Founded in 1974, Acquisitions began life as an architectural antiques business but soon specialised in rescuing beautiful antique fireplaces that had been evicted from their home in the name of fashion.
Today, the Acquisitions collection of ‘continuations’ – the word ‘reproductions’ does not do our products justice, since they are so faithfully recreated using authentic skills, techniques and materials – is one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world, encompassing every material from marble to cast iron, and every style from Georgian to modern-day. While notable clients have included pop stars, film icons and denizens of 10 Downing Street, The White House and Buckingham Palace, we are pleased to offer everything from private commissions to competitively priced models.
Catering for every taste and setting, we are also the leading manufacturer of flueless wall-mounted fires with our range of contemporary X-FIRES, and produce a beautiful collection of British-made multi-fuel and gas stoves.
What's more, we are able to deliver anywhere in the world through our network of stockists, all of whom offer a professional fitting service.
Even the simplest of our fireplaces involves many stages of production, and the quality of the materials is crucial to the process. Imperial White and Carrara marble, antique travertine, Imperial limestone: at Acquisitions, only the best will do.
One of our experienced designers can visit you in the comfort of your own home and guide you through the wide range of beautiful fireplaces we have available, showing you our collection of styles and helping you to choose the perfect chimney-piece for your home.
They'll then provide you with a detailed quote based on your requirements. There's no obligation: it's just an opportunity to discover all the possibilities before you make any decision.
• All specifications and dimensions are approximate. We reserve the right to alter and improve products without prior notice. Products purchased may differ in specification or appearance from those illustrated/described on this website. Due to varying screen resolutions and the fact that all homes and chimneys have different characteristics, flame images may vary from those shown. In all cases we strongly advise that products be inspected before both purchase and installation. Neither we nor our retailers can accept responsibility for costs of reinstallation or redecoration relating to products which have not been approved by the purchaser prior to installation.
• We pursue a policy of continuous development, constantly striving to improve our collection and keeping the environment high on our agenda. We always aim to design the most efficient gas fires possible, so that over time all our products will minimise fuel and energy usage and provide maximum heat output for the fuel used. Acquisitions X-FIRE flueless and balanced flue fires have been developed to meet demand for real-flame contemporary fires with modern levels of efficiency, thereby aiding in the reduction of CO2 emissions and helping to extend fossil fuel reserves. Nearly all conventional fires lose some of their heat through a chimney. A mere 20% of the heat generated by a traditional open solid fuel fire reaches the room, while an open decorative gas fire is 30% to 50% efficient. Even when an open gas or solid-fuel fire is not in use it can take existing room heat from sources such as radiators and storage heaters. Electric fires are said to be 100% efficient, but this does not take into account transmission losses between the power station and your home, which can be as high as 70%. Our flueless models, on the other hand, really are 100% efficient. Even allowing for the room air vent that is required by law, builders’ SAP2005 (energy efficiency) ratings on new-build houses are best when a flueless X-FIRE is specified.
• Vents, veins, fossils and fissures are naturally occurring features of stone and marble, and one of the beauties of these materials is that no two pieces are the same. While every effort is made to match markings, you may not receive exactly the same figuring on your chosen model as you see in a showroom or in our brochure. All stone and marble is inherently unsound and requires repair and filling where appropriate. Its beautiful veining or venting is in fact its weakness. Where such repair and filling is necessary, it should not be considered a defect and is quite acceptable provided that the repair work is carefully and professionally executed. These repairs are sometimes stronger than the original material. Some chipping of the edges of the external returns of the legs, back edges of shelves, back panels and slips during transit or fitting is inevitable. These edges should be hidden when rebated behind the fireplace opening or chased into the wall. This is normal practice and acceptable provided the chips are not detrimental to the overall appearance of the fireplace. The materials we use for our stone surrounds are solid natural limestone, sandstone, granite and marble. Quarrying and cutting involves large quantities of water: this is absorbed by the stone, so individual components may vary in colour while drying. Shade variation may also be evident after fitting, as water is used during installation. In time the stone will dry to a uniform appearance. Drying-out times depend on the stone thickness, room ambience and installation procedure.
