Hot looks: Newest fireplaces are more about style than substance
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The Berlin wood-burning stove from German manufacturer Max Blank rotates 360 degrees atop a circular glass floorplate.
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For more information
Ecoflames (Planika Decor): www.ecoflames.com; 1-201-933-7787EcoSmart Fires: www.ecosmartfire.com; 1-773-278-4100
Fireorb: www.fireorb.net; 1-847-454-9198
Fireplace & Patioplace: www.firepatio.com; 412-343-5157
Hearth & Home Furnishings: www.hearthandhomepa.com; 1-800-723-7632
Hearthfalls: www.hearthfalls.com; 1-800-975-5211
Heat & Glo: www.heatnglo.com; 1-888-427-3973
House to Home Fireplaces and Pools: www.housetohomepa.com; 724-733-3473
Max Blank: www.maxblank.com; 1-866-629-2526
New Angle Design: www.newangledesign.us; 412-486-3000
SPARK Modern Fires: www.sparkfires.com; 1-866-938-3846
Thermart: www.thermart.com; 1-604-460-7101
Fire has transfixed human beings since the dawn of time. Even in this high-tech modern world, it still warms our hearts to see flames flickering on the family hearth.
Maybe that's why the latest trend in fireplaces has less to do with heating that it does with style and aesthetics. Some of today's hottest models, in fact, look more like works of art or pieces of furniture than traditional fireplaces.
Take the free-standing Berlin wood-burning flue stove from German manufacturer Max Blank. This curved glass-and-steel device actually rotates a full 360 degrees atop a circular glass floorplate, throwing off a little heat and lots of style in any direction. (A non-rotating version can be installed by the wall.) It also includes three glass shelves for displaying glassware and other knickknacks.
Some might find the $10,000 price tag a bit steep, especially when you consider the stove only heats up to 1,500 square feet. Then again, you're not really buying it for the BTUs.
"It's all about the look," says Ruth Thompson, owner of New Angle Design in Allison Park, a design firm that serves as Max Blank's local dealer.
If you're in the market for something even more modernistic, the ultra-sleek Niagara ($15,000) has a wood-burning fireplace on the bottom and a remote-controlled waterfall on the stainless-steel top. The old-fashioned Padua Fry'n'Bake ($7,800), conversely, comes with wood storage below and a roasting chamber above.
Ms. Thompson has yet to sell any of the stoves, which only recently have been introduced to the Pittsburgh market. But she believes that has more to do with the fuel (wood) than price; once the company's gas versions are introduced early next year, she's convinced they'll take off.
"People want to make a statement," she says. "They're tired of the typical firebox with a wood surround."
The EcoSmart Fire Collection, which starts at $4,400, is anything but typical. These flueless, environmentally friendly fireplaces burn denatured ethanol and require no special installation. That means homeowners or architects can put the fire pretty much anywhere they want -- even in a loft or apartment. And they're incredibly stylish.
The free-standing Designer Range series, for instance, comes in several shapes, sizes and colors, including Traffic red. One of the more interesting models is the rectangular Igloo ($8,000), which has a glass back and sides and features a "floating" steel shelf for the flame.
EcoSmart also offers a line of stainless-steel zero-clearance fireboxes that can be fitted by a builder into any combustible or noncombustible surface material, including an existing closed-off fireplace.
Tired of hauling wood in from the outdoors? SPARK Modern Fires can ease your pain -- and spark conversation -- with two new products.
The Fire Bowl conversion kit ($1,499) retrofits a traditional fireplace with an 18-inch bowl cast from a ceramic-like material. When fueled by propane or natural gas, the remote-controlled flame dances above the bowl's rim.
The Fire Ribbon, available in both vent-free ($3,999) and direct-vent versions ($4,299), burns with a horizontal ribbon of flame behind a thin pane of glass.
If you prefer the clean, glassy look, Planika Decor's line of glass fires ($550-$699) will send a shiver down your spine. These see-through glass cylinders, which stand anywhere from 15 to 35 inches, sit on wood, glass, stone or cast-aluminum bases that can be placed anywhere, even on top of furniture. Each comes with sand, ceramic logs and stones, a fuel pot, and a special safety lighter.
Flames flicker on the floating steel shelf in Ecosmart's Igloo.
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The Fire Bowl from SPARK Modern Fires can be retro-fitted into a fireplace opening and burns gas or propane.
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There's also a line of wall-mounted and free-standing "biofireplaces." The box-like Impulse ($999) is made from brushed stainless steel and tempered glass. The minimalistic Expresione, meanwhile, hangs on the wall like a picture in a black or red aluminum frame. All the fires are fueled by an eco-friendly, smokeless biofuel called Fanola ($7) that burns for about four hours on one liter.
Off the Wall Fireplace's Therm Art line of direct-vent, natural gas fireplaces ($5,600 to $17,500) also embraces the notion of fireplace as wall art. These ultra-sleek fireplace "paintings" frame a narrow line of flame in titanium or steel and can be recessed or mounted directly onto a 6-inch-thick wall.
Heat & Glo's Cyclone fireplace ($8,000) also features a ribbon of fire but in a vertical arrangement. The spinning flame gives off about 15,000 BTUs of heat, making it more of a design feature than a heat source. The petite Soulstice ($1,749), meant for wall installation, puts out between 12,000 and 17,500 BTUs per hour. It was specifically designed to be viewed from bed, where chances are you're already toasty, but that's almost beside the point.
Walt Sedlock, owner of House to Home, likes the look of the artsy new fireplaces but doesn't see a demand in conservative Pittsburgh.
"The Cyclone is kind of cool and gee whiz, but where do you put that in your house? Most of our customers are still pretty traditional," he says.
Hearthfall's new lightweight waterfall fireplace ($1,500) is another pretty hearth product that does little to warm a room. The free-standing unit, which pours a sheet of water from the mantel, merely sits in front of an existing fireplace.
Speaking of water, if a fireplace that hangs from the ceiling like a giant periscope floats your boat, you'll love the wood-burning FireOrb ($5,800-$6,900). Like the Berlin, this suspended fireplace rotates a full 360 degrees.
And if all you really want for Christmas is the look of flames in a modern appliance, a fiery DVD may light your fire. There's the "Happy Holiday Hearth" DVD ($8 at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble) from Rhino Home Video or HDScape's "Fireplace: Visions of Tranquility" high-definition DVD ($29.95 on Amazon.com). Both re-create a blazing fireplace right on your TV screen to the sounds of either a crackling fire or Christmas music. "Fireplace" also offers a classical music soundtrack option.
They may not provide much in the way of real warmth, but just think how much you'll save on gas or firewood.
Planika Decor's glass fire.
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First Published December 2, 2006 12:00 am
