If you’ve read this blog more than a couple of times, you may have noticed that I never pass up a chance to mention the weather. Though partly explained by a lifetime in the schizophrenically changeable climate that is Colorado, the propensity does have a defensible design relevance: the relationship between inside and out manifests sometimes in a turbulent dynamic of shutting the environment out or welcoming it in.

A6DS Fireplace. Designed by After6DesignStudio.

This affects a plenitude of design decisions from how we orient our windows to where we put our doors; how we encourage air to flow naturally through a room to how we artificially condition our space. With Spring drawing nigh, thoughts in this realm might turn to cooling, but much of the world still has six or so weeks of winter to wade through. So if you’ll indulge me, sidle up to A6 Design Studio’s eye-catching, space-savvy, and ultra-functional A6DS Fireplace to accompany you through the remainder of your February chill and beyond. There’s nothing nicer than a fireplace in a heating climate. Always the focal point of a room, a fireplace establishes the proverbial home and hearth. Drawing residents and guests alike to its warm embrace, a well-placed wood or gas burner encourages the kind of relaxed atmosphere and intimate exchange we all desire (see also Attika Wood Stoves and Spark Modern Fires).

Incorporating a fireplace presents certain design challenges, however, not least of which is the risk that your living room may end up looking like a 70s ski lodge. Thankfully, After 6 Design Studio’s fireplace has a contemporary scheme in mind-so says Designer and President Sia Zanjani: “the A6DS Fireplace is an attempt to move away from the conventional symmetrical gestures seen in traditional furniture and more specifically fireplace design. Our main goal was to come up with a completely unique design that incorporates a 6′ linear gas burner insert as well as a display case while trying to maintain a clean and slick final look.”

After 6 Design Studio’s fireplace accomplishes that and more. The linear orientation eliminates the often unsightly space-consuming bulk of a conventional set-up, facilitating, in the process, the very clean lines and spare aesthetic prevalent in much modern design. The 7′ x 3′ x 1′ dimensions also broaden the landscape of enjoyment, if you will, creating a more inclusive space for post-dinner drinks and post-drink dozing. The fireplace’s design is deceptively simple-the 6′ gas burner is surrounded by a bent plywood frame (coated or uncoated to client’s preference) that’s treated with a heat-resistant finish. And the whole unit does a double duty of sorts: the trapezoidal framing zig-zags across the scene to close in a sort of appendage or apostrophe that makes a nifty display case-the perfect niche for your fire-side reading pleasure.

via DesignSpotter