Get cosy: The fireplaces taking style and sustainability to another level

Exploding in popularity since they were introduced to Naked Flame two years ago, the suspended fireplaces are a true focal point to any living room. For anyone who has seen one of the sculptural pieces in action, it’s easy to agree that they’re a stylish choice and with such a ‘wow’ factor, it’s no surprise that there has been a demand for the range to expand into stainless steel and COR-TEN finishes beyond the original powder coated black option.

“A customer was actually an instigator to that,” says Naked Flame’s Richard Lee, explaining that the client wanted one of the fireplaces to be made in stainless steel. After looking into the feasibility, Richard and the Naked Flame team were able to give the customer exactly what they wanted – and introduced brushed stainless steel and COR-TEN to the seven suspended fireplace models.

Already a standout feature to interior spaces, the introduction of stainless steel and COR-TEN means the fireplace range can now also be experienced in outdoor spaces.

“COR-TEN was initially designed for outdoors with its rusty patina finish. But in a lot of modern and architecturally designed homes, I actually think it will be quite popular indoors as well,” says Richard, where the original black fireplaces could only be used indoors.

This means that there is now far greater flexibility when it comes to choosing the right colour and finish for your exterior or interior space.

As well as being a unique feature, these innovative fireplaces are also making strides in the sustainability space.

“Naked Flame started out in 2015 because of the gap in the market that I saw with biofuel,” says Richard, a solution that develops year-on-year with the Government’s aim to become carbon neutral.

Derived from any biomass – a naturally occurring material such as plant material – biofuel produces a real flame without the environmental implications of gas or wood, and creates heat unlike an electric-powered fireplace.

“Biofuel is the easiest and cheapest to install, along with being sustainable and renewable.”

The fireplaces themselves are even sustainable, being made from steel – the most recyclable metal.

“In 30 or 40 years' time, if the house gets knocked down and replaced with something else, the fireplace can go to a scrap metal dealer and be recycled and turned into something else. We aren’t creating products that are going to go to landfill,” says Richard.

So when you’re looking for your next fireplace, consider something that’s more than just a fireplace – Naked Flame’s suspended fireplaces are a design feature that provide style and intrigue day and night, while being a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.

“Nothing is more cosy than a fireplace and watching a flame on a miserable, cold, rainy day,” says Richard. “That’s what it’s all about – creating atmosphere and bringing life into a room. The flame is moving, it’s living – it’s not just an inanimate object like a heat pump.”

Also available in electric, LPG or natural gas, it’s easy to select the best option for your project.

Find out more about Naked Flame and its suspended fireplaces, or visit the showroom – based on Auckland’s North Shore and open seven days a week with the entire range on display.

Words by Cassie Birrer