We have two - one free-standing, called a salamander and the other is inset. The salamander has a pipe which goes up into the roof, so the pipe also warms up nicely too
We burn oak and olive wood and as it's the only form of heating we have (apart from the sun) we're quite used to it.
Yes, it can be a bit dusty and yes, it's a pain to get wood when it's chucking it down outside, but we need the warmth