A flickering flame surrounded by ancient carved stone - Antique stone fireplaces add both character and a sense of place to any room, the knocks and bumps of the decades nay centuries, connecting hearth to home. Even with the advent of central and underfloor heating we crave that focal gathering point that a fireplace provides - a room without a fireplace? Nowhere to hang the picture, mirror or tapestry, no were to put your cards and certainly no place to hang your Christmas stocking!

In the family sitting room, we have a 5 arm pendant light on a dimmer switch, with 3 matching 2-arm wall lights. One further single wall light. We have one desk lamp, and lighting above the glass shelves of the alcove and in the inglenook fire place. The OH also has a floor standing, adjustable angle light for reading. In the other sitting room we have, 4 down lights, a centre ceiling light with 5 arms, 4 table lamps in the corners, 2 wall lights and lights in shelving alcove and in the wall of bookcases. Like others have said, they're obviously not on all at once.

We'll have a "broken plan" layout between the kitchen and living room, so I think the reason for the partition to the hall needing to be fireproof is because of the kitchen. If you imagine a rectangle divided into quarters, the hall is in the bottom left. and it has a normal fire door to the kitchen in the top left. But the kitchen is semi-open to a dining area in the top right, and that's semi-open to the living room in the bottom right. I think in order to stop any chance of fire spreading from the kitchen to the hall we need to have a fireproof boundary between the living room and hall. Thanks for letting me know how much your wood partition cost. That's certainly an option. I take it that the wood is fireproof?

My mum did, again it needed building regs sign off. She’d installed the conservatory when moving in and it had UFH electric heating. When removing the doors years later to open up kitchen, dining and living space (conservatory) she also installed an electric wall radiator. Hers faces west, it definitely is not worse during the summer than our previous south facing kitchen and lounge! You can also consider blinds for heat gain/loss