TIP THREE New twists on old models Not to be outdone, the usually chimney- bound gas fire has been working overtime to keep up with modern trends. Consumers who know where to look can now purchase ‘ventless’ gas fires, units with low emissions that can burn in any corner of your home. Ventless gas fires can work well for those hunting a heat-centric unit with a more traditional aesthetic, but the low-level emissions they do release flow straight into your living room. Designs are strictly regulated - but make sure your carbon monoxide alarm is in good order, just in case. Ordinary gas fires have been evolving too: “We recently launched Te Elemental Range,” says Paul Chesney, managing director of leading fireplace supplier, Chesneys. “We’ve taken five of our most popular designs, reduced the size and altered the design to make them appeal to those with less space.” Tey don’t come cheap, but many Chesneys fireplaces are made with luxurious limestone or marble. Even wood burners are returning to
18 / PROPERTYMAIL
the fold, with the upcoming Ecodesign Ready initiative laying down a new set of regulations that should limit environmental impact. “Wood-burning stoves remain popular,” says Chesney, “and can be highly effective barbecues, with capacity for grilling, roasting, baking, wok-frying and steaming.”
“FOR THE MORE
MODERN-MINDED, FIREPLACES CAN NOW BE ACCOMMODATED INTO ALL KINDS OF CUBIST STRUCTURES”
TIP FOUR Te finest flames Tose looking for more from their fire can buy a ‘multimedia’ fireplace - an electric fire built into an entertainment unit that can include anything from a CD rack to a widescreen TV and BOSE sound system. And at the very pinnacle of high-end, you will find the experimental designs of American company Heat & Glo (
heatnglo.com). Te ‘infinity flame’ design on their Solaris
Fireplace is more art installation than hearth: It uses lighting effects to create a thin line of fire that hangs suspended in mid-air, before retreating backwards into the wall. Tey also briefly marketed the ground- breaking, if wildly overpriced, Aqueon Fireplace, which, for a cool $50,000, produced a sustainable flame by separating hydrogen - quite literally making fire from water. Filled with increasingly inventive designs, and facing down pending environmental regulation, the fireplace industry will surely be trailblazing for some time to come.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
