Turn up the Heat!

As the weather cools down and the heaters turn up, I crave fire. So whenever I walk into a home with a fireplace, I automatically feel a sense of warmth and comfort. And often, the beauty of a well designed fireplace - be it old or new - is what draws you into a space and can help to set the tone from which the design of the room is created. And when the designing is done, and the furniture is in place, it's your fireplace that can set the mood...

But for those of us who aren't lucky enough to have a place with an existing fireplace, don't worry, there's a solution - and it doesn't require loads of lumber piled up outside, or the toxic smoke of a newspaper and burning log, or even a flue! EcoSmart fireplaces use denatured ethanol and burn clean - they don't need a vent, and don't emit any gasses or smells, but they certainly do add some heat. Whether you decide to build an entire fireplace around them as shown in the pictures above or below, or if you just buy the actual burner and place it within an existing structure that's no longer a working fireplace, you have a greener way to add heat, and light, and style to your home. I love the flexibility to have these open, double sided, modern fixtures, or give life and purpose to an old but lifeless mantle.

So technology doesn't get any cooler than this...a fireplace in a box? Seriously? Oh yes, and thanks to Schulte Design, you can have it in your home - build it into a piece of furniture, or place atop a console as shown in the picture below and you will have something that is compact and contemporary, and portable - you want to sit out side and enjoy a fire...and then come back in and keep on enjoying it? Well, with this biofuel burning little box, anything is possible.

And if you don't want it in a box, how about a glass cylinder? Whether you use it as a sculpture, a table top piece, or to make a room setting a little more exciting, warm, and cozy, the Geniol Fireplace from PID uses an eco-friendly fuel paste to light up. For an even more compact version, try this Gaiam Eco-Glass Fireplace, that burns with a renewable biofuel called Fanola that emits only steam as it burns...and to make the atmosphere even more relaxing and inviting, try filling the aromatherapy bowl.

Designer Carl Mertens is another talented designer that makes the world of fire integrate with the world of art. His website is entirely in German, so I can't honestly say I know much about these pieces, other than they're just fabulous - table top fire logs that can be turned on or off with the click of a button, or another alternative to the glass, easy to install, no vent needed fireplace? How divine. Both sculpted with impeccable taste, and with utility and visual impact in mind.