Portable ambiance

Biofuel fires work by burning a safe, environmentally friendly waste product, which creates no odour, smoke or sparks. “They’re 100 per cent carbon neutral and work just as effectively as a heat source as a heat pump. While they are beautiful design objects, they are also incredibly functional and cost effective to run,” Naked Flame’s Richard Lee says.

It’s a very simple technology but one that is now opening up a whole new range of options when it comes to open fires. And the bold, contemporary design of biofuel fires has added another incentive for designers and homeowners to make the change to a more sustainable heating option.

Naked Flame is the exclusive distributor of the Swedish range of portable biofuel fires, Vauni. Vauni freestanding fires are predominantly spherical, a strident move away from the traditional rectangular shape of fire boxes and open fires. “The globe-like design of these fires is a real focal point in any room,” Richard says.

“We’re finding people are using this range in all sorts of innovative settings – everything from the bathroom to the bedroom, and because they’re portable they are easily transportable between rooms as desired. And if you move house, they move with you, unlike investing in a flued fire.”

The concept of portable biofuel fires is one that we, as New Zealanders, aren’t used to, swaying more often towards the traditional gas fire or woodburner. But the concept is gathering popularity, and following in the footsteps of Europe where these portable open fires are becoming much more commonplace.

The Vauni range offers a vast choice in size and style in portable fires, with capacities ranging from output of 1kW through to 12kW.
“The cheapest way to heat a room remains with the heat pump. But these fires are undoubtedly the most cost effective and sustainable way to heat your home with an open fire and real flame,” Richard says.

Naked Flame also works with Danish biofuel fire manufacturer DecoFlame, which has a range of fires similarly edgy in aesthetics, and contemporary in form and function. “Another way we are seeing these fires being used is as freestanding room dividers, particularly in open plan areas where heat is required in large spaces. People are putting them in the space between dining and living rooms, for example, to create both a feature and a sustainable heat source, which is possible because they are completely portable and require no flue or chimney.”

Because portable fires can be placed anywhere in a room, it’s also possible to use them to heat a room from the middle out as opposed to the traditional way of heating rooms from one side to the other. “This can be a much more effective way of achieving an ambient heat.”

If you’re after some inspiration, get in touch with Naked Flame on ArchiPro here to explore a new world of open fires.