Monday, August 21, 2006

The Fire Pit: Cheap, Fabulous and Endorsed by Billy Idol

After seeing photos of the Jonathan Adler-decorated Parker Palm Springs hotel, I've spent the past week trying to find an indoor fire pit (like the one in the lobby) available for consumer installation. And guess what? I couldn't find any.

Perhaps installing an indoor fire pit is a very bad idea, especially when you consider that most people have small rooms, or live in condos, or have low ceiling heights. There would definitely be an uncontrollable fire situation that your insurance company would frown upon. So forgive my sizable lapse in judgement.

However, you can get a very good deal on an outdoor firepit. An outdoor firepit is a great investment, because it's portable, it can be used year-round, and doesn't require much upkeep. Smith & Hawken (The Court at King of Prussia), Target and the Home Depot still have a few portable firepits left online and in-store. You can also safely and comfortably toast marshmallows over the flame. Isn't it always nice when you can find multiple uses for an object?

You can also customize your outdoor firepit using these crystal-like fire pit filler glass from online source Moderustic. The site, while a bit cluttered, offers a dazzling array of colors. Unlike most glass products, the crystals are certified not to leap out as soon as they touch fire. There's also handy photos, just in case you can't decide between Light or Medium Amber. No matter what you choose, these crystals are like adding a tiny touch of Vegas to your firepit.

And look, even Billy Idol endorses the fire place crystals. That's a seal of approval just as good as Martha Stewart's or Oprah's.