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70 square metres are perfect for a couple who are always on the go like Yves and Nicole. He is a flight attendant and she works for a travel agency, organising holidays in the Provence region for groups coming from all over the world.

"Our region is most spectacular in the summer, but there are still tourists about in the winter," says Nicole.

The winter is never particularly harsh here. The average temperature is about ten degrees, with lows that rarely fall below zero.

"The problem here," says Yves, "is the mistral, which blows in the winter, so much so that it chills your bones. Our apartment is not well insulated and we are spending far too much to keep warm. We currently use electric convection heaters and a water heater, which are far from ideal."

With the aim of reducing the costs and choosing a more environmentally-friendly solution, Nicole and Yves looked into the possibility of installing a pellet stove.

"We contacted MCZ for an on-site visit, initially to understand whether or not it was feasible and secondly to learn more about the costs and different alternatives," says Yves.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that it was possible not only to get expert advice, but also to view the various stove options in actual size.

For both heat diffusion requirements and the construction of the flue, the ideal spot for the installation was in the living room. This way, by keeping the door open, the kitchen is heated as well, and via a short length of ducting, it is also possible to reach the bedroom.

A ductable 8 kW stove is more than enough to heat a volume of 190 cubic metres.

Yves and Nicole were most convinced by two options.

The first was Toba, one of MCZ's 'icons', designed in 2011 and marking the transition between the extremely functional appearance of the first pellet stoves and those to be considered objects of home décor. Its design, mildly reminiscent of the 1960s, and the white ceramic finish were a huge hit with Nicole.

Yves, on the other hand, was drawn to a more modern stove, the Klin model, launched in 2015. It has a rigid and simple appearance, which can be perfectly suited to all types of décor. The lateral steatite cladding enhances the stove; however, the 'Nordic style' is also guaranteed by the use of simple black steel.

Who do you think will win?