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Case studies

Résidence St-Lazare

Les Coupables: Atelier de design – QUEBEC, CANADA

 

Nestled in the charming town of Saint-Lazare is a home that is much more than just a place to live; it’s a dream come true for its new owners. Designed for a family looking to put down roots in a welcoming environment, this architectural masterpiece takes its inspiration from the English countryside to offer a haven of peace and tradition.

The owners, a couple with two young daughters, dreamed of a house that would be more than just a place to live: a family home designed to span generations. Their vision was clear: to create a home in the image of a British Farm House, blending rustic charm with timeless elegance. They wanted to infuse this new build with a deep soul, as if the walls had already witnessed precious moments and every nook and cranny revealed stories from the past.

Our design team’s mission was to give shape to this vision by creating a home with a welcoming, caring atmosphere. The strategic use of different shades of wood, stone and natural tones was fundamental to this project, offering each room a unique, soft and serene atmosphere.

The relationship with the exterior is also essential. Generous openings integrate the outside perfectly with the inside, allowing natural light to bathe the rooms and offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

In this English Country-style home, every stone, beam and color tells a story of love, family and shared dreams. It’s an invitation to discover how, with talent, vision and heart, a new house can, from day one, be adorned with an old, welcoming soul.

Model : Stûv 16-58 H 

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Tips and techniques

Outdoor Air Intakes

Do I need to connect an outside air intake to my Stûv wood-burning appliance? Good question! Read on to better understand the purpose an outside air intake serves and if one is necessary for your project.

What exactly is an outside air intake and what does it do?

A fire needs oxygen to burn. An outside air intake is a flexible pipe, four to six inches in diameter, that supplies your stove or fireplace with air without taking it from inside your home.

How do I know if I need an outside air intake?

Here are a few situations in which connecting an outside air intake will help your appliance run optimally:

  • •Type of building

Some buildings, such as newly built passive homes, may require that a wood-burning stove or fireplace be directly connected to an outside air intake. This is so the air supply available inside the residence is not affected. It’s important to know your building’s construction parameters before installing such an appliance.

  • •Room’s surface area

When choosing a wood-burning stove or fireplace, it’s important to take into consideration the surface area of the room in which it will be installed. Even if you connect your Stûv appliance to an outside air intake, a stove or fireplace that is not the right size for the room will not have optimal combustion. Our network of certified experts can help you choose the ideal model for your needs.

  • •Different ventilation systems in the home

Different ventilation systems can also affect air supply to your appliance. One example is range hoods, which are increasingly powerful. When you are lighting a fire or adding wood to your stove or fireplace, a range hood can create negative air pressure in your home, causing smoke to backflow into the room.

  • •Municipal bylaws

Some municipalities require the installation of an outside air intake. Check with your local authorities.

What problems can be avoided by installing an outside air intake?

A Stûv wood-burning appliance that is not connected to an outside air intake may not burn efficiently and can cause unwanted effects during use:

    • •Backdraft smoke from the chimney;
    • •Low combustion and small flames;
    • •Blackened combustion chamber;
    • •Darkened glass

When should I install an outside air intake?

Although you can install an outside air intake after you’ve already begun using your Stûv stove or fireplace, we recommend installing it in the early stages of your project. It will be much simpler and cheaper.

In conclusion, connecting an outside air intake to your Stûv wood-burning stove or fireplace is strongly recommended. It will optimize your appliance’s combustion while preventing unpleasant effects, such as smoke backflow. Our extensive network of certified specialists can help you with your project and properly assess your outside air-supply needs to maximize your new Stûv’s efficiency.

Categories
Tips and techniques

How to Choose the Right Wood-Burning Appliance

Whether you’re building a new home, doing renovations, or are thinking of replacing your stove or fireplace, selecting a new heating unit can feel overwhelming. How to choose from the many options available? In this article, Stûv explains some key factors that will help narrow down your choice.

What is the difference between a wood stove and a fireplace?

First, it is important to determine the type of heating appliance that will best suit your home. There are two broad categories of wood-burning appliances: stoves and fireplaces. The difference lies in their installation.

Fireplaces and inserts

Fireplaces and inserts are installed in an existing wall or a chimney body. If you have a masonry hearth, you will need an insert that fits perfectly into your chimney. If you don’t have a masonry hearth, you can opt for a wall installation with a zero-clearance fireplace that meets your needs. Note that both fireplaces and inserts need a finish, which you can customize for an aesthetically pleasing result.

Wood stoves

Stoves are independent heating units that do not require finishing materials. Since they can be installed on the floor or on a podium, Stûv wood-burning stoves are easy to add to your home.

Where would you like to install your Stûv?

Now that you know the difference between a stove, a fireplace and an insert, you can decide which type of appliance will suit your home. If you plan to install your fireplace in a masonry hearth, you will need an insert.

Masonry hearths are mainly found in homes built before the 1970s. If you don’t have a hearth, you can have a zero-clearance Stûv fireplace built right into the wall.

Due to their insulated shell, zero-clearance wood-burning fireplaces let you safely place combustible materials next to the fireplace.
If your plans do not include a wall unit, opt for a wood-burning stove. Available in different shapes and sizes, Stûv wood-burning stoves will enhance any room.

Whether you plan to install it along a wall, in a corner or in the middle of the room, Stûv wood stoves are remarkably versatile.

Or get the best of both worlds! Stuv’s unique freestanding fireplace sets it apart from the competition.

Stûv 21-clad does not need any finishing and is the only certified fireplace in North America with an exposed insulated chimney.

Things to consider

So you’ve chosen the location of your new stove or fireplace but aren’t sure which model would be best? Here are some key aspects you’ll want to keep in mind.

Surface area you want to heat
To choose the most suitable unit, you will need to determine your heating needs. Every stove and fireplace has its own heat index, depending on the size of its combustion chamber and its glass pane, and its maximum heating capacity is indicated in BTUs. You will find the surface area that Stûv appliances cover on their respective web pages, in the Technical Documents section.

Understanding BTUs

Type of construction
Another aspect that is often overlooked is your current or future home’s construction. The performance of a wood stove or fireplace depends on its environment. Stûv units will perform differently according to several factors, including how long ago the home was built, its airtightness and shape.

Aesthetics
Of course, you probably want your new Stûv stove or fireplace to suit your decor. Depending on the size, shape and layout of the room, the sleek design of Stûv’s heating appliances will add a unique and timeless touch.
Get inspired by past projects

Get inspired by past projects

Stûv accessories

Stûv offers a complete line of accessories that will help you get the most out of your stove or fireplace, add final visual touches or facilitate storage.

Fire screen
The fire screen is an excellent addition to Stûv 30 stoves and Stûv 21 fireplaces. It lets you safely enjoy an open fire and listen to the crackling of the wood.

Frames
Available in several sizes, Stûv finishing frames create a minimalist look while adding a unique touch to any decor.

Storage space
Don’t forget to complete your project with our famous log trolley or our Mobilobox, a modern-looking storage space that can hold your kindling, matches and fire starters.

Other useful installation accessories, such as an outside air intake connector and air damper, can improve the efficiency of your new Stûv wood stove or fireplace. Our extensive network of certified dealers will take your project in hand and help you select the accessories for optimal use of your Stûv supplemental heater.
Stûv wood stoves and fireplaces will not only enhance your life, they are built to last.

You can trust the qualified Stûv dealers in our network. We encourage you to visit the Stûv dealer nearest you to see the units in their showroom and to get advice from experts in the heating industry.

Categories
Case studies

The Shefford residence

Nestled among the trees on the southern slope of Mont Shefford, this home is made up of three main blocks that follow the curves of the terrain. The block that is built slightly into the mountain, on the rear side, features a pottery studio and a garage. A smaller block clad in Corten steel holds the master bedroom, en suite bathroom and storage spaces. A home theatre is located beneath. The main block faces due south. A large two-storey opening looks out into the forest and to Mont Bromont in the distance, and the roof extends to the west to cover the terrace. On the east side, a rooftop deck (which can be accessed from the second bedroom) sits atop the Corten block.

The white cedar cladding of different widths acts as camouflage, making the house blend into the forest, while the oxidizing Corten steel matches the colour of the ferrous rocks found on this part of the mountain. The grey steel roof envelops the entire northern facade, hiding the house’s shapes from the road uphill.

This home was also designed as a gathering place, in which to welcome family and friends. The openings in the different spaces create varied relationships with the landscape and the surrounding nature. Sometimes generous, sometimes more intimate, they let in just the right amount of sunlight and give specific views, with those from the workspace differing from those enjoyed during family get-togethers. Light and nature enter from all sides, letting the occupants live where architecture and nature converge, while the single-storey terrace extends the main space out of doors.

From the very first meetings with the architects, the owners stressed the importance of a human-scaled home with a reasonable footprint. Special attention was therefore paid to the house’s orientation, to integrate elements of passive solar energy design through the use of thermal mass with a floor slab and openings to the south. Different methods were used to create shade screens on the south side to prevent the home from overheating in summer, and the windows were positioned to allow for cross-ventilation. The wall insulation was enhanced with components with an insulation value of up to R46, and the roofs have an R-value of 62 to reduce the home’s operating costs as much as possible.

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Case studies

Armcrescent Residence

“Pushing the boundaries of a residential home in the West End of Halifax, the Armcrescent Residence borrows the form of the surrounding Georgian houses, but excudes the refinement of an elevated contemporary home.

Designed for clients and their five children, the residence is large in presence, available storage space, and offers many areas for familial congregation immersed in natural light. Featuring state of the art geothermal heating and cooling, the home aims to rely on and support renewable energy sources. Externally, the form alludes to the timely neighbouring precedents whereas the cladding takes a modern approach. Through refined material palette and the clever allocation of cladding, the building appears as if it were wrapped in one material and the portions that are carved away from it reveal another. This distinction of materials is translated into the interior where the custom crafted millwork pieces reflect the same modern colour palette and material treatment.”

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Stûv lifestyle

Testimonials

An unfinished structure had been deserted by its owners for a long time due to lack of financial resources. When a city couple took possession of it, the interior of the house was modified by the designer Sonia Van der Beken.

A cottage is a refuge to escape from the hectic city life. The goal, from the start, was to create an environment that would satisfy the desire to combine functionality and closeness to nature, in a place designed for relaxation as well as for entertaining family and friends.

The limited space, with its cathedral ceiling and imposing windows, left little space to welcome a fireplace. The Stûv 30-Compact H was the ideal choice. It was perfectly suited to the space available. Other than its high performance and manufacturing quality, its sleek design transforms it into a sculpture that highlights the architectural elements that surround it.

The imposing windows are the bridge between the exterior and the core of the house. The fireplace was especially chosen to extend the cooler evenings, both indoors and outdoors. Its pivoting central part ensures that the flame is visible at the desired location.

During extended blackouts the Stûv 30-Compact H makes it easy to maintain comfortable heat. Its efficiency is undeniable. Used during the whole year, it is most effective during the cold season and adds to the ambiance of outdoor evenings during the summer. For comfort and ambiance, the Stûv 30- Compact is a smart choice.

Categories
Tips and techniques

Are BTUs really useful?

what do BTUs represent and why do manufacturers provide this information to compare wood stoves and fireplaces?

Simply put, BTUs are a unit of measurement used to identify the amount of heat released per hour from a heating appliance. This data can be very useful when buying an electric or gas fireplace since these appliances offer an instantly adjustable and controlled performance. In fact, on these types of appliances exists a small button that allows for the increase or reduction of the desired heat.

It is quite different for a wood fire, which has a natural combustion cycle whose performance can be influenced by various factors. The size and quantity of logs used, the density and humidity of the wood, the numbers of refills, and even the outside temperature will have a direct impact on the duration of the cycle and amount of heat released from a wood-burning unit.

So then how do manufacturers determine the BTUs of a wood-burning appliance? Different methods exist to try to quantify the amount of heat released from a wood stove, which are as such:

Maximum power
Maximum power is the most commonly provided data. Determined by the manufacturer, it is based on the maximum volume of wood that a unit can contain and the speed of combustion per hour. As it only represents a short sequence of the combustion cycle and it does not consider external factors, maximum power is not ideal to evaluate the heating capacity of an appliance. These conditions are impossible to maintain in standard use and so the data acquired could just as well be called marketing power.

EPA power
This power rating is obtained during laboratory tests to reach EPA standards, which requires a fine particle emission rate of less than to 2g per hour. EPA power is the average heat released from the test with the lowest fine particle emission rate. As it is the result of a single combustion cycle, this test does not reflect standard use. This data is the most reliable for comparing different models since results are acquired from the same testing procedure established for all manufacturers.

Please note some models are not regulated by EPA standards. These units cannot have an EPA power rating as they are not subject to the testing procedure required by this certification.

Average power
Average power is obtained by the average heat released from several combustion cycles, calculated during numerous laboratory tests. Furthermore, it is inspired by so-called standard use by considering the following factors: the use of an average amount of average size logs with a humidity rate of less than 18%, of a wood species with a high to medium density, and the refill of the unit prior to the end of the cycle. Average power, although less spectacular, is the data that comes closest to daily use.

Categories
Stûv lifestyle

Testimonials

Following the eco-responsible owner-constructed house, this young nomadic family settled in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The couple chose to place a Stûv 30-compact H in the center of the house in order to take full advantage of its comforting warmth.


“Our goal in designing the house was to find the perfect balance between durability of materials and comfort. A wood stove is definitely one of the accessories giving soul to a house while providing a source of heat that makes you feel good at each fire! And it sends good vibes to all family members.”
– Karolina & Julien

Categories
Case studies

Scandinavian Retreat

Christina Richardson swears she’s been an architect and designer since birth, recalling an intense interest in color, space, and design as early as 5 or 6 years old. “I loved walking into other people’s houses. When I’d get home, I’d redraw the floor plans, tweaking the spaces by shifting the walls or swapping colors,” she laughs.

And in 2018, this Swedish-born interior designer found her most ambitious project to date: her own home in Toronto. Despite being a complete fixer-upper, the house instantly captured her eye. “It was awful!” she laughs. “The [real estate] agent shook his head, almost begged me not to buy it.”

Still, there was a connection she couldn’t deny.

“I knew it was the worst case scenario, but I knew it was mine.”

Before: A dark, cramped kitchen provided zero inspiration or space for gathering

After: an open, light-filled floor plan makes this warm modern kitchen the heart of the home

Despite a lifelong love of architecture and design, Richardson took a meandering path to building her design business. Because slots for architecture students were very limited back home in Sweden — fewer than 60 students in the entire country were chosen from a lottery system each year — she chose a construction engineering degree instead. After graduation, she pivoted to a lucrative career as a mining engineer in her home city of Skellefteȧ, Sweden.

Despite the high salary, Christina could never quite leave her design dreams behind. “I had a design business on the side the whole time,” she says. “I’d create everything from custom furniture to whole-house home design plans.”

After moving to the U.S. with her husband and 2 daughters, Christina earned her interior design degree from the New York Institute of Art and Design and rebuilt her business stateside. Another move to Toronto meant re-establishing herself once more with new and exciting opportunities to build her portfolio and take on bigger projects.

And her 1950’s family home was no small feat. “I think they renovated the kitchen in the 70s, but that’s it,” Richardson recalls.

“There was one, single layer of wallpaper in the home. Nothing had been touched! I’ve never encountered that before, it was like a time capsule.”

Before: Closed off from the rest of the home, the former living room wasn’t made for living.

After: The open concept living/dining area is adjacent to the pool and courtyard, offering daytime sunshine, sunset views, and plenty of space to lounge.

With a large addition and a total renovation of the existing structure, almost nothing of the original home is recognizable now. But the two biggest selling points of the home — the lot and the location — are still the shining stars. Located in Toronto’s Etobicoke neighborhood, the home sits on a lot far bigger than you typically find so close to the city. There’s even room for a courtyard and pool area nestled between the home and the garage.

Still, Christina managed to create total privacy within the home while keeping it connected to the natural environment. Drawing on her Swedish background, Christina’s 3 priorities for her home’s design were privacy, light, and warmth.

“The beautiful STUV fireplace provides the warmth for sure”, Christina says, “it is the perfect match for any Scandinavian design”

“There’s this key misconception about Scandinavian designs — that their minimalism makes them cold,” Christina explains. “But Scandinavian designs are all about warmth and light.”

To achieve this signature style, Christina created the home’s floor plan with long sightlines. The open kitchen is at the heart of the home, with clear views of the courtyard, dining area, and living room. Nestled in the corner is her beloved round fireplace, perfect for adding warmth during Toronto’s winters.

An abundance of windows also flood the living spaces with natural light from the courtyard and pool area, while being completely secluded from the street. In fact, this privacy is true for all areas of the home.

Higher windows in the living area provide plenty of sunlight and leafy, treetop views while maintaining total privacy.

“We were very careful, very thoughtful about window placement,” Christina explains. On the exterior walls facing the streets, they placed the windows higher up or used etched glass to maximize daylight while ensuring privacy. The etched glass is echoed in the 4 vintage doors she salvaged from the original home. Hand-scraped down to bare wood, each adds a layer of history and soul to the home’s modern updates.

But the hints of history begin before you even step inside. “When you come to the house, you walk up to this ochre yellow double door. Between the color and the clean lines, people assume it’s very modern. But ochre is a very traditional Swedish color. And the door is actually custom-designed to replicate an old Gustavian style,” Christina explains.

Richardson designed her front door with a nod to vintage Gustavian design, with a classic Scandinavian ochre yellow finish to set the stage for the interior.

That’s not the only gem tucked in this Toronto home. A Christina Richardson design

Categories
Case studies

Cabin 151

It has been completely transformed and decorated by interior designer Caroline Bouffard. She poured her heart and soul into creating bright, modern-looking spaces while preserving the rustic features that give the cottage its cozy atmosphere. The overall look is minimalistic, with shades of black and white to draw the eye to the beauty of the forest and lake.

The beautifully renovated kitchen is well-equipped and is open to the living room, which features tall windows and a fireplace nook. These rooms make a perfect gathering place.

Nestled in a peaceful setting, CABIN 151 offers relaxation and an opportunity to enjoy several outdoor activities. The challenge in transforming this waterfront cottage was maintaining the strong pull to simply spend time with loved ones in a tranquil environment while also encouraging visitors to venture out and enjoy the tourist attractions in the Eastern Townships.

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