apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Whilst these outdoor fire places look stunning, to me they scream of over excessive indulgence. Really what practical heat could they provide - unless you are sitting right on top of the fire. If it is too cold outside go inside, or put a jumper on.

I see these and think - no wonder the environment is being destroyed, we cant help ourselves we just keep creating these stupid impractical indulengences to staisfy someones ego.

Well, thats my rant for the day....

I am kinda turned off as well. It just seems out of touch to me.

I just re-read AT's Mission Statement and in my opinion posts like this are out of touch not only as described above, but also with the goals of this site. One of the goals listed is to help people make their homes comfortable and beautiful while lessoning their reliance on "stuff." I know modern gets heavy play on AT, but just because something is of a modern style doesn't mean it necessarily belongs here.

/rant.

Ahhh, nothing beats the smell and sound of fake logs crackling in the middle of the day.

These spaces are stunning and have a sense of sanctuary that is really lovely. They are remarkably spare - with very little "stuff"- we often talk about living simply and clutter free on this site too. I think they are really beautiful and invite one to be outdoors in nature.

profumodibergamo - are you involved in any of these spaces personally?

I find the spaces beautiful as well, but only a very elite few could hope to put something like this on their own property. I can't even afford to visit a hotel or spa as nice as these!

How 'bout some outdoor fireplace ideas that are more in touch with 99.999% of your readers?

these small fires are really inconsequential to the environment

while i enjoy seeing the small, well-kept, urban abodes people keep out of necessity here on AT, i find these open-sky, close-to-nature, outdoors, open spaces really inspirational

seeing these photos, i can picture a lot of positivity. i see a large family, or a gathering of friends, enjoying a barbecue or a splash-around in the pool, kids running around, women with wine by the fire...and i think it's all just reward for someone working hard to achieve something as nice as this...

very beautiful!
Kitchen Building

Profumodi--To live simply and be outdoors in nature shouldn't require hundreds of thousands of dollars of man-made accoutrements. Seriously. Imagine that top picture and how much more beautiful it would be WITHOUT all the artificial "elements."

Khanzen--It's not the fires that are damaging the environment. It's the destruction of the land to create monuments to excess such as these. You can be sure every one of these houses is surrounded by neighbors who are also enjoying the rewards of "working hard" and would like to see their own homes featured in magazines and on websites. In California, of all places, I would imagine people should be more concerned about their impact on the natural environment. It astonishes me that so many of them are not.

I come to this site to share ideas with people in similar circumstances--people who use their creativity and resourcefulness to make their homes lovely and inviting, no matter how small or modest (for example, look at the "tenement flat" piece from yesterday with the bathtub in the kitchen!). These outdoor areas may be beautiful, but they do not reflect the uniquely personal style that is the hallmark of most AT posts. It's easy to create a stunning home when you have colossal amounts of money to throw at the problem, and whole teams of people to do the work. It's a lot harder to pour your heart and soul into turning an otherwise-ordinary space into one you'd be proud to put up on this site.

These photos are beautiful and though they are entirely out of my reach (my "outdoor space" is a fire escape that fits exactly 2 upright people:-)), I find them inspiring. I thought that was what this site was about.

they look nice. not my style, but nice. In SF though? Sorry I don't have the millions to have a huge house with a backyard pool and fireplace...

As I thought, no answer to the question. This post is so obviously an advertisement.

What does this have to do with apartment life? How many readers of this blog live in Pacific Heights mansions? Hello, earth to AT...