I dearly love a wood fire. But after heating our house with wood for nine years, back in the eighties, we were cured of ever actually having a wood fireplace again. Still miss it sometimes, but I don't miss the ashes, bark, bugs, smoke etc. Guess I'm getting old.

i'd like some feedback on the two windows, as I am currently looking at the same thing without windows. Why r they there given the expanse of glass on other wall. My mum had two narrow vertical windows either side and as they were un curtained they look like black rectangles at night which I found spooky. They didn't let in much light because of trees outside, but I guess if u had a skyline view say they may be useful. They also compromised positioning of artwork.

Ah, I wouldn't think so. Photo B is the external side of the chimney, which would have originally been outside the house (the external wall). So i'm guessing your living room was added onto the house at a later stage. So it was never designed to be a double sided fireplace, like some are. And yes, it is a structural part of the chimney. By the way, your bedroom fireplace is a beautiful original mantle, I wouldn't touch it.

I didn't specify the fireplace - it was the one they owned, so I'm not sure of the brand but many gas fireboxes can be installed in the same way. Try Jetmaster - their Heat N Glow range has similar designs.