From a humble medieval village called Viols le Fort amid the mild slopes of the Cevennes mountains in South France, designer Dominique Imbert has parlayed a humble atelier into a renowned manufacturer of one of the world’s most iconic wood-burning fireplaces. Imbert began the endeavor in 1968 with the model Antefocus, and in the 40+ intervening years exapanded the Focus range to over 60 current models, with–at last count–80 employees and annual sales of 3500 units.

Filiofocus. Designed by Dominique Imbert for Focus.

Focus fireplaces are known for their compelling re-imaginings of the familiar “cabin style” wood-burner. Many of Imbert’s models feature steel combustion boxes painted in heavy black matte, with an accompanying prominent flue. But these are no humble cottage conceptions; to the contrary, Imbert’s creations speak a contemporary idiom–they drop from ceilings like elliptical spiders, they appear in walls like submarine portholes, and, in the case of the classic Filiofocus, they telescope down onto the hearth in a dramatic display of pyrotechnic prestidigitation.

Filiofocus was originally conceived and built for a project by architect Sir Norman Foster, who required a jaw-dropping centerpiece for the building’s voluminous reception area. Foster’s response on beholding the 1.2 meter hearth and 13.8 meter flue–“it is magnificent… congratulations”–has become a legendary approbation of Imbert’s work, inspiring development of a more modestly-sized residential line. Today’s Filiofocus comes in several incarnations. Focus still offers the telescoping version with a 72 cm hood and a 1.16 m firebowl. The flue is drawn up and down by hand, and the firebowl can be counter-sunk into the floor or raised up on a custom steel base. Flue lengths are dependent on ceiling height and the demands of the particular installation.

If you’re like me–a bit squeamish (outright paranoid, my wife might say) at the prospect of a veritable campfire in the middle of the living room–Focus now offers a version that’s literally and figuratively a bit more contained. The Filiofocus Fixed 1600 and 2000 models feature a fixed flue and a neat quartet of curved glass panels (two of which slide open so you can fan and feed the flames). Filiofocus comes standard in black matte, though all models are also available in anthracite grey. There are central and wall-integrated versions. And–though I suspect certain purists might balk at the notion–Focus also offers a gas-burning option.