My Stove Addiction :)

Yes, I am addicted to stoves...not the cooking type, but the heating type....but they don't heat anymore.  Let me explain.   My friends Tommy & Darla, take old gas heaters, and re purpose them into a beautiful accent to any room.  Tommy will gut the old burners, and replace them with beautiful lights, that glow just like an old gas heater.

My first stove  :) 

I started with one that I found at an antique store several years ago.  Tommy did his magic to it, and I have enjoyed this stove in our kitchen area for about 8 yrs. now.  I have them all (yes I said all)  set on timers, so they come on as the sunsets, and go off around midnight.  You can't believe the looks you get from people when it is 100 plus degrees outside, and they see a gas stove burning.  LOL

We have had so much fun with them as when you have someone at the house that has no idea, they tend to back up to the heaters, like they are going to get warm from them.  Well, they don't heat, they just look really cool.  My dogs and cats have even been seen laying by them.

We were riding the motorcycle several years ago, and stopped in this antique store I had seen along the way.  They had this big ole heater sitting off to the side as you entered.  I fell in love with it.  The isinglass was broken, but all in all, it was in pretty darn good shape.  My husband acted like I had lost my ever lovin mind that I even wanted that thing.  I went home very sad, but then I forgot about it.....Until one day, he drives up in the truck and that darn stove was in the back.  I was so excited.  The thing weighed a ton, as we hoisted it out of the back of the truck.

I called Tommy with my find, and ask if he would be interested in working his magic on the new found treasure, and he said he would be interested.  When we went back to pick it up in a few weeks, he assured me he wouldn't want to tackle another one of that size, because it was so hard to work on.

Big Ole Stove  

  I don't know if you know anything about isinglass, but it is very expensive, and I didn't want to replace the glass with it.  Tommy came up with an idea to use milk cartons and cut to fit the panes where the glass was supposed to be.  You had to use just the right milk cartons, so I was drinking a lot of milk to get enough cartons to finish the project...LOL

Utility Room

The finished product found its permanent home in our back room.  It sits in the middle of three windows.  I just love the glow that it gives the room at night.

I am addicted to these little stoves...I have 5 in the house.  Lets see, one in the kitchen, one in the back room, one in the laundry room, and 1 in each of the spare bedrooms.

My son and family came to spend the night when their electricity had gone out, and he said he was going to turn the one on in their bedroom, cause he liked the way the looked.  They are really a nice addition to any room decor.

Spare Bedroom 

Spare Bedroom 

You can't use these old stoves anymore, as you will be fined if you try to have a plumber hook them up to use with gas.  I am so excited that Tommy and his wife Darla have been able to keep these beautiful pieces of days gone by in our homes for a little longer.  He will be going to a craft show in Oklahoma City in December with some of his re-purposed heaters.  I know there are a few people that will find them as fun and exciting as I have, and will have to take one home to create their own little warm spot in their little piece of the world.  

By the way, Darla & Tommy have so many stoves in their house.  They have some really cool and unusual ones.  They all have so much personality, and with the lights in them they really come alive.  I hope you have enjoyed learning of my dirty little addiction.  :)