As part of our mission to be kinder to the planet and to bring sustainability to the heart of our design work at Run For The Hills, we are keen to try out new products and services which are eco-inspired in some way, to fuel the debate and discover kinder ways to do great design. This blog post is about one of those cool new products.
FIRESIDE LOVE
We simply love the look of cast iron log burners and traditional style stoves, in living rooms, dining rooms, outhouses, gardens and patios, but we also know that they’re not environmentally friendly and are often banned in ‘smoke-free’ cities.
ECO ALTERNATIVES
Recently we have been trying to specify a new breed of log burning stove into our interior design projects. So far we haven’t managed to place one in a project, but we’re determined to do so. They’re called Bio Ethanol Fireplaces and they are the clean, green alternative to real log-burners whether wood or coal burning stoves.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
Take a look at the one we have just set up in our studio, which the lovely people at ImaginFires gave us to try out ourselves, so that we can better encourage our clients to opt for one.
—OUR REVIEW—
PRETTY FACTOR
Looks-wise, the fire is lovely and very slim-line, so would fit into even smaller spaces really well. We also added some wooden logs and decorative coals to give a really authentic burner look.
STYLES
They have lots of styles to choose from: traditional and more modern scandi style wood burner styles with and without ‘false’ flue pipes which cleverly connect to the wall above the fire via magnets. They also have floor-standing fires, free-standing and wall-mounted, so lots of options to suit any interior scheme and mood. The one we have in the studio is the Pembrey.
FIRESIDE GLOW
It has real, natural looking flames and gives off very toasty warmth similar to a heater. It’s noise-less and odour-less, although we believe you can use fuel with subtle fragrances.
NO NEED FOR A FLUE
These bio-ethanol fires don’t need any kind of chimney or flue, so they’re perfect for flats, houses and conservatories.
FIT THEM TO YOUR EXISTING MANTEL
You can also sit them within an existing chimney or fireplace opening, whether it’s blocked or open.
INSIDE OUTSIDE
You can use them outside too, in gardens and patios. Which we think would look amazing, nestling one between trees and plants to create a flickering fireside glow for late night drinks (a simpler, less effort option than a fire-pit and certainly more planet-friendly).
HOW THEY WORK
They’re powered by a liquid called Bio-Ethanol which is a renewable energy source made with alcohol and by fermenting the sugar and starch components from plant by-products like sugarcane and grain, using yeast.
CONCLUSION
Overall it’s as lovely as we hoped it would be So we feel even more confident to recommend them to our clients going forward Something which gives all the wow factor of a log-burning stove, but without the harmful fossil fuels and smoke.
TO FIND OUT MORE
Visit: https://www.imaginfires.co.uk
Thanks once again for letting us road test it!
Run For The Hills team
