Fire is one of humanity’s oldest comforts, yet Ortal, a leader in luxury fireplaces and flame technologies headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, continues to develop new ways to enhance the hearthside experience. For more than three decades, the company has redefined what a fireplace can be, designing sleek, frameless gas models that blend imaginative technology with the timeless draw of flame. Their fireplaces appear in homes, hotels, and workplaces around the world, transforming walls into gathering places.
At the helm is Elizabeth Margles, chief executive officer of Ortal North America. Ask her what defines a luxury fireplace, and she won’t first mention fine finishes or precision engineering. For Margles, the true luxury is time.
“When you say that time is a luxury, we shorten that time for the designer or architect,” Margles said. “Whatever a designer may conceive—shape, configuration, specific dimensions—chances are, we’ve already thought of that.”
That foresight shows in Ortal’s remarkable catalog: more than 300 models of varying sizes, shapes, and configurations. The vast selection grew out of years of creating one-off custom pieces, a process that gradually turned into a vast library of options. Designers can still order a custom solution, but most find an ideal configuration without the long wait or high cost of customization. The result is freedom—to fit a challenging space, make a bold design statement, or let a fireplace quietly complement an interior scheme.
But variety alone doesn’t define Ortal. The company still insists on a craftsman’s touch. Every component passes through human hands in fabrication, a tradition that ensures each fireplace carries the subtle hallmarks of skill. That artisanal care pairs with technology that pushes the category forward. Ortal’s Wilderness series, for instance, is the first gas log set to create the illusion of flames rising directly through logs. Its Cool Wall Technology also keeps surrounding surfaces safe for art, finishes, televisions, and décor, opening up design possibilities that once weren’t possible.
Structurally, Ortal fireplaces are completely frameless. With distracting hardware eliminated, expansive glass widens the view and gives the fire a pure, almost floating, effect. Model dimensions reflect the actual viewing area. Fine-mesh screens all but disappear, and interchangeable back panels let designers play with depth and reflection. The effect is less like a traditional hearth and more like an elemental window.
Having mastered the indoors, Ortal recently turned its attention outside. Its new outdoor collection brings the same clean-lined beauty and warmth to patios, porches, and pool houses, expanding the season for outdoor living. Built to withstand the elements, these fireplaces are designed not just as features, but as focal points for spaces where people gather, linger, and connect.
“We’re excited to bring our legacy to the great outdoors,” Margles stated. “Our new Outdoor Fireplace Collection empowers designers and owners to craft seamless, year-round environments where modern technology meets safety and style, delivering outdoor sanctuaries that are suitable for both small gatherings and vibrant community events.”
For outdoor projects, architects and designers may select from two models available in four sizes each. Ortal’s direct-vent fireplace offers the assurance of an enclosed firebox, shielding the fire from weather and the surroundings from smoke. The groundbreaking vent-free model removes nearly every constraint to placement and design, allowing for open, unobstructed flame nearly anywhere outdoors. Architects and designers can create opportunities for freestanding or see-through installations that bring warmth to the most unexpected places.
For Margles, the emotional dimension of fire is an important factor in the company’s approach to design. Ortal’s role, as she sees it, is to clear away barriers—whether technical, aesthetic, or practical—so that designers and homeowners can focus on what fire has always offered: warmth, connection, and memory.
“From design to manufacturing to our close relationships with architects and designers, at our core, we are always trying to develop products the market didn’t even realize it wanted,” Margles said.
First published in Great Lakes By Design: Bold Graphics, Volume 9, Issue 4
Text: Diane Kolak