is to go with the one that best partners with the rest of the homes finishes and architecture. Without seeing more of your home this is a difficult call.

I'll chime in as a fan of contemporary myself, and a not-so-much fan of country. Your kitchen definitely has a country look to it for reasons already posted. The natural color oak cabs unfortunately don't fall into any description of contemporary, but I would expect touching the cabs to be off the table. If you need canisters for practical reasons (e.g. storage), then consider stainless steel. I got a nice set from Costco for not much money, and Crate & Barrel also have nice ones. Your family room has a contemporary look to it (with the exception of the table lamp). If you look at the elements there in comparison to your kitchen, what you see are solid colors, clean lines, and a lack of nicknacks. Look at the window treatments in particular. Solid color valence, and solid color drapes. Also look at the artwork over the fireplace. Dramatic dark frame that matches the color of the fireplace below, complementary colors in the matting, and a repeating dark brown mat towards the inside. So ask yourself, "how do I bring these design themes to my kitchen?" Well, replace the window treatment with a solid color. I would recommend a dramatic color that matches some other elements in the room such as your counters. Vertical pleating such as you have now is more country. No pleating (like your window valence in the family room) or horizontal pleating (like in roman shades) are more contemporary. Although roman shades always have a summer beach house feel for me, but that's probably just me. For the stuff on top of the cabinets, you should replace them with repeating items in solid or repeating colors. For example you could use a dozen clear/colored art glass plates that again match the counters. The key here is to use multiples of the same item in the same or similar colors, whereas currently you have a mix of disparate items (plate, jug, basket, bottle, etc). Anyway you get the idea - repeating elements, repeating colors, simple lines, no clutter. Those things say "contemporary" to me. Good luck and I hope that helps a little.

The cabinet would look something like this, but with vertical legs. The shower with vertical 3x12 subway wall tile and carrara marble herringbone floor tile are shown in the second photo. In the third photo the mirrored medicine cabinet and light are shown above the spot the vanity will take. The fourth photo shows the pull i am thinking of for the drawers. Also included are the dimensions of the pull we are considering. Our thought is that whilr being somewhat different, some of the design characteristics are reminiscent of and complementary to faucet handles. Thoughts?