For Immediate Release
Contact: Michelle A. Drager, APR
mdrager@thedragergroup.com
484-269-2900
Wyoming Getaway Home Highlights Soapstone Inside and Out, from
Tulikivi Fireplace to Front Porch
Pinedale, Wyoming - Nancy and Rob Tolley’s Wyoming “natural wonder” home
brings the outdoors inside. From nearly every window are views of the Wind
River Mountains. The Tolleys artfully integrated natural materials and colors in
the design of their home to reflect the outdoors and to achieve a fishing lodge
feel.
The most exciting - and remarkably appropriate - natural material in the home is
soapstone. Rob Tolley, a professor of anthropology at Indiana University East,
says, “It’s interesting that we imported soapstone from Finland and Virginia to
use in our home given that prehistoric people who lived in the area valued
soapstone, carving it into utilitarian vessels and cooking pots.”
The Tolleys first glimpsed Tulikivi fireplaces at Chico Hot Springs in Paradise
Valley, Montana, and at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn in Wilson, Wyoming. “I didn’t want
a wood stove - it’s an object,” Tolley explains. “Tulikivis are architectural. It is
rock but it’s gentle. You want to run your hand over it. You’re invited to touch it”
They liked the properties of soapstone so much that they incorporated it into
nearly every area of their home. For starters, the Tolley’s Tulikivi stove in their
great room is positioned so that it efficiently heats their entire 2500 square foot
home. Its two sides allow the Tolleys to enjoy its warmth and ambience in their
bedroom.
The Tolleys chose complementary soapstone for kitchen counters. A carved fish
- in keeping with the fishing lodge theme - is above the stove, serving as a focal
point. They also used soapstone throughout their three bathrooms and for a
reading nook in their daughter’s bedroom. For an inviting extra touch, Tolley is
having two soapstone disks custom carved for the front porch: A compass rose
will adorn one and an outline of the Wind River Mountains will be carved into the
other.
According to Tolley, the fireplace and soapstone surfaces have performed far
beyond the their expectations. “Though we have radiant floor heat in the living
and kitchen areas, we don’t need to turn it on. The Tulikivi easily and efficiently
heats their great room as well as the loft where I have an office,” says Tolley.
The “fishing lodge” will become their Wyoming home permanently once Tolley
retires. He adds: “The Tulikivi is doing a wonderful job of heating our home over
the holidays, and warding off the occasional morning chill in the spring and fall.
We are really looking forward to a full winter’s residence, enjoying the Tulikivi’s
warmth!”
It’s a warmth all generated by Tulikivi and the remarkable power of soapstone.
Author, Karen Reinhart visited with Rob and Nancy Tolley in October. Karen
Reinhart is a freelance writer of regional history articles and books. After a long
career as interpretive park ranger in Yellowstone, she now works for the Jackson
Hole Historical Society and Museum in Jackson, Wyoming. Karen and her
children live in the Gardiner, Montana area. Photos by Karen Reinhart.
The Tulikivi Group comprises the Tulikivi Corporation, which is a listed family
enterprise, and its subsidiaries. The Tulikivi Group is the world’s largest
manufacturer of heat-retaining fireplaces. Tulikivi has three product groups:
Fireplaces, Saunas and Interior & Design. Tulikivi and its customers value
wellbeing, interior design and the benefits of bioenergy. Tulikivi’s net sales are
roughly EUR 60 million, of which exports account for about half. Tulikivi employs
over 400 people. For more information about Tulikivi, please visit
www.tulikivi.com or follow them on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/Tulikivi. For the nearest distributor, call 800-843-3473.
Look for Tulikivi on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
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