9 ways to update your home that will strike the right emotional chord with potential buyers and increase your home’s value

There is a lot to consider when tossing up gas, wood, and electric fireplaces The solution will be unique to you, your home and your environment – here’s what you need to think about.  

From rich crushed velvet sofas with art deco curves, to playful art prints paired with unexpected shapes – like the MODE corner fireplace –we’ve put together some standout items from some of our favourite Australian and New Zealand design stores.

Introducing the Sensitive New Age Fire – Spartherm’s very first freestanding wood fire in Australasia.  Modern, Minimalist and Modest with the perfect balance of German precision and superior European quality.

An architecturally designed pavilion extension purposed to capture the forested location, natural light and a way of life for interior designer Megan Brown and her family.

Architecture and landscape unite in this contemporary home, surrounded by abundant plant life, and drenched in natural light.

Located on a picturesque street in the Auckland suburb of Devonport, a compact heritage cottage sat ripe, ready and waiting for a full renovation.

The latest fireplace from Escea has landed at Stoke Fireplace Studio, the grand DF990. Take a look at their newest fireplace and see how it can make a bold statement in your home.

Another year of interior design is before us and we can’t wait to see what 2021 brings. We take a closer look at 6 interior deisgn styles we think you'll be seeing more of in 2021.

Get inspired to spruce up your outdoor entertaining - we've put together our favourite items from New Zealand homeware stores this summer. 

Ready to kick back and soak in the great outdoors? We’re giving away our best tips for designing the perfect outdoor living space for you.

A central courtyard with an alpine outlook complete with an Escea EK1550 Outdoor Fireplace Kitchen means this modern kiwi crib is a trans-seasonal retreat from the city.

Take your Christmas dinner outside this year and enjoy a revolving feast cooked over flames in your own backyard.

This year Stoke was excited to help The Block Australia 2020 contestants bring their fireplace designs to life. Find out what it was like working on The Block and learn more about the fireplaces featured this season.

This Victorian cottage in Sydney’s Inner West was re-designed to make the most of its long, narrow site. Featuring Escea’s ultra-wide DS1900 gas fire, see how designer Michiru Cohen modernised the home while celebrating its heritage façade.

Create a cosy, inviting living space filled with items designed by some talented NZ creatives.

When it comes to interior style, are you a minimalist or tradionalist? Modern or Mid-century? This guide will help you find a fireplace to match your interior style and show you how to customise the design and fireplace surround to get a look you love.

Figuring out your living room layout and design can be frustrating! Where should the fireplace go? What about the sofa and TV? Follow these simple to design a living space that works for you, and the way you live.

Stoke’s very own publication is 91 pages full of beautiful homes, fireplace inspiration and design ideas. Now, you can get your hands on a copy.

Learn more about the types of gas and wood fireplaces for your new home or renovation. Find the the right one for you and get some ideas with this helpful gallery and fireplace guide.

If you're redecorating, renovating or building new in 2020 and need some insight or inspiration, see what fireplace designs are trending in the architectural and interior world this year.

Follow these tips from our fireplace experts to keep your outdoor fire looking and burning at its best.

If you’re considering updating your backyard or have parts of it that aren’t getting used as much as it should, a new outdoor entertaining area and fireplace might be on the cards for summer. We catch up with Stoke Wellington Director Jason Hague-Smith to find out what’s involved in choosing and installing an outdoor fireplace.

There are so many different options out there now – fire pit, wood cooking fire, gas fire. What suits you depends on what you’re after, your home and your budget.

With clean lines, flawless finishes and unconventional shapes, MODE takes gas fireplace design to a bold new place. Learn more about the MODE range, exclusive to Stoke Fireplace Studio.

Get to know New Zealand Designer and business owner Annika Rowson and take a tour through her latest renovation project, Wildermoth

We chat to Landscape Architect Sophie Greive of think Outside Gardens to get some tips for sprucing up your outdoor space this summer and how to integrate an outdoor fireplace into your home.

Take a look inside Guy and Jules Sebastian’s new family home and learn how architect Joe Snell worked with them to create a modern, spacious home that reflects their busy lifestyles, personalities and family life.

Get to know Henry and learn about his background, fireplace expertise and how ended up in New Zealand’s adventure capital.

Inspired by the log homes in Whistler and Colorado, this dramatic Central Otago home embodies the idea of a hunting lodge, complete with roaring Spartherm wood fire.

Take a look inside this modern version of the classic kiwi bach on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula.

Although exciting, designing and building a home can be down-right overwhelming. If you’re thinking about building or embarking on some major renovations, read what some of our favourite architects have to say (and how to avoid any unwanted surprises!).

Take a look through this stunning Urban Australian home in Sydney’s lower North Shore which features the Escea DX1000 gas fireplace.

Smaller dimensions, flexible flue technology, and a minimalist look make the Escea DF Series a popular choice for retrofitting and new homes. Check out the gallery to get some inspiration for your home or next project.

Escea sure knows how to impress and their latest release, the ultra-wide DS1900 is no exception.

Check out the gallery from Stoke Melbourne's official opening night, complete with flaming cocktails and a roaming illusionist.

Looks are only part of the gas fire equation; there are lots of other aspects to consider when buying a gas fireplace. With so many different ones on the market, we take a look at how to choose the right fire for you and your home.

Stoke is excited to open the doors this April to Sydney’s hottest new fireplace retailer, Stoke Sydney.

Take a closer look at Madeleine Blanchfield's signature style and how you can get the look at home.

It’s the all-new EP1350 Fire Table from Escea and it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. What might look like a simple piece of outdoor furniture is in fact so much more. We thought it sounded like the perfect dinner party accessory, so we spent an evening trying it out. Here’s our review of the product.

We chat to award-winning Sydney architect Madeleine Blanchfield to get her thoughts on design and all things fireplaces.

Step inside this award-winning 32msq former workers cottage in Melbourne. See how the talented duo, Josh and Jenna, from Bicker Design transformed this space from unloved and dreary to light, bright and  wonderful.

Stoke recently caught up ex-Blockie and Interior Designer Jenna Densten to talk style and interior trends.

We round up the best Australian and New Zealand interior design blogs that should be on your radar in 2019.

Inspired by the always polished Marie Kondo, we take a look at some stylish storage solutions that will be sure to get your home organised and look totally chic too.

Guest blog by Donna Sherriff – theleanminimalist.com The New Year is a great time to consider taking steps to lead a simpler life with less in 2019. If you are considering minimalism, or even just have a desire to live more intentionally and more simply, thinking about how you will approach the coming […]

Summertime. It’s all about long lunches, impromptu catch ups and spontaneous late night barbeques. It’s taking time out, hosting friends and family outdoors [...]

It’s that time of year again. The season that’s all about spending quality time with friends and family, enjoying good food, delicious wine, cooking over flames and relaxing under the stars [...]

After an exhausting day at work, we all need a place to relax and regain our strength. Unfortunately, someone who lives with their family or flatmates knows how hard it can be to spend some time alone in the living room reading a book or watching their favourite TV show [...]

When it came to designing their Wairarapa new build, Rob and Tracey Rackliff knew exactly where to look for inspiration – their favourite holiday destination, Bali [...]

Minimalism is more than an aesthetic, it's a mindset. We chat to the author of The Lean Minimalist blog, Donna Sherriff, to find out what minimalism means to her and how you can get minimal at home.

What size TV do you need to match your fireplace? Escea has put together this handy guide to help you choose the perfect Samsung TV for your Escea gas fireplace.

We chat to architect and project manager Emma Viljoen – Holmes about building her families own home on a challenging site in New South Wales’ Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Not sure what’s in or out this season? Need some help turning your living room into a stylish winter retreat? With the cooler months creeping up on us, we look at what’s trending in the world of interiors and how you can get the look at home this season. 1. SHADES OF GREEN Image credit: Three […]

Nestled amongst trees in a quiet cul de sac in Melbourne's Caulfield North, this 1930s home has been given a gorgeous modern makeover.

The latest tile to makes its way into stylish bathrooms and kitchens is actually not that new - the penny tile has been around for a long time, over a century in fact. You wouldn't know it because it looks incredibly modern and fresh, making a graphic statement to walls and splash backs even walls and floors […]

Tapping into the global trend for modular housing, Denmark designers Vipp have made a ‘plug and play getaway’ that allows you to escape urban chaos in a 55m2 all inclusive nature retreat.

Situated near Malmö, Sweden, this harmonious home is everything you love about Scandinavian design. From the serene and muted colour palette, to the blonde wood and mid-century furniture, it is cohesively pulled together to perfection. The home owners built it from scratch, working with a good architect friend to create their “dream home” and a […]

New Zealanders have a bit of a love affair with villas and bungalows. Sure they have their downfalls, like being cold and drafty with questionable layout and flow. But we forgive them for these sins because they’re relatively easy things to fix and we’re suckers for a renovation. At the end of the day villas and bungalows […]

Stoke Fireplace Studio is excited to be a Strategic Partner and host at this year’s Urbis Designday. Join us for a curated experience of art, greenery, fireplaces and conversation. Styled by the talented Kate Alexander from Places and Graces. Sample macarons and Harpoon Cold Brew (the most refreshing hit of coffee ever) or enjoy some […]

Which Outdoor Fireplace is best for you? Nothing beats al fresco dining and evening entertaining by the fire. But how do you know what type of outdoor fire is best for you? We help you decide by considering the options. Outdoor gas fireplace Okay so it’s not the type of outdoor fire that you can […]

Design dilemma getting you down? Looking for some interior styling advice? Interior stylist Kate Alexander is here to help! Enter your question below, add photos if you have them, and Kate will give you her advice – only the first TEN questions received will be answered directly, so get in quick! All entries go in […]

Whether you love them, hate them or barely even notice them, trends are an ever-changing and omnipresent part of life. In fashion they come in seasonal cycles and move fast. The interior world tends to be influenced by “macro trends” that move more slowly (thankfully). But where do trends come from and who decides that […]

Kate Alexander is a busy woman. As well as running her own interior styling company, Places and Graces, she was part of the team in TV3’s new renovation show, Creative Living, and recently self-published a book – Finishing Touches. We love her for her tasteful, eclectic, retro-loving style that is truly her own, and her generosity for […]

Based in Dunedin, landscaper Wayne Butson creates award-winning gardens and outdoor areas. We caught up with him to get some tips on how to make the most of our garden. Tell us about your background and how you got into landscaping: During my school years I helped out a farm shelter nursery during the school […]

We’re big fans of Napier design duo Bibby + Brady. As well as running swoon-worthy social media pages, the designers offer both face-to-face consulting and e-services for clients near and far. They also offer product sourcing services so you too can benefit from their impeccable taste and savvy shopping. We recently caught up with Vic for a quick Q+A […]

Plane Tree House is the epitome of understated elegance. Architects Ink’s design for Plane Tree House, winner of the Institute of Architecture South Australia’s residential architecture award, uses the raw beauty of concrete, timber and glass to complement its natural environment, showing us that rather than dominating the landscape, understated elegance can be achieved through […]

It’s the stylish plant that elevates your home to Pinterest-worthy status…but where the heck do you get it in NZ? At the moment the Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant (Ficus Lyrata) is everywhere. Sitting smugly in seagrass baskets on your Pinterest feed. Propped beside perfectly ‘unmade’ beds with charcoal grey stonewashed linen sheets. Instagrammed in front […]

Twenty five minutes from Auckland, on 2.66ha of rural land in Coatesville, sits a European-styled masonry home brimming with opulence and wow factor. The home was recently made famous by the reality TV show Real Housewives of Auckland, starring the home owner Michelle Blanchard. Together with husband David, Michelle purchased the 80s home and embarked […]

If you’ve ever walked into a home and thought “this place has a good feeling about it,” then there’s a good chance you’ve experienced feng shui. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese study of the relationship between the environment and human life. Put simply, it’s about taking control of the objects in your home to […]

After months of hibernation, there’s nothing more uplifting than the thought of long summer evenings dining al fresco with friends and family. With this in mind, spring brings the perfect opportunity to dust off the outdoor furniture and start preparing your outdoor space. As well as being incredibly useful and practical, outdoor fires are ideal […]

It used to be that concrete was thought of as a humble building material, suited to industrial spaces like warehouses. But as Bob Dylan says, times are a changin’. Concrete has quickly become one of the hottest materials used in modern homes around the world, with New Zealand designers and architects taking to the trend […]

Let’s not sugar-coat things, renovations can be gruelling. With all the planning, co-ordination, budgeting, trouble-shooting and liaising needed for renovation projects, home owners need all the help they can get. The good news is there are an abundance of online tools designed to help streamline and organise your project. By taking advantage of these you […]

When we decided to write a post on colour we knew exactly who to call in for help… Interior designer and ‘rebel with a colour wheel’, Alex Fulton, answers our quick-fire questions about how to use colour in interiors and “design like no-one is watching.” You’re known for your love of vibrant colour, have you always been […]

Let’s not sugar-coat things, renovations can be gruelling. With all the planning, co-ordination, budgeting, trouble-shooting and liaising needed for renovation projects, home owners need all the help they can get. The good news is there are an abundance of online tools designed to help streamline and organise your project. By taking advantage of these you […]

If you’re looking for renovation inspiration for your home here’s a good place to start. Architecture Now has released the 2016 interior awards finalists and there’s a lot to like. They might be commercial spaces, but there are definitely some fabulous ideas that you steal and bring into your own home. Here are our top […]

We asked Richard Miller, Escea’s Architecture Advisor the question on a lot of consumer’s minds…do gas fires actually heat? Here’s what he said: It’s funny because this is probably the question we most often get asked! Which is fair enough, considering a lot of people’s experience of a gas fire is of the open fronted […]

White walls have dominated interiors for a long time now, but the tide is well and truly turning. Say hello to rich, dark, moody hues. Risky though it may feel adding dark paint to the walls, the result is undeniably sophisticated, cocooning and dramatic. Paint the walls, fire surround, ceilings and even floor, in the same […]

The right fireplace is more than just a heat source: it’s the heart of your home. The place where friends and family gather and reconnect. The place where you lie on a cosy rug and read on a lazy rainy Sunday. It’s also a major long-term investment, so you want to be thoughtful and thorough […]