Hotspot Fire Pits Amp Up Outdoor Gatherings
Welder Tim Odell's fire pits and detachable grills are great for evenings outside
By Jennifer McCullum August 10, 2016
This article originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.
You could say welder Tim Odell’s Hotspot fire pits and detachable grills were inspired by the way the wind was blowing.
“I live in the Methow Valley, and in the spring, the wind would blow from one side of my house and in the fall, from the other,” he says. Tired of gusts extinguishing his outdoor grilling attempts, Odell determined that he needed a portable grill so he could shift his cooking location with the seasons. His steel fire pits, with shallow bowls that range from 24 to 48 inches in diameter and are topped by adjustable grills, offer just that. They can be rolled on their sides to any designated grilling area.
Odell assigned Spanish monikers to the pits (the largest is called the “Jefe”) to honor the Mexican tradition of outdoor cooking. “Cooking outside, it just draws people in,” he says of the fireside gatherings around his Hotspot pits. “Everybody can be in the ‘kitchen.’” Available online at hotspotfirepits.com.
Follow Us
Coasting Into Calm
After purchasing a weather-worn, ant-infested cabin on an Oregon beach, a Seattle couple hires a regional team to transform it into a stylish weekend retreat.
When architect Andrew Montgomery first pulled up to his clients’ house in Arch Cape, Oregon, there were logs in the driveway, courtesy of the sizable swells that come with the coast’s king tides. At just 28 feet above sea level and as close as you can get to the water without being on the beach,…
Blueprints for Building Community
After tragedy struck a local restaurateur family, one of their daughters stepped in to complete the design for her brother’s unfinished home.
Although he was just 35 when a heart attack took his life, Khoa Pham’s imprint on Seattle’s international district was such that the city quickly designated April 21 as a memorial day in his honor. With his rescue pitbull, Pinky, by his side, Pham cut a colorful figure through Little Saigon and became well known…
Tuft Stuff
Tuft Ruft turns fiber art into a social, hands-on experience in Pioneer Square.
It all started with a bout of pandemic boredom. Like many, when COVID-19 hit, recent graduate Carrie Xiao found herself stuck at home, with extra time on her hands. One day, while scrolling social media, she discovered tufting: a textile manufacturing technique that creates a garment or rug with a “pile,” or raised surface. After…
Collaborating Cultures
Looking to build a home to welcome family and friends, one Kirkland couple turns to a sister to design a modern house with influences from the wife’s Thai heritage.
For many years, when homeowners planned to build or remodel, architects and designers advised them to think first and foremost about resale value. From the number of bedrooms to the materials, appliances, and finishes in the kitchens and bathrooms, homes were often treated solely as an investment, with an eye to future sales. In recent…