Go For the Burn
Unique Fireplaces Put Flames Front and Center
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
So many of today’s fireplaces are more about the place than the fire. Not a Wittus fireplace. These sleek creations are all about the fire.
Wittus, which imports fireplaces and stoves from Europe, specializes in free-standing fireplaces which themselves resemble contemporary sculpture. Designers from Italy, Denmark, Holland and Germany have contributed to the Wittus lineup.
Their fireplaces combine the most modern manufacturing techniques with old fashioned hand craftsmanship. Steel, handcrafted ceramics and Finnish soapstone are among the materials used in construction. And they’re not just beautiful; they are extremely functional. Sophisticated burning systems include double-chambered burning compartments and adjustable air control, ensuring a clean and efficient burn (the company quotes combustion efficiencies from 71% to 74%).
Wittus offers gas, wood and electric models. Some, like the Sueno gas stoves from Holland, can be mounted flush to the wall for a built-in look. A signature Wittus feature is a pedestal that rotates so the flames can be viewed from any direction, and large viewing areas — even the smaller units have large windows.
If you want the flames to be the main attraction, you can’t go wrong with a fireplace from Wittus’s collection. The company also offers unique cookstoves and outdoor grills. Check Wittus.com for dealer locations, catalogs and contact information.
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Fescue to the Rescue
New Material Puts Green Back in the Driveway
Monday, January 15, 2007
It’s a lawn! It’s a driveway! It’s actually drivable grass — a new take on the old dilemma of how to combine aesthetics and environmental considerations with the demands of the automobile.
Drivable grass is a concrete grid made up of 2? x 4? mats. You fill in the grid with soil, plant grass seed and soon you have a green driveway. Because the surface is permeable, it allows runoff to soak into the ground where it can be absorbed and filtered. And a swath of green is always more appealing than a swath of concrete or asphalt.
Do-it-yourselfers can install drivable grass or contact Soil Retention of Carlsbad for a list of local installers.
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Fire and Ice
A Cool Accessory Heats up Fireplaces
Friday, December 22, 2006
Glass comes from fire. And now fire comes from glass. The latest in fireplace accessories looks like flames rising out of ice crystals. And it’s not only compelling to see, it’s beautiful, clean, affordable and safe for the environment.
Fire crystals are nuggets of tempered glass used as a replacement for gas logs in natural gas or wood burning fireplaces and fire pits. No soot, smoke or ashes, just brilliant color and gentle warmth.
The 10 available colors include red, sapphire, burgundy, orange, gold, green and white. You can use one color or mix and match. Colors won’t change or degrade.
And while the crystals look cool, the glass itself radiates heat, providing a constant flow of warmth. It is said to produce up to 600% more heat than gas logs and to be more efficient because there is nothing blocking the radiant heat produced by the flame and hot glass.
Cleanup is easy – if dirt builds up, just scoop out the glass and wash it with dish detergent followed by a thorough rinse.
You can find crystals locally at FireCrystals in Paso Robles. Or visit their online store, which has a handy calculator to help you figure out how much you’ll need (their tip: use less expensive glass on the bottom.) Crystals are sold by the pound and there are no minimum orders.
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Put A Cork In It
The Wonder Material for Floors
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Walking on a cork floor is a little like a warm bath for your feet.
Cork is quiet, soft and warm to the touch. It’s perfect for the bedroom, yet it’s durable enough to stand up to higher-traffic areas like kitchens. Because of its unique cellular structure, it springs back from compression, each cell functioning as a miniature shock absorber—its 200 million air cells per cubic inch make it a back-saver for people who have to stand for long periods of time. And that’s not all—it also insulates against sound, noise and temperature change, and it’s water resistant, insect resistant and fire resistant.
Could it get any better? Well yes, actually. An environmentally friendly choice, cork flooring is made from bark stripped from cork trees. Fortunately, this peeling doesn’t harm the trees. Harvesters leave a thin layer of protective inner bark on the tree, and the outer bark regenerates in a few years. Most cork is grown on sustainably managed tree farms in Spain, Portugal and North Africa.
Cork tiles and planks are available in a wide range of natural colors which can be mixed and matched to form mosaic-like designs. For more information on cork floors, visit Cork Flooring Biz. San Luis Obispo retailers include Phillips Floor to Ceiling and Green Goods.
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All Bottled Up
From Trash to Tile With Recycled Glass
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
That beer bottle you tossed in the recycle bin just might end up gracing your kitchen backsplash or your bathroom floor. Glass tiles and terrazzo made from recylced glass are gaining in popularity and variety.
Glass tiles have been around for a couple of thousand years. They offer a clarity and depth impossible to achieve with clay tile. Despite their delicate translucence, glass tiles are harder than clay and are stain- and waterproof.
While upscale European manufacturers use raw materials, here in the U.S. most glass tile is made from beer bottles, windshields and other recycled glass.
Located in Carlsbad, California, Oceanside Glasstile has been producing and selling luxury glass tiles since 1992. The current glass tile operation uses 1000 tons of recycled glass each year. Oceanside’s varied offerings include several collections of pearly iridescents.
Boise, Idaho-based Sandhill makes its tiles from 100% recycled glass which would otherwise end up in landfills. Each tile takes less than one-half of the energy to produce than ceramic tile, and less than one-fourth of the energy of cast-glass tile. Sandhill’s tiles are available in 36 colors with evocative names like buttercream, honeydew and sandalwood.
In San Luis Obispo, Artisan Tile & Marble carries tile from Oceanside Glasstile. Sandhill tiles are available at Matt Clark Tile & Stone.
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Quit Wining
And Make Some Furniture
California furnituremaker Whit McLeod turns out award-winning pieces from his Arcata studio deep in redwood country. But his furniture is made not from the surrounding redwood but from wood that has already done duty farther south, in wine country.
McLeod’s singular pieces are almost entirely constructed of reclaimed lumber. Specifically, salvaged oak quartersawn wine barrels. His current inventory consists of material from six different California wineries, made of great oak trees from as close as Mississippi to as far away as France and Hungary.
McLeod’s professional career began in Northern California redwood forests, on the other side of the bark as a wildlife biologist. His reverence for the natural world is reflected in his line of handmade Arts and Crafts furniture.
That spirit of preservation informs his manufacturing process, from relying on vintage machinery that McLeod has retooled himself, to scouring scrap yards for copper to be melted down in his foundry for tiles used in tabletops. Accordingly, every facet of work is done in-house — unusual today but not during the heyday of the Arts and Crafts movement.
His folding chair feels like museum-quality sculpture. Made from white oak, each chair is numbered by the artist on the underside of the seat and branded with the name of the winery where the barrel was used. Finished with natural linseed oil, the chairs retain their original color when used indoors or age gracefully outdoors.
McLeod’s furniture has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fine Woodworking and numerous other national publications. He has been given the American Crafts Council Award of Achievement and his work has been exhibited in the Oakland Museum. Working with McLeod are his wife Kristy and a team of three craftsmen.
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