Focus Fires (France), led by modernist sculptor and fireplace visionary Dominique Imbert, is teaming up with European Home, a U.S. hearth products manufacturer and distributor, to re-release their iconic line of modern suspended and wall-mounted fireplaces to the North American market.

Focus’ quintessential fireplace, the Gyrofocus, was born in the late 1960s but feels as contemporary and cutting edge as ever. It has been exhibited in multiple fine arts museums around the world, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

In 2009, the Pulchra competition was launched in Italy and in its first year, competing against more than 100 beautifully designed objects, the Gyrofocus took the highest honors, chosen by voters as ‘Le cose più belle del mondo’ or ‘‘World’s most beautiful object.”

The origin of Focus Fires dates back to 1967. It was cold in the south of France and Dominique Imbert was restoring a ruined farmhouse, stone by stone, in the village of Viols-le-Fort. With salvaged scraps of metal, the former humanities professor, with a passion for metalwork, addressed this problem by forging his first fireplace. A smoldering smile of iron hanging from the sky: the first Focus was born.

A year later, this first fireplace would give rise to a second, which was revolutionary in every sense of the word. As with its predecessor, the fireplace was suspended, but this time the hearth could pivot 360 degrees to face any direction. Several enthusiastic friends wanted their own “rotating hearth” – gyrofocus in Latin. Thus began the history of Focus and its iconic Gyrofocus fireplace.

This partnership, between Focus and European Home, will allow customers throughout North America to have local access to these famous designs. European Home has a channel of over 100 hearth product retailers who specialize in selling to high-end homeowners, builders, architects and designers.

“Our channel of upscale fireplace dealers is excited to offer Focus Fires to their customer base,” said European Home owner Holly Markham. Through European Home, over 20 Focus models are now being distributed to the United States and Canada.

Filofocus by Focus Fires.

www.focus-fireplaces.com