Shortly after the pandemic hit, sales of fire pits and outdoor furniture exploded as people looked for ways to transform their outdoor space into a place to de-stress and connect with each other safely. As summer approaches and cities reopen, the boom on all things outdoors is going strong and has inspired designers to create new, inventive products to make your outdoor experience even better.
The Prism Chiminea designed by New York architect Drew Seskunas is a crazy-cool outdoor wood-burning fireplace crafted from laser-cut, perforated aluminum that transforms the humble fire pit into a chic, architectural statement.
“I grew up camping, that was a big part of my family’s life,” said Seskunas. “We would camp almost every weekend, and a fire was always such a big part of that. When the pandemic hit, spending time outside became a big thing. Luckily, I could go visit my parents, and one of the things we started doing was prototyping a fireplace so we could spend more time together outside.”
Seskunas’ first design for Prism, which he sold directly from his website, launched in November and quickly sold out. The lightweight, portable fireplace was designed for small, kindling fires and made to be placed in your backyard or on a patio when you need a little extra warmth. This month, Seskunas is launching a larger version through retailer Design Within Reach that can handle a more substantial fire. “When I released it, I got a lot of questions about having larger fires and being able to use larger logs, so I spent the last six months developing a larger version,” Seskunas said. “I make this product all myself. I interact with everybody who buys it directly, so I get a lot of unique feedback from people about what they are interested in, and that’s what I integrated into the new version.”
Seskunas said that he often uses aluminum panels in his work because they are 96% recycled material and 100% recyclable. “I do a lot of material research as part of my architectural practice and I’m always looking at efficiencies in design. How to use the least amount of material to get the best structural effect so your economically utilizing it. And then also looking at where my materials come from and what their carbon footprint is.”
The Prism Chiminea comes in black or white, and the iconic red color will be available soon at Design Within Reach.
@davidsyrek