Field notes · Eastside
The journal.
Cost framing, install process, brand and design notes — written from the trucks and the showroom. Eastside-specific, designer-led, and honest about when a project isn't the right call.
6 min read · 2026-05-22
Gas Fireplace Installation Cost in Bellevue: What Actually Drives the Number
Two Bellevue homeowners, two very different cost outcomes. Here's what makes gas fireplace installation cost vary so widely on the Eastside — and how to read a quote so you're not surprised.
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8 min read · 2026-05-22
How Gas Fireplace Installation Works: From First Conversation to First Flame
Most homeowners don't know what happens between 'I want a fireplace' and the first time the flame turns on. Here's the full Prime process — design, permitting, install, and inspection.
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7 min read · 2026-05-22
Gas Insert vs. Gas Fireplace: Making the Right Call for Your Home
The terms are used interchangeably online, but they describe two different install paths with different scopes, design options, and lead times. Here's how to tell them apart — and which is right for your room.
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7 min read · 2026-05-22
Converting a Wood Fireplace to Gas on the Eastside: What It Actually Takes
Most Eastside wood fireplaces are strong candidates for gas conversion. Here's how the two conversion paths work, what the Bellevue permit process looks like, and what you won't need to demo.
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8 min read · 2026-05-22
Gas Fireplace Ideas for Open Floor Plans: What Works, What Doesn't, and What Eastside Homes Get Wrong
Open floor plans are unforgiving to a poorly placed fireplace — visible from too many angles, anchoring nothing, heating nothing. Here's how to make the fireplace earn its space in a connected room.
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7 min read · 2026-05-22
Ventless vs. Vented Gas Fireplace: The Honest Answer for Washington Homeowners
Ventless fireplaces are heavily marketed online. The reality in Washington State — and on the Eastside specifically — is more constrained than the product pages suggest. Here's what you actually need to know.
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9 min read · 2026-05-22
Best Gas Fireplace Brands for Eastside Homes: Heat & Glo, Napoleon, Valor, Mendota, and Travis Industries
Brand matters — not because of reputation, but because different manufacturers optimize for different room types, design directions, and installation contexts. Here's how to match brand to room on the Eastside.
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Reading is one thing.
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Prime comes to the room, looks at the wall, and walks through the design and install options — with a clear written estimate.