Back in upstate NY I heated my 1400 sf house with a catalytic stove. Although I had an excellent oil boiler with a perimeter hydronic system, I enjoyed the exercise as well as the cost savings. "Heats you twice" is the saying with wood. We didn't have, or need, air conditioning as it rarely got about high 70's there.
Now that I live in this 4100sf ark with twin heat pumps I have a catalytic insert in one of the fireplaces. It's a great addition to my informal den, although I doubt it saves me much money even though I haven't bought cord wood in years. Over the years I've used it less and less, and I don't burn that much anymore because my wife has developed less tolerance for the dust that the materials handling inevitably causes. It still is a valuable secondary heat source tough if we get a long power failure.
With the dust issue in mind I designed my mountain home without a chimney or a wood burning appliance. I installed a high efficiency oil boiler for my primary heat source. That uses a water-to-air exchanger with central air handling, so I can filter and humidify the house and if necessary, install central air. After owning it for 7 years I find AC is not needed, since, like upstate NY, the Blue Ridge mountains enjoy cool summers. For ambiance and a secondary source I have a direct vent propane stove with "gas logs" and a realistic flame in the great room. When I need to take a tree down there I either give the wood away or haul it home for my infrequent uses and emergency stockpile.
