cold comfort

WARM YOUR HOME INSIDE AND OUT THIS WINTER WITH THESE STYLISH YET ENERGY-EFFICIENT HEATING IDEAS.

GO PORTABLE FOR DECKS AND PATIOS

Compact and low-slung, fifire pits look great in the garden, but decks, verandahs and patios often benefifit from something more architectural. Danish brand Morso’s Kamino tall and portable wood-buring fifireplace, $2750 from Thornton & Blake, injects a contemporary Scandinavian feel to outdoor spaces. Made of cast iron, it emits radiant heat that will warm hands and legs, but isn’t, “designed to heat a space — it’s more about creating ambience,” says Mandy Hartnig from Thornton & Blake. To take your outdoor entertaining to the next level, look for a freestanding style with a built-in oven. >

DESIGN AROUND THE HISTORY OF YOUR HOME

When John Watkinson and Colleen Guiney bought their award-winning Drift House in Port Fairy on the south-west coast of Victoria, the building had an unsightly 1960s add-on. In the process of knocking this down, they discovered a hidden original gem: an 1850s-era fireplace built of local bluestone. “We think it’s the oldest built form on the entire property,” says Colleen. Despite plans to create a new and very modern extension, the couple chose to preserve the fireplace and worked with architectural firm Multiplicity to design a walled courtyard that anchored and resurrected the fireplace, providing shelter and privacy. Now a guest favourite, the rustic-look fireplace pays homage to, “the hundreds of people who have gathered for warmth and company for more than 150 years,” says Colleen. For more information, call (03) 5568 3309, or visit drifthouse.com.au

KEEP IT MODERN WITH A FREESTANDING STYLE

Built-in fireplaces with a hearth ground a living space, but freestanding styles act much like sculpture, drawing the eye to their shape and form. Contemporary styles, such as Invicta’s slow combustion cast-iron ‘Alcor’ fireplace, $5900, from Thornton & Blake inject a sleek, industrial feel, or look for a model that stands on legs. “I like the way you get to see the floor underneath,” says architect Claire Scorpo. “That way the fire stands as an individual object within the room.”