At one time our circa 1910 house had, we estimate, 5-6 fireplaces. By the time we saw it in 2002 there was one. And even that one had been changed, much to our chagrin. We speculated that there had been more but were not sure until we began pulling carpet up (see my article on antique floors, here) . At that point we started to find scars on the floor that indicated a corner fireplace in the parlour, a large fireplace in what we assume was the upstairs library, one between the windows in the reception parlour, and at least one more in the back of the house in what we believe to be the original kitchen. That was much more than we were prepared, financially or mentally, to restore at one time and so we have chosen to replace one of them with a ventless gas fireplace, and have not done anything about the others. Because I love the ambiance of a fireplace last winter we looked into the hologram electric fireplaces for the master bedroom.

Since ours was going into the bedroom I didn't want anything too large, but I wanted something that would look nice. I wanted it to be both beautiful and to function as an electric fireplace heater. I had horrid memories of the electric fireplaces of the 1960's, ugly plastic logs with a light bulb behind them! I was skeptical of the quality and the look but wanted a fireplace badly.

As I researched and looked at different ones I was amazed at the variety in price and quality. I finally decided to buy on eBay because I just didn't have alot of money to spend and I found one that seemed like it would work for less than $300.00, including shipping.

When the box came I had my son take it to my room. We removed it carefully and I was delighted to see that the mantle was not cheap looking. The real question was going to be, what will it look like when it is running? I left and my son, who was 14 at the time, installed it for me. The installation consisted of removing plastic and plugging it in! It could not have been easier. He turned it on and called me back to my bedroom.

I was amazed! The hologram flames really looked like flames and heat poured out. On my fireplace there are switches to adjust the heat, use it heat only and no flame, or even flame only and no heat. I appreciate this feature because it means that my husband and i can have a romantic retreat in the heat of summer by turning on the flame without the heat.

I do miss the crackle and smell of a real fire. Someday I hope to restore all the fireplaces in the house. For the price these electric models are a great way to add visual interest to a room. Obviously the more you spend the bigger, nicer quality you can get. If you look at places like Home Depot, Lowes, and other home improvement centers you can often find the electric fireplaces on sale at half price in January. I picked up a hologram 'wood stove' for the den at Home Depot clearanced for $45.00!

Some of the newer models come with dvds that have a looped recording of a crackling fire. This means that the fireplace is even more realistic with the sound and because of the loop technology it doesn' t stop until you stop it. Electric fireplaces utilize a very small amount of electricity to run, usually only a bulb or two so it is very economical. It will generate more heat in a room than a gas or wood burning fireplace and we have had to learn to turn ours off before we sleep because our large bedroom gets too hot!

Another benefit is that an electric fireplace is safe, and will not increase your insurance payments like putting in a wood or gas fireplace can. There is no need to clean it, except for dusting it once in awhile, and if you move you can take it with you.

An electric fireplace may be just the thing you are looking for, effortless, romantic ambiance on a budget.