'Tis the Season for Faux Fires

(Expresione fireplace, courtesy of Planika Fires)Janet Ramin - The calendar may have read only October, but the first snowstorm of the season already swiped the Eastern seaboard, from Maine to Maryland, catching many people unprepared. And it’s not even officially winter yet!

As thoughts scurried to winter coats, blankets, and the like, I started to dream about fireplaces … the warmth from the flames, the romantic glow of the dancing amber and red colors. Then I woke up to chilly reality … I live in an apartment that never had fireplaces and never will. But of course, some imaginative minds thought, Let’s solve that!

Enter the “faux” fireplace. They don’t require a chimney flue, gas, or electricity – perfect for apartment dwellers or homeowners stuck without a fireplace. They still work even when a storm blows out your electrical lines. 

(Hearth Cabinet - traditional styling)Hearth Cabinet is one of the manufacturers and as shown in the photos left and below, their fireplaces can fit into any type of interior design style. They can insert their firebox into a traditional style fireplace, with mantel and moulding, and cover its frame with marble.  In the photo below, the hearth cabinet is made with a stainless steel frame and fits into this modern room. Notice that there's wooden shelving built right on top of the Hearth Cabinet – no need for that traditional chimney flue!

(Hearth Cabinet - modern styling)So exactly how do they work? And are they safe?

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Shelving It In Style with Drugeot Labo Storage Systems

Irwin Weiner ASID - I'm on my handmade high horse once again. I admire furniture that speaks fluent handmade. With French design and manufacturing firm Drugeot Labo, I've found some wonderful storage resources that are flexible and bespoke looking, thanks to the designs of Pierre Rochepeau. Pictured above: Kao Shelving Triple, Kao Shelving Single, Bric à Brac Shelving, and 3 Mats Shelving.

Also look to Drugeot Labo for innovative coffee and end tables, like the lovely whirling dirvish Toupie side tables (above), beautiful top-like creations crafted from limewood and steel. But back to shelving systems - I'm also in love with Bibliofleur, a whimsical take on bookshelves supported by modern white flower bases (see photos below).

 

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Make My Next House Out of Super-Mud Adobe

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's vital to think more in terms of using sustainable building materials when we're renovating or building homes. It's incredible to me that more building materials aren't locally sourced, avoiding a large shipping carbon footprint. Egyptian master architect Hassan Fathy taught the world that locally-sourced mud can make soaring, elegant, environmentally sensitive homes and villages. And in that same vein, we have to honor the Native Americans and their adobe structures.

Sandbags used to build super adobe homes.

The folks at Post Modern Times built a super adobe home using few tree-based products and locally-sourced earth and related materials in Brazil. It took a few people a short period of time to make something that I'd like to do on a larger family scale. The bottom photo shows the building process, using sandbags, with the finished product shown in the top photo. Watch today's featured video and see this fascinating building process in action.

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Pittsburgh's Handmade Arcade is Just Tip of Handmade Iceberg

Irwin Weiner ASID - If it's made by hand, it's going to be better. Probably more tender loving care into the object, more eco-friendliness, and carloads of personality. I've often commented that if there's a cure for contemporary mass-produced and machine-made home goods, it's buying handmade items to warm-up a space. I'm attracted to bulky-knit rugs, hand-screened prints in WPA colors and retro sensibilities, sculpture of any kind, and imaginative metal work. Of the latter, I love working with a local blacksmith and metal master Ray Matthis of Tutto Metal Design - see photo above. If you're a designer or homeowner, working with someone like Ray will guarantee that you have a unique handmade item in your home or client project. Other handmade sources of inspiration: Etsy shops, of course; Pittsburgh's Handmade Arcade (check out the Handmade Arcade for the Holidays this Saturday, November 12 from 11am to 7pm by going onto the Handmade Arcade website - and check out the video below for a look at a past arcade event); and the Modern Victorian/Steampunk home renovation work and furniture design of Bruce Rosenbaum (see photo below) and ModVic.

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