ECO FIREPLACES
by Emily Pilloton, 02/19/07
Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring this year, some of us are still freezing our you-know-whats off (that groundhog is cute, but let’s face it, he’s no meteorologist). So until the temperatures rise, warming your frostbitten fingers by a stylish and eco-friendly fireplace is a good way to go…
+ Eco-Smart Fire
The go-to company for environmentally-friendly fireplaces seems to be Eco-Smart Fire, which we’ve written about before. Their well-designed modern fireplaces and ranges require no gas hookup and instead rely on clean-burning denatured ethanol. Their systems are also flue-less, which means they can be installed basically anywhere in your home.
Another stunning option is Spark’s Fire Ribbon, $3999, a vent-free system that boasts nearly complete fuel combustion, eliminating carbon monoxide and soot.
For a more portable option, the $650 Geniol Fireplace makes for a great (and warm!) tabletop centerpiece and burns using a clean fuel “paste.”
Perhaps our favorite, though, is the cheeky interpretation of fireplace logs by Carl Mertens. His $350 “tabletop fireplace” is as compact as an iPod and as sculptural as modern art.
+ Carl Merten’s Tabletop Fireplace
And for a more functional option, Schultedesign’s Fire Furniture line offers both warmth and a usable surface with their coffee table and podium. Most importantly, the flame burns off of a liquid that is both smoke and emission-free.
+ Schultedesign’s Fire Furniture
boasts is a good term. i’d be very, very, very careful about any combustion inside a house that is ventless. i know the safety data, i tend to just not believe it, placing it in the same category as fda and other US government approval…