A great fireplace is about more than just the appliance itself. The right fireplace accessories make everyday use safer, easier, and genuinely more enjoyable, whether you’re tending a wood-burning stove or simply keeping a gas fire looking its best. This guide for homeowners covers the essential accessories every Leicester homeowner should consider, and why each one earns its place.
Companion Sets: The Foundation of Any Fireplace
A companion set, typically a stand holding a small shovel, brush, poker, and tongs, is one of the most practical fireplace accessories you can own if you have a wood-burning stove or open fire. It keeps everything you need for tending the fire in one place, rather than searching for a poker mid-clean-up. Many companion sets now come in finishes that match contemporary surrounds too, so functionality doesn’t have to come at the expense of style. Our surrounds page shows a range of finishes worth considering if you want your accessories to complement the fireplace itself.
Log Baskets and Firewood Storage
Keeping firewood neatly stored near the stove, rather than scattered across the floor, makes a real difference to how tidy a living room feels day to day. A woven log basket or a built-in log store keeps fuel dry, accessible, and out of the way, while also looking considerably better than a loose pile of logs. If you’re planning a new installation, it’s worth thinking about log storage from the outset, something our wood burning stoves guide touches on when discussing practical, everyday stove ownership.
Hearth Fireguards for Family Safety
For households with young children or pets, a proper hearth fireguard is one of the most important fireplace accessories to invest in, rather than simply optional. A well fitted guard keeps curious hands and paws safely away from a hot stove or open flame without blocking heat output significantly. This is especially worth considering if your fireplace sits within a busy family living room, and it pairs naturally with the safety habits covered in our gas fire servicing in Leicester page, since safe operation matters just as much as safe access.
A Reliable Carbon Monoxide Alarm
While not a traditional “accessory” in the decorative sense, a carbon monoxide alarm is genuinely essential for any home with a wood burning, multi fuel, or gas appliance. Positioned correctly near the fireplace, it provides an early warning if something isn’t venting properly, offering real peace of mind alongside the ambience your fire provides. This is a detail we always discuss during any fireplace installation in Leicester, since safety accessories matter just as much as the appliance itself.
Heat Resistant Gloves
A pair of proper heat resistant gloves makes day to day stove maintenance considerably safer and easier, whether you’re adjusting logs, clearing ash, or handling a hot flue door. They’re a small, inexpensive accessory that prevents burns during routine tasks that might otherwise require awkward workarounds with tea towels or oven mitts not designed for the job.
Ash Buckets and Ash Vacuums
Clearing ash safely and cleanly is one of the more routine tasks that comes with owning a wood burning stove, and having the right tools makes it far less of a chore. A metal ash bucket with a lid allows you to safely transport warm ash without risk, while an ash vacuum designed specifically for fireplace use makes a full clean out quick and mess free. This kind of routine upkeep ties in closely with the broader maintenance habits covered in our full range of services, including chimney sweeping and stove servicing.
Fireplace Thermometers
A stove top or flue thermometer helps you understand exactly how efficiently your fire is burning, showing whether you’re running too hot, too cold, or in the ideal operating range. This small accessory can genuinely improve both fuel efficiency and safety, helping you avoid the kind of smouldering, inefficient burns that lead to excessive creosote buildup over time.
Decorative Fire Screens
For open fires or as a stylish finishing touch when a stove isn’t in use, a decorative fire screen adds both safety and visual interest. Beyond blocking sparks, screens come in a huge range of styles, from ornate wrought iron to sleek minimalist mesh, making them a genuinely effective way to tie a fireplace into your room’s broader design. If you’re working on the overall look of your fireplace area, our fireplace surround ideas for modern homes guide has useful direction on pairing accessories with different design styles.
Fire Lighters and Kindling Storage
Having a dedicated, tidy place to store fire lighters and kindling saves a surprising amount of daily hassle, particularly during the colder months when you’re lighting a stove regularly. A small storage box or caddy kept beside the stove keeps everything within easy reach without cluttering the hearth area itself.
Remote Controls and Smart Accessories for Gas and Electric Fires
If your home has a gas or electric fire rather than a wood burning stove, accessories look a little different. A reliable remote control, or increasingly a smart app based control, lets you adjust flame height and heat output without leaving the sofa. Our gas fires guide covers which models offer the most intuitive and reliable control options, which matters just as much as the appliance’s core performance.
Choosing Accessories That Match Your Overall Design
Beyond pure function, it’s worth choosing accessories that complement your fireplace’s overall look rather than clashing with it. A sleek matte black companion set suits a contemporary stove far better than an overly ornate traditional design, and the same logic applies to log baskets, fireguards, and screens. If you’re planning a full fireplace update and want accessories that feel considered from the start, our luxury fireplaces in Leicester collection is a great source of inspiration for pulling the whole look together.
Seeing Accessories in Person
Photographs only tell you so much when it comes to material quality, weight, and finish, particularly for something like a companion set or fireguard that you’ll be handling regularly. Visiting our showroom gives you the chance to see and compare accessories firsthand alongside the fireplaces they’re designed to complement.
Why Choose Blue Oak Fireplaces for Your Period Home
We’re a family-run business based at our showroom in Syston, Leicester, and we’ve fitted stoves into more Victorian, Edwardian, and older Leicestershire homes than we can count. As a HETAS-approved and Gas Safe registered company with over 25 years of experience, we offer:
- Honest, no-obligation advice on which stove genuinely suits your property
- A showroom with a wide range of stoves on display, from traditional cast iron to contemporary designs
- Full installation, chimney lining, and servicing carried out by our own qualified team
- Guidance on smoke control compliance and Defra-approved appliances
- A wide range of fireplace surrounds to complement your stove and period features
If you’d rather see stoves in person before deciding, pop into our Syston showroom, or get in touch with our team for a free consultation.
Seeing fireplace surrounds in person can make the decision much easier. Photos help with inspiration, but they do not always show true scale, depth, finish quality or flame effect. At Blue Oak Fireplaces, homeowners can explore fires, fireplaces, stoves, media walls and surrounds with expert advice from a team that understands both design and installation.
Blue Oak Fireplaces is based in Syston, Leicester, with a 3-storey showroom at 1159 Melton Road, Syston, Leicester, LE7 2JS. Visiting the showroom helps you compare materials, styles and fireplace types before committing to a design for your home
Final Thoughts
The right fireplace accessories do far more than decorate the hearth, they make daily use safer, easier, and considerably more enjoyable. From a simple companion set to a genuinely important carbon monoxide alarm, investing in the right accessories pays off in convenience and peace of mind for years to come. If you’d like tailored recommendations for your specific fireplace, get in touch with Blue Oak Fireplaces and our team will be happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fireplace accessories are essential for a wood burning stove?
A companion set, log basket, ash bucket, heat resistant gloves, and a carbon monoxide alarm are among the most essential accessories, covering both everyday convenience and important safety considerations.
Do gas and electric fires need different accessories to wood burning stoves?
Yes, largely. Gas and electric fires don’t need ash tools or companion sets, but benefit from reliable remote controls and, in some cases, smart app based controls, while safety accessories like carbon monoxide alarms remain important for gas appliances specifically.
Is a carbon monoxide alarm really necessary if my stove is professionally installed?
Yes. Even a properly installed and well maintained appliance can develop issues over time, so a carbon monoxide alarm provides an important early warning and is considered essential for any home with a solid fuel or gas fireplace.
How do I choose a fireguard that won’t block too much heat?
Look for a fireguard with an open mesh or bar design rather than a solid panel, since these allow heat to pass through effectively while still creating a physical barrier that keeps children and pets safely away from the fire.
What is a fireplace thermometer used for?
A stove top or flue thermometer shows how efficiently your fire is burning, helping you avoid running the stove too hot or too cold. This improves both fuel efficiency and safety, and helps reduce the buildup of creosote in the flue over time.
Can fireplace accessories be chosen to match my fireplace’s style?
Absolutely. Companion sets, log baskets, and fire screens are available in a wide range of finishes and styles, from traditional wrought iron to sleek matte black, making it easy to choose accessories that complement your fireplace rather than clash with it.
