Light my fire
After buying a mass-produced fire pit that quickly fell apart, Rick Wittrig decided he could build a better one. The idea was not daunting to a guy who learned carpentry and steel fabrication while growing up in a Mennonite farming village.
In 2008, Wittrig started Fire Pit Art in Lebanon, Tenn., where he creates hand-crafted, steel fire pits with unique and modern designs. His fire pits look good with or without fire. Popular with homeowners, they also can be found at lodges, restaurants, recreation areas and theme parks throughout the world.
Made of quarter-inch carbon steel, the heavy fire pits have an iron oxide patina on the outside. Inside, they are coated with high-temperature paint and feature a rain drain in the bottom.
Best-selling styles include the wok-shaped Asia series in various sizes ($979 for 36 inches to $2,779 for 72 inches); Saturn ($1,179); Manta ($979), with a wing shape inspired by the sea creature; and Third Rock ($1,679), shaped like planet Earth. Each fire pit is tagged and numbered by the artist. For information, check www.firepitart.com
Table talk
At one time, Darren Green thought he wanted to be chef. Turns out what he liked about food is what intrigued him about wood: Taking a raw material and turning it into something beautiful.
In 2007, Green started The Old Wood Company. The small, family-owned company in Asheville, N.C., makes tables, using reclaimed materials, mostly from dismantled barns in western North Carolina and Tennessee. With their clean and simple lines, the tables work with any style or room.
Popular designs include the Midway dining table and tables in the Woodie collection (pictured), inspired by mid-century modern designs. Prices range from $3,000 for cocktail tables to about $5,000 for a dining table. All feature custom finishes. For its tables, the company uses mostly reclaimed red and white oak and American chestnut.
Smaller pieces, such as side tables and stools, are available at theoldwoodco.com. In the Atlanta area, purchase tables at Steve McKenzie’s (stevemckenzies.com). The new home décor and furniture store is at 996 Huff Road NW, Suite E, in Atlanta’s Westside design district.
Scent-sational
Six years ago, Meghan Cook needed a creative outlet. Between jobs in an office by day and waiting tables at night, she began experimenting with fragrances and soy wax in her home kitchen.
After feedback from friends and family, Cook started the Sydney Hale Company in Arlington, Va. The company name has a special meaning. Sydney was her paternal grandfather’s middle name; Hale is her husband’s middle name.
Cook wanted her candles to be special too. The subtle fragrances are hand-blended into clean-burning soy wax and packaged in reusable glass tumblers.
Top sellers include Tobacco + Sandalwood, Fir + Blue Sage, Bergamot + Black Tea and Eucalyptus + Sage. With double wicks, candles ($28) are available in 14-ounce clear or amber glass tumblers. Look for Cucumber & Mint. New for spring, it is available now. Ten percent of the company’s profits go to animal rescue, a cause important to Cook.
Purchase candles at www.sydneyhaleco.com. In the Atlanta area, find candles at Simply Put (simplyputpaper.com), 1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 104, Atlanta, and Morgan Kylee (morgankylee.com.), 3273 Roswell Road, Atlanta.
Best of the South
Do you have favorite finds from around the South that you give as gifts, buy for your home or rave about to friends? If so, please share them with us. Send your suggestions to: ljerkins@bellsouth.net. Please include your name and contact number.
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