A Cozy Nook

Decoratively carved wood cabinet with stained glass doors with second view showing the fold down desk open.

A tiny writing desk tucked into the corner of the fireplace alcove appears to be a cabinet. It opens, however, to reveal a fabric desktop with small cubbies to store writing materials and correspondence.

The fireplace alcove served as a warm space on a cold day. The south-facing windows heat the room and the floor tiles radiate heat from hot water pipes in the floor. A thick velvet curtain once installed behind the arch could be closed to keep the heat contained.

Thermal image of fireplace alcove showing mantle in blue and yellow and hearth tiles in red. Image on left shows 57 degrees Fahrenheit and image on right shows 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

These thermal imaging photos show the heat radiating from the hearth in an otherwise cool room. The red indicates warm temperatures and the blue indicates cooler temperatures. The temperature recorded in the upper left corner indicates the temperature at the cross-hairs in the center of the image.