Passionate about Wood Stoves… a Man on a Mission

Steve O'Reilly is a busy man. Running one of Sussex's largest wood stove companies is very demanding. He and his his teams supply and install wood stoves throughout the south of the country, and Steve is up at the crack of dawn to ensure that everything is in place before the day begins. Passionate and committed to his products, it is interesting to meet someone so focused on helping people to embrace the notion of having a wood stove.

"I think that people have a certain reticence about installing a wood stove," Steve said.

"It's not that they don't like the idea of it, but the thought of having one put in can be daunting. After all many people lack imagination as to how it will look, and are worried about the cost, and it's efficiency".

"Plus there is lots of info out there on the internet screaming "Don't do it!". But during the last 20 years of working in this industry I've never had anyone phone me up and beg me to take their stove away. Once you've got one, you're hooked".

"And we can always help people to decide which stove to put in, and how to remake a room so it looks great. We've got all the skills needed to transform a room so that the stove becomes a stunning focal point".

And I have to say that having a stove installed is a bit like a Damascus experience. Since having one installed by Steve 4 years ago, I've never looked back. My Woodwarm Fireview was probably one of the best investments that I have made, and the enjoyment of it cannot be underestimated.

"Stoves are like friends," Steve continued.

"They set the ambience of a room and make a home so welcoming. When the flames are roaring and the room is toasty, the stove provides you with a warm feeling and you can relax and unwind at the end of a stressful day. And with a wood stove you don't need to be constantly emptying them, and they are so efficient now that we find that our customers buy them to supplement heating."

I have been thinking about this a lot this week whilst sitting in my garden staring at my pond! In the summer I have a pond and in the winter there's the wood stove. Both of these things are both beautiful and provide an opportunity to sit and be. I don't know about you, but with a busy life, and full on technology, we seem to have lost the art of just sitting. We do have a TV in the lounge where the stove is, but it is rarely on. Instead we find ourselves talking to each other, our friends, and, more shockingly, our teenage kids! When the fire is going there is something to look at that allows for silence, and staring at flames helps to make a situation more open and relaxed.

So despite the weather Steve is busy putting in stoves throughout the south, but he is always open to a call to give advice on which wood stove would work for you and how best to install it. Just give him a call and you too could be enjoying this winter with a warming fire.