It’s like if Scandinavian Design met Super Mario. Fireplaces have traditionally always been the epicenter of a room’s decor, with furniture and objects placed in relation to it (armchairs facing it, portraits and trophies hanging above and around it). However, over the past few years, they’ve been gradually replaced by ugly, utilitarian radiators that usually hide behind couches or curtains. In a bid to give fireplaces a modern makeover, French manufacturer Focus has introduced the Slimfocus, an incredibly sleek cylindrical fireplace that can either be wall or ceiling-mounted indoors. Despite its minimal design, the Slimfocus has an incredibly captivating allure, almost like a chandelier that makes its way from the ceiling to the floor. The all-black fireplace comes with a transparent glass window that opens to let you access the fire-pit, and when closed, gives you a beautiful view of the dancing flames, as the thermal energy makes its way up the cylindrical shaft and radiates into the house. A winner of the German Design Award as well as the Interior Innovation Award, the Slimfocus’ black periscope-like design provides a brilliant contrast to virtually any interior. Its matte black paint helps it efficiently absorb and radiate thermal heat from the fire, supporting both wood and gas as fuel. The fireplace can be hung from the ceiling, wall-mounted, or attached to the floor using a baseplate. The ceiling-hung variant of the Slimfocus is made-to-measure depending on the interiors and placement, and can be suspended via either a fixed or pivoting fixture. Compatible with low-energy buildings, Slimfocus draws in air for combustion through the smoke evacuation flue (balanced flue system). It can be installed in traditional homes too, drawing in air from the room (open flue system). Designed to take up less space yet create a massive impact, the Slimfocus assumes a very commanding presence no matter which area of the room it’s located in. The closed fireplace immediately becomes a point of attraction, creating a pivot around which furniture can be oriented, and conversations can be had!