For decades, the incidence of fireplaces in new construction (both tract and custom homes) hovered around 60%. Six out of every 10 new homes were equipped with a fireplace. The majority of those fireplaces were the cheapest products being manufactured.

In early January, Hearth & Home faxed a survey to 2,500 specialty retailers of hearth, patio, and barbecue products, asking them to compare December 2018 sales to December 2017. The accompanying charts and selected comments are from the 192 useable returns.

Natasha Kerr uses old photos from her own family album and combines them with vintage fabrics and trims to create a distinctive brand of recycled textile art.