Most gas fireplace inserts give themselves away at the burner. The flame rises behind the logs, a stripe of light where a fire should be. Hearth & Home Technologies moves the burner up on the SupremeX, so the flames wrap around the logs instead. It drops into an existing masonry opening and vents directly.

Logs are hand-painted, in oak or birch. Under them, an edge-to-edge LED ember bed holds three brightness levels, so the hearth still glows once the flame steps down.

Interior panels and fronts come in a range of finishes, and that choice is what decides whether the insert reads as new or as original to the room. Control runs through IntelliFire Touch 2.0, with a touchscreen remote and optional app and voice command. Useful when the fire belongs to a front desk rather than a homeowner.

Think older inns, club rooms, and lodge lobbies with fireboxes nobody wants to load with cordwood. Some fireplaces are built to command the room. This one fills an opening that is already there. And August is exactly when you plan for October.

_{Images Courtesy of Hearth & Home Technologies}