Lofty Aspirations

When Daniel Vandenbark walked into this newly built loft-style condominium in Houston Texas, he knew exactly where a fireplace SHould be positioned. “The second I walked in, I knew this particular wall would be ideal,” Daniel says. “It would mean you could see the glow of the fire from the TV room and surrounding living spaces.”

Daniel enjoys creating spaces around the EcoSmart Fires, and this dwelling is no exception.

“I like to find a home for the fire and build around that,” he explains. “I knew an EcoSmart Fire would fit into this Houston loft perfectly and fit my client’s desire to have a space that would intrigue the rustic elements of the loft conversion while maintaining simplicity and comfort.”

To create the bespoke fire feature, Daniel chose the XL900 burner and combined it with a stainless steel surround, delicately arching a specially cut piece of vertically cantilevered white Carrara marble, which was then affixed to a cantilevered walnut ledge/bench.

“The tension of physics combined with the contrast in materials ensures a stunning venue for the unique flame of the XL900 burner to come alive,”
DANIEL VANDENBARK, INTERIOR DESIGNER

American Clay, a natural wall finish with energetic properties, has been applied on the rear accent wall with a heavy texture finish to ground the entire space. “I’m a designer who designs ‘green’,” Daniel says.

“My design choices begin and end with goals of reducing the impact to the planet while making no compromise to style and comfort.”

All furniture for the loft was custom designed by Daniel. “Everything was built in Los Angeles and transported directly to Houston, with carbon offsetting, for the installation,” Daniel explains.

Summing up the overall look of the fire feature, Daniel says: “Nothing fits better than ‘custom dezine’, and I can achieve this with the ingenuity, flexibility and safety of the EcoSmart Fire.”