Fire Pit

Light it Up With Astrofire.

I have a friend that is always looking for a simple modern fire pit for his house’s smaller patio. Something that matches his mid-century modern aesthetic. For the most part it has been pretty hard for him to find anything that doesn’t look ultra contemporary, or rustic. He is in luck however. Modfire introduced Astrofire during Modernism Week in Palm Springs, and I think this might fit the bill.

Designed by Brandon Williams Astrofire, the newest addition to the Modfire family. This is a sleek modern design with a nod to mid-century modernism. Like all of Modfire products, it features quality design and top end materials. Astrofire is manufactured from 14 gauge steel, and hand-rolled into a wide conical shape which attaches to a ¼”plate steel base with sleek tapered legs.

At 34” in diameter and 17” tall it is compact, but still has room for a spacious 22” wide firebox capable of burning full size logs. Astrofire is also available with propane or natural gas burners, using a 125,000 BTU stainless star burner guaranteed to keep you warm on even the coldest evenings.

I kind of wish I had a space big enough to set one of these because I love the look of it. It comes in a range of bright colors ( Tangerine, Maraschino, Azure Avocado, Ultra-Lounge White, Charcoal, and Aqualuxe ) and it has such sleek lines. At $1450.00 it isn’t cheap, but the quality of the materials and build mean it’s going to last long enough for you to get your money’s worth.

It’s 103 Outside and I Want to Light a Fire.

Sitting at home today taking some well deserved time off, I thought I’d take in the great outdoors. Unfortunately the 103 degree reading on the thermometer has driven me back into the air-conditioned comfort of my house. This got me day dreaming about fall weather, and the ability to sit outside on a cool night and take in the fresh air. This got me to thinking about fire pits, or outdoor fireplaces. Nothing says fall like sitting by a warm fire at night enjoying a glass of red wine.

I started searching for a modern fire pit to go with the house, but almost everything I found came up traditional, rustic, or arts and crafts style. There is nothing wrong with that, I’m just looking for something a bit different. After some digging I came across Home Infatuation, a site that specializes in outdoor furniture. And look what I found… a fire pit table designed by John Xochihua.

The table comes in two styles. A coffee table, and a standard table. Both feature heavy gauge steel bases, and tops which are covered with a silicone finish which is resistant to water and heat. The coffee table has a three foot burner strip in the center of its six foot length, and the standard table houses an eighteen inch double ring burner. Both are propane fueled, and the fire area is covered with black lava rock.

The prices are $2988.00 for the standard table and $3988.00 for the coffee table.

Solus’ Halo Concrete Fire Pit.

Vancouver company Solus Decor earlier this year began testing a new outdoor fire pit. A simple 8 inch thick piece of concrete that is 36 inches square. It is now available on their site under the name Halo.

The fire pit is hand crafted in smooth high-performance concrete and is heated using a 40,000 BTU natural gas burner. The unit is manually lit and uses a typical key valve to adjust the flow of gas to the burner itself.

Halo appears to float just above the surface that it is installed on with its base hidden well behind the edges of the box itself. The fire bowl is a shallow concave indentation that gently breaks the surface of the block, and allows the flame to pass through smooth contrasting heat-resistant fire stones.

I love the look but at $3900.00 plus shipping from Vancouver, it’s a bit beyond my budget right now, so I’ll have to wait.