SO HOT RIGHT NOW: PORTABLE FIREPLACES

Who needs a functioning fireplace to warm up this winter when you can have one of these? Portable fireplaces come in a range of styles and are far more practical than you’d think. Most use clean-burning gel or liquid fuel and require little to no ventilation. They won’t heat a room much, but they will certainly provide ambiance–and they’re classier than those DVD fire reels for your TV screen.

Real Flame’s Mediterranean Personal Fireplace is the perfect size for a desk or decorative mantel.

Mediterranean Personal Fireplace, $69.95

This little brass number would also look great as a dinner party center piece or on a side table.

Uniflame Gel Alcohol Burner, $29.70

The Lexington model from Anywhere Fireplace will look just as good on a coffee table as it will on the floor.

Lexington Anywhere Fireplac, $140

The Loft indoor/outdoor fireplace isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s oh-so-sleek for the price.

Loft Brushed Nickel Portable Indoor/ Outdoor Fireplace, $202.99

COFFEE TABLE BOOK OF THE WEEK: CALIFORNIA CRAZY

A curated set of coffee table books makes a great statement. Art books can bring a drab coffee table to life, double as accent furniture when properly stacked, and entertain those restless guests of yours. Coffee Table Book of the Week is our weekly selection of stylish books to spruce up your home. – FM

This week’s pick, California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, was inspired by a recent NPR interview with the author, Jim Heimann, who has lovingly chronicled the history of oddball roadside architecture inspired by west coast car culture. Not to be missed.

California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture

From Publishers Weekly: “A hot-dog joint shaped like a puppy, an antique store replicating a Japanese temple, Van de Kamp’s windmill-shaped bakeries, houses resembling beached boats these are just a few of the architectural curiosities featured here. SoCal pop culture devotee Heimann has tracked down more examples of the “California Crazy concept” from all over the country.”