Choosing the Right Base for Your Parkray Wood Stove: Legs, Plinth or Bench

When you choose a Parkray Aspect 8 or 14 Eco, the stove itself is only part of the decision. The base you select changes how the stove sits in the room, how it interacts with the floor and the wall behind it, and how practical it is to live with day to day.

There is no universal right answer. Each base suits a different space and lifestyle. Here is how to think through the options.

Legs: Contemporary and Lifted

The leg base raises the firebox off the floor on four slender supports, leaving the floor visible beneath the stove. It is the most contemporary of the three options, creating a sense of lightness and space.

This works particularly well in rooms where the floor is a feature: polished concrete, large-format tile, or a statement timber look. It also suits spaces where visual weight is a concern: a smaller room benefits from the lifted, open feeling a leg base creates.

The trade-off is practical. There is no storage beneath the stove, and the legs are more visually delicate than the solidity of a plinth or bench. For homes with young children or large dogs, the leg base may feel less robust in daily use.

Log Plinth: Practical and Grounded

The log plinth is a solid rectangular base that raises the firebox to a comfortable working height while providing concealed storage beneath. It creates a heavier, more grounded visual presence than legs, and the stove appears to sit on and belong to the floor rather than floating above it.

The plinth suits both contemporary and traditional interiors. In a room with a non-combustible hearth surround or tiled alcove, the plinth creates a cohesive, built-in look without requiring custom joinery.

Practically, the plinth is useful: a supply of dry, split firewood within arm’s reach of the stove makes stoking and reloading straightforward. The storage is covered and contained, which is neater than a separate log basket.

For the Aspect 8 and 14 Eco, only the high plinth is available. The Aspect 5 Eco additionally offers a low plinth for lower-ceiling installations or where a lower firebox height is preferred.

Long Bench: Extended and Integrated

The long bench extends the base of the stove wider than the firebox itself, creating a low horizontal surface to either side. The effect is furniture-like: the stove becomes part of a wider composition rather than a standalone object.

The long bench is available on all three Aspect models. It suits larger rooms where the fireplace is meant to occupy more visual space, or where the designer or homeowner wants the stove to anchor a broader feature wall arrangement.

Practically, the extended surface can hold logs, kindling, or decorative objects. It is also the most stable configuration, with the widest footprint of the three options.

Which Base Is Right for Your Space?

If you are unsure, your Hunter Stoves dealer can show you examples of each configuration in person and advise based on your room dimensions, hearth layout, and design direction. Seeing the difference between a leg base and a long bench in a real installation makes the decision considerably easier.

Find your nearest Hunter Stoves dealer: hunterstoves.com.au