If you’re interested in interior design, then you’re sure to have come across the term ‘hygge’ over the last few weeks. This is a fresh new concept that’s come over here from Denmark and basically means living a comfortable and happy life, wherever you are and however you choose to live it. It’s characterised by keeping stress to a minimum, eating well, chilling out and spending time with family and friends.

One of the quickest and easiest ways of adopting a slightly hygge aesthetic at home is by having antique fireplaces installed, or renovating the ones that you already have in situ. Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are fantastic for transforming your living spaces into cosy little retreats where you can hibernate until spring.

Of course, you need to make sure that you take care of your fireplaces or they won’t stand the test of time, so if you do spot a chip or a nick make sure you give it an update with some special paint designed for this kind of purpose.

You’ll also need to keep it clean so that you don’t get dust and ash all over your living room. It’s simple to do and should only take a few minutes if you do it on a regular basis. Just use a dustpan and brush to sweep up any ash that might have fallen out of the fire – although you can limit this by keeping the fireguard in place or by closing the door on your wood-burning stove while it’s in use.