The Red House House Gets a Fireplace!

Today, we’re sharing our experience adding an Ortal natural gas fireplace to The Red House. This post is in partnership with Ortal, and as always, all opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support us!

The Red House has a Fireplace!

We almost can’t believe we get to say that aloud. The Red House has a fireplace! Kim and I both grew up with fireplaces in our family homes, but we’ve never had one in any of our own homes. Until now, that is! Way back when we first walked through the Red House and weren’t even considering taking on another home renovation project, we both knew the space needed a fireplace. Once we eventually purchased the home and set about designing it, we immediately began researching models and styles that we could integrate into the overall design plan. Through our search, one brand – Ortal – checked all of our boxes and kept rising to the top of the list. When an opportunity to collaborate with them on this project arose, we couldn’t say yes quickly enough!

Ortal is a European manufacturer with a new North American headquarters and design center in Columbus, OH. They’ve been designing gorgeous fireplaces in Europe for decades and have recently introduced a number of stunning new models to the US market. Our Wilderness Standalone Three Sided 25H is one of them, and we’re absolutely in love!

Installation of a Natural Gas Fireplace

There are countless fireplace styles available today, but we wanted the heat output and natural flame of a wood-burning fireplace with the convenience of electric control, so natural gas was the obvious choice for us. In addition, the chilly winter climate of the upper Midwest can be unforgiving, so reliable heat is an absolute necessity. Unlike with an electric fireplace, the battery backup on our Ortal Wilderness Stand Alone Three Sided 25H can still ignite and keep our home warm and toasty in the case of a power outage (which has been known to happen more than a few times in our part of rural Michigan). This is a feature that we hope we never have to use, but knowing that its there gives us a lot of peace of mind!

The installation of our gas fireplace required a fuel line, an electrical connection, and a properly-sized vent opening through roof. The electrical and gas connections were easily handled by our contractors from below via the unfinished basement. The roof penetration was created when we removed the entire roof structure of the home earlier in the project, so we were ready to go when the unit arrived. With the site prepped and mechanicals roughed in, we were ready to install the fireplace!

The permitting and installation of the fireplace was handled by our local mechanical/HVAC contractor, but since the Ortal North American headquarters is just a few hours away, an Ortal Authorized installer joined Ortal’s manufacturer representatives to work alongside our contractor. This ensured that the site was set up according to install requirements prior to installation. Ortal’s authorized installer assisted along the way, including being on site to manage the install and start up! If their Columbus, OH showroom isn’t near you, Ortal offers a handy dealer locator to help find the dealer or showroom nearest to you, regardless of where you live!

In a matter of hours, the firebox was set, the vent piping was installed and the Wilderness driftwood logs were set in place. We were absolutely blown away by the finished product. To say that Ortal’s Wilderness Collection features an ultra-realistic flame is the understatement of the decade. The exclusive Firelog Technology allows the flame to travel through the driftwood logs as opposed to coming from the fire pan below them. The logs also feature a fine nickel mesh that helps them to glow realistically like natural embers. The overall effect looks so much like a wood-burning fire that we could probably convince you that we collected all of the driftwood from our local beach this morning!

Why 3-Sided?

Throughout our design process, we considered every possible fireplace shape. At one point we even thought about an in-wall, two-sided indoor/outdoor model since we’d like to add a deck outside the big sliding door some day. In the end though, we wanted to be able to see the fire from every part of the long, narrow living/dining/kitchen area, so the Three Sided Stand Alone 25H was the perfect choice. It has a strong, commanding presence, but occupies a relatively small footprint in the space. We’re obsessed with the scale of it in the room! It’s not too big, not too small.

The just-right footprint of the fireplace also allowed us to maximize the size of the sliding door immediately to its left, which we custom-ordered to allow appropriate space clearances for this exact model. To say that we literally designed this entire home around this fireplace is not an exaggeration.

Walking into the home through the front door, the fireplace is the first thing that greets you and it immediately sets the tone of the space. We’re designing this home to be warm, cozy and welcoming, with just the right touch of modern design sensibility. The Three Sided Stand Alone 25H has a timeless presence that nods to a traditional wood-burning stove, but with modern touches that feel right at home in this renovated mid-century project.

Our vintage leather swivel chairs are located in the perfect spot to take in the view and warmth of the fireplace. We’re embracing the mid-century ethos of bringing the outdoors in, and the views of the fireplace through to the woods outside is checking all of those boxes for us. It’s shaping up to be an incredibly cozy winter, and we can’t wait to watch the first snowfall out the back door in front of a blazing fire!

Stand Alone Vs. Built-In

The Wilderness Stand Alone Three Sided 25H is (as the name implies!) considered a stand-alone fireplace, which means that it’s not built into a wall or surrounding structure. For this project, we preferred this look as opposed to a built-in model. The firebox of our fireplace simply sits on the floor and gravity takes care of keeping it in place. It can, however, be wall-mounted with proper non-combustible cement board installed on the wall, prior to hanging the fireplace. Mounting on the wall would give a floating effect, which is another cool option!

We not only preferred the look of a freestanding fireplace, but the installation was more straightforward in our renovation project. The Wilderness Stand Alone Three Sided 25H doesn’t require the installation of a hearth or a chimney, so it feels more like a piece of furniture than a traditional built-in fireplace.

The realism of the flames coupled with the shape of the fireplace itself sets a mood for cozy comfort no matter what the weather outside looks like.

This fireplace is an absolute dream come true. Now, when we arrive at the home to knock out day of projects or to just enjoy the space for a few hours, the first thing we do is turn on the fireplace. The remote makes starting and stopping the fire quick and safe with the simple press of a button. We can’t thank our friend at Ortal enough for working on this project with us and guiding us through the process. The views in this home are set to change considerably through 2024, but this fireplace will remain the focal point of the space for years to come!

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