Log Baskets & Fireplace Tools

If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace, especially one which houses a real fire, you know that keeping it looking good and working well is a bit more complicated than just striking a match. You need somewhere to keep your fuel, logs or coal, and you need a convenient way to keep your fireplace clean. Not to mention the tools you need to stoke the fire, move coals and clean up the ash after a good blaze.

Firewood is essential to creating a beautiful roaring fire that brings a flickering centre to the room and your home. Since you need firewood, you will certainly also need somewhere to keep it. Most hearths can’t accommodate a large log pile and a log basket is a much more appealing choice. You can admire your woodpile without the risk of splinters getting on the floor.

A classic wicker log basket is an excellent choice and rich brown log baskets piled with logs create a warm cottage feeling in your living room. There are options in paler shades like grey and beige for a more Scandinavian air or bold colours to make a statement. Choose whichever style marries best with the atmosphere you want to create but a wicker log basket is a sturdy, traditional option which will carry a heavy load and never go out of style. If lugging a large armful of logs around isn’t for you then you can even go for a wheeled basket.

Some wicker log basket options are perfectly suited to store more than one type of fuel. They can be lined with plastic or a durable fabric to enable them to do double duty as a coal scuttle as well as a log basket, depending on your needs. Versatility is always useful around the house.

An option which many people find very versatile is the felt log basket. These options are often in tasteful neutral colours like dove grey and come with handles. They are perfect for small to medium-sized log piles and they have the marked advantages of being light to carry and easy to pack away in the summer if you do not use your fireplace during the warmer season.

Kindling buckets are a great accessory to contain smaller tapers of wood for when you’re getting a fire started. They are delightfully decorative and highly functional. You could choose one that is labelled for kindling or simply display your neatly collected kindling in one. Typically they are made of metal and are hard wearing so their decorative value is long-lived.

Metal options are not limited to kindling buckets. If you want a basket that can stand up to anything, then consider the range of metal log baskets. There are brass, coated brass, copper and steel options to choose from. Many take the form of a large, specially shaped bucket but there are also metal log baskets that look more like a sleek, oversized trug. Metal log containers can also be stands, either frames to hold stacks of logs neatly or rings in iron or steel to keep the log pile contained in a modern mid-century shape.

Rope baskets are another excellent possibility for those who want to feel as though they are curling up in the beach house while a storm goes on outside. They are casual, attractive and light to help you carry logs more easily.

Last but not least are the fireplace tools. Just looking at them evokes a sense of cosy nostalgia for many of us. The traditional brass and wrought iron choices with stylised handles and stands are still very much available. A classic option. There are now other choices too, with functional minimalist modern implements which do the job but fit in with more modern rooms as well.

Furnish your fireplace with the very best and then let it give you the best in return.