I'm also looking for a new stove that will stand inside/in front of my fireplace. I'm not new to heating with wood, but I haven't owned a stove in a while. My previous stove was the largest VC Dutchwest Federal Airtight. I purchased it in 1990 (just after VC purchased DW) and gave it to my dad a few years later when I moved from Boston to South Carolina. He has used it flawlessly in his house in Maine since. Just replaced the cat last week after about 30 cord and 20 years.
So a little about my situation. Moved back North in 2002 and built a very open 3500sq ft (now 7 year old) colonial type house in the Boston area on a 20 acre wooded parcel. Family room in the back (with FP on back side of the wall), with shed/cathedral ceiling to cat-walk in center of house with an two story open foyer. Four bedrooms; two on each side of the cat-walk. A perfect house for heating with a wood stove since it is so open with all 9ft ceilings.
Uh, I might disagree with you . . . open lay out is good, but due to the size of your house and tall ceilings and cathedral ceiling I would say this house is far from being the perfect house . . . not to debate too much, but I would think a perfect house for a woodstove would have lower ceilings and not have any cathedral ceilings, the home would be smaller in size, single story or 2-story but in a basic square or rectangle shape, well insulated and have a lay-out so that it could have an interior chimney and the stove would be placed as central to the home as possible . . . while remaining in the area most frequently used by the occupants when home (i.e. family room or living room.) That said, it might be challenging to heat this large of a home with a single woodstove, but you could certainly get a woodstove to heat up the family room and adjacent rooms. FP dimensions are 36W x 32H with an oversize floor level hearth. Could also do an insert, but think that a free standing might heat more effectively and look nicer. This is our main living area, so esthetics are important.
I agree . . . to a point . . . I kind of like the flush lines of an insert with existing fireplaces, but in terms of heating more effectively think a free standing stove would be a better choice . . . not to mention not needing electricity to power a blower to move the heated air out of the fireplace.
I really like the look of the Jotul F500 and Harman Oakwood. I want the look of a classic wood stove and don't really care for a pedestal. I'd like to be able to view the fire burning and would really rather a top load, but a right side would be okay. I would appreciate thoughts on stoves given these considerations. Would also like thoughts on cat vs non cat.
If you're just trying to heat the immediate area these two stoves might work . . . but again . . . I believe there are few, if any, stoves that would heat your entire home based on what you have described here . . . if you were to try heating the whole home I would go with the true big guns when it comes to burning . . . in the Jotul line up go up to the F-600 . . . I would even suggest a Blaze King . . . but you mention styling . . . and the BK's style is certainly not for everyone . . . I know that I can't get over just how fugly this stove is. 
Honestly, if I had a house as described I would like to have a small woodstove to heat up the family area . . . and for the ambiance . . . but I would also (if I could swing it) install an indoor wood boiler or wood furnace to hook up to whatever system I currently heat with . . . assuming you are either using an oil or gas-fired water boiler with radiators or in-floor heating or furnace with ductwork and not electric heat.
Cat vs. Non-cat . . . at one time this would have been a real issue to me . . . now it would only make me stop to think a little bit . . . there are some pros- and cons- to both types . . . and the ease of use isn't one of those pros- or cons . . . for me it would boil down to how often I would want to have a slow-and-low burn, if I'm willing to pay for a replacement cat down the road but in return get some fantastically long burn times and low wood consumption rates and if I know my wood will be primo, well-seasoned wood year after year.
Great forum. Many thanks.
