About Sustainable Hearth

History

Sustainable Hearth is both old and new.  With roots from the 1990 when Holly and John founded European Home.  European Home gas fireplaces were sold to Empire Comfort in May 2026.  Our business focuses now on excellent quality electric fireplaces.

Tell us a little about how you started the business?

I started the business back in 1999, after discovering my interest in European design.  While attending a trade show in London in 2002, I saw modern European fireplaces for the first time.  I literally got goosebumps on the trade show floor.  Good design moves you.

What is it about design that particularly excites you?

I find design to be emotional. Something visceral happens to you when you sit in a particularly well-crafted chair or hold the perfect hand-made coffee mug in your hands. I am largely self-taught in design so I feel fortunate to be a part of a thriving design community. We work with inspirational architects, builders, and designers who use them to realize their overall aesthetic. It really is a wonderful feeling to be a part of a larger design-driven community.

Why are fireplaces still so relevant to interior design?

Fireplaces provide a gathering place and appeal to people because of their warmth and visual allure. They encourage conversation, relaxation, and it brings us back to our roots as people. There is simply an emotional and universal draw to fire.

This is truly a family-owned business. How do you and John complement each other?

As I’ve said I am in love with design and beautiful products. However, I also get a lot of pleasure out of putting things in order- Accounting, administration… in a way these things are a lot like design.  All the little pieces have to come together to make a business work.