Jeff Benroth's glass logs for hearths and tables

  

Berkeley glassmaker Jeff Benroth and designer Chad DeWitt have created decorative art pieces for idle indoor fireplaces: quartz-crystal-like logs cast in glass in the form of real wood. "The first question everyone asks is, 'Can they be used in a gas fireplace?' " Benroth says. "Most definitely not. This was a big issue in development, and there was no way to guarantee they would not explode." Duly noted. Each log sells for $350; a set of three is $1,000, and they can be ordered directly from Benroth's studio. See how they can be used as a table centerpiece after the jump. 

The pieces, each 8 to 9 pounds, can decorate a tabletop and create an interesting effect by refracting candlelight -- "as long as the flames do not come in contact with the glass," Benroth says. (OK, we get it.) That's one more reason to try those battery-operated LED candles. 

-- David A. Keeps

Photos: Jeff Benroth

(A previous post did not identify Chad DeWitt as a co-designer.)