An enjoyable tradition

Bringing the barbecue into the house is an effective way to prevent bad weather putting a damper on the idea of cooking dinner over an open fire.

Owner of Auckland Stonemasons Len Lavas says he is a big fan of barbecuing.

"In Dalmatia, where my family is from, it's the traditional way of cooking, but I wanted to avoid standing outside in bad weather," he says.

Lavas added a large dining room onto his home and included a 2.2m-wide open fireplace built from handsplit honeycomb basalt. It is designed to be used both for cooking and as a heat source.

An ash pit in the centre makes it easy to clean the fireplace and helps to control the flow of heat, while its width improves distribution of warmth in the space.

Auckland Stonemasons provides stonework for residential and commercial projects, including bridges, retaining walls, pillars and fireplaces. The company was originally set up by the grandfather of current owners Jim and Len Lavas. He emigrated in 1927 from a small Dalmatian village that specialised in stonemasonry.

For more information, contact Jim or Len Lavas, Auckland Stonemasons, PO Box 152, Whitford, Auckland 2149, phone (09) 530 8906, fax (09) 530 8907. Email: sales@stonemasons.co.nz. Or visit the website: www.stonemasons.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas