Description
A Sculptural Black Bioethanol Fireplace
The Le Feu Eye Black Bioethanol Fireplace combines a genuine open flame with a rounded freestanding body designed to become part of the room rather than part of a traditional chimney wall.
Part of the wider Le Feu fireplace collection at RB12, Eye Black is the most graphic interpretation of the Eye currently available through RB12, using a deep dark shell to frame the movement and colour of the flame.
The result is particularly effective against pale walls, light timber and neutral upholstery, where the fireplace creates a strong silhouette even before it is lit.
Black Creates the Strongest Contrast
The Black Eye is defined as much by contrast as by shape.
Its dark body provides a visual frame around the fire, allowing the warmer orange and yellow tones of the flame to stand out more clearly than they do against a lighter fireplace body.
That makes Eye Black especially useful where the fireplace itself should have presence during the day as well as atmosphere once lit.
Designed in Denmark
Le Feu identifies the Eye collection as designed in Denmark, combining a simple Scandinavian form with a practical freestanding fireplace format.
Rather than imitating a conventional stove or rectangular fireplace opening, Eye uses smooth rounded contours to give the fireplace a recognisable identity of its own.
Real Flame and Real Heat
Eye burns liquid bioethanol to create a genuine open flame rather than an electric flame effect.
RB12 currently specifies the Eye at approximately 2.8 kW heat output, placing it within Le Feu’s current manufacturer range of approximately 2.5–3.0 for the Eye platform.
The heat provides useful supplementary warmth, although suitability for a particular room will depend on room size, insulation, ventilation and other environmental conditions.
1.6-Litre Eye Burner
RB12 lists Eye Black with a 1.6-litre burner capacity and approximately 4.5 hours of burn time.
Le Feu’s current Eye specification also gives around 4.5 hours from approximately 1.6 litres with the damper fully open, while noting that actual duration can vary according to conditions.
The current Le Feu safety manual separately instructs users not to add more than 1.5 litres for a single ignition, so burner capacity and maximum operating fill should not be treated as the same figure.
SafeBurn Technology
Le Feu’s current Eye platform uses SafeBurn technology, incorporating a ceramic-fibre insert inside the burner to absorb the bioethanol.
The insert helps retain the liquid fuel within the burner during normal use while supporting controlled combustion.
SafeBurn does not remove the normal precautions associated with a genuine open flame. The burner must still be completely cool before fuel is added and the fireplace must be operated according to Le Feu’s current safety instructions.
Compact Freestanding Dimensions
RB12 currently lists Eye Black at:
- Width: approximately 58 cm
- Depth: approximately 48 cm
- Height: approximately 84 cm
- Weight: approximately 24 kg
The relatively compact 58 × 48 cm footprint allows Eye to introduce a genuine flame without requiring the width and architectural commitment of a traditional fireplace surround or chimney breast.
Black or Rose Gold Detailing
RB12’s current Eye Black configuration offers:
- Top Glass: Black
- Front Glass: Black or Rose Gold
- Legs: Black or Rose Gold
Choosing Black throughout creates the strongest monochrome expression and allows the fireplace body to read as one continuous dark form.
Rose Gold introduces a warmer metallic contrast around the fire and beneath the body, making it particularly useful where warm-metal lighting, handles or furniture details already appear elsewhere in the room.
Eye Black Against a Pale Wall
One of Eye Black’s strongest applications is against a pale or neutral architectural background.
White, stone, cream and light-grey walls emphasise the rounded black body, while pale oak and neutral upholstery soften the surrounding scheme without reducing the fireplace’s presence.
When lit, the flame introduces the only warm saturated colour into that combination, creating a clear focal point without relying on decorative pattern.
Eye Black in a Darker Contemporary Interior
Eye Black can also work within a darker interior, where the body recedes more quietly into charcoal walls, darker timber and black metalwork.
In that setting, the flame becomes even more dominant once lit while the curved silhouette remains visible through highlights across the black surface.
Designed to Be Viewed from More Than One Direction
Eye’s rounded body gives it a more sculptural presence than a conventional flat-fronted fireplace.
The curved form remains visually considered when seen from the side or elsewhere within an open-plan space, allowing the fireplace to sit within a furniture arrangement rather than needing to be pushed permanently against a traditional chimney wall.
No Traditional Chimney, Gas or Electrical Connection
Le Feu’s current Eye specification does not require a traditional chimney, gas connection or electrical supply for combustion.
That makes Eye particularly interesting for contemporary homes, apartments and extensions where installing a conventional fireplace system would be impractical.
This should not be confused with requiring no ventilation. Le Feu’s current operating manual explicitly states that the room must be ventilated during use.
Eye Black or Eye White?
For a softer interpretation of the same sculptural fireplace, compare Black with the Le Feu Eye White Bioethanol Fireplace.
Eye White blends naturally into pale and neutral interiors and allows the fire itself to provide much of the visual contrast.
Choose Black when you want the fireplace body to create a strong architectural silhouette. Choose White when a quieter and more integrated expression better suits the room.
Eye Black or Eye Silver?
For a more reflective and decorative version, compare Black with the Le Feu Eye Silver Bioethanol Fireplace.
Silver catches both the flame and ambient light across its metallic body, producing a much more visually active surface.
Black is the stronger choice when you want definition, contrast and a cleaner graphic form. Silver is better when the fireplace itself should behave as a reflective statement piece.
Eye Black or Dome Ground Low?
For a fireplace with stronger Scandinavian furniture references, compare Eye with the Le Feu Dome Ground Low.
Ground Low supports the open elliptical Dome on three short timber or metallic legs, giving it a lighter, more furniture-led profile beside sofas and lounge chairs.
Eye Black feels more enclosed and sculptural. Choose Ground Low when timber and the tripod silhouette suit the room; choose Eye Black when you want a stronger self-contained fireplace object.
Eye Black or Dome Steel High?
For a taller and more architectural Le Feu design, compare Eye Black with the Le Feu Dome Steel High.
Steel High raises the Dome on a slender metal pedestal, creating considerably more vertical emphasis while keeping the support visually light.
Choose Eye where a compact rounded fireplace better suits the furniture arrangement. Choose Steel High where height and architectural presence matter more.
Using Eye Black Safely
Eye Black produces a genuine open flame and must always be treated as a real fireplace.
Use only approved bioethanol and always make sure the burner is completely cold before adding fuel. Le Feu’s current user manual instructs users not to add more than 1.5 litres for one ignition.
The same manual states that the room must be ventilated and warns against using the fireplace in a small, non-ventilated space.
Never refill a hot burner. Le Feu instructs users to wait at least 30 minutes with the burner closed before refilling. Keep children and pets safely away and ensure the fireplace remains supervised while lit.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Allow the fireplace to cool completely before cleaning.
Le Feu’s current manual states that black powder-coated components should be wiped with a lint-free damp cloth.
Avoid abrasive materials or cleaning products that could scratch or polish the matte-black surface unevenly, and always follow the care instructions supplied with the exact fireplace delivered.
Explore Le Feu Fireplaces at RB12
Explore the wider Le Feu collection at RB12 to compare Eye with the Ground Low, Ground High, Steel High and ceiling-suspended Dome Sky fireplaces.
The range allows you to choose not just the finish of the fireplace, but how the flame relates to the room: compact and sculptural, low and furniture-led, raised on timber legs, architectural on a steel pedestal or suspended from the ceiling.
Explore Designer Fireplaces at RB12
Browse RB12’s wider collection of designer fireplaces to compare Eye Black with the complete Le Feu bioethanol fireplace range.
Features
- Freestanding bioethanol fireplace
- Part of the Le Feu Eye collection
- Black fireplace body
- Designed in Denmark
- Real open flame
- RB12 heat output: approximately 2.8 kW
- RB12 burner capacity: approximately 1.6 litres
- Approximate burn time: 4.5 hours depending on conditions and damper setting
- Current Eye platform uses SafeBurn technology with a ceramic-fibre insert
- Width: approximately 58 cm
- Depth: approximately 48 cm
- RB12-listed height: approximately 84 cm
- Weight: approximately 24 kg
- RB12 Top Glass: Black
- RB12 Front Glass: Black or Rose Gold
- RB12 legs: Black or Rose Gold
- No traditional chimney, gas connection or electrical supply required for combustion
- Room ventilation required according to current Le Feu operating guidance
- Eye White and Eye Silver alternatives available separately
Highlights
- Black body creates the strongest contrast around the real flame
- Particularly effective against pale walls and neutral interiors
- 2.8 kW RB12-rated heat output provides useful supplementary warmth
- 1.6-litre Eye burner provides approximately 4.5 hours of flame depending on conditions
- Compact 58 × 48 cm footprint suits apartments and contemporary living spaces
- Black or Rose Gold detailing allows either a monochrome or warmer metallic expression
- Rounded freestanding design can be appreciated from multiple viewpoints
- No traditional chimney or gas connection required
- White and Silver Eye versions offer softer and more reflective alternatives respectively
