The hero of our story tried himself in many roles: he was a literature teacher in Paris, worked as an assistant chef in Manhattan, and even participated in an ethnological expedition to Alaska. How did a man, so prone to adventures, appear in a remote rural province? Myself İmber says that he easily traded the turbulent atmosphere of Paris in the late 60s for a quiet life in the countryside. "There are very few sunny days," he calmly explains.

In fact, Dominique returned to the south of France, where he was born and raised to do what he loved. Despite the complete absence of art education and any practical experience in working with metal, he decided to become a sculptor. Dominic had to be difficult, since contemporary art in the provincial wilderness was of little demand. He still remembers the hungry years and the time when he lived without shelter. This, by the way, is not an artistic metaphor. Arriving in the town of Viol-les-Fort, İmber He bought for a pittance the ruins of a 15th century house and set up his workshop there. “Once it was very cold in winter, the snow fell right in the house. I was saved only by the fireplace, which I used for heating and cooking, ”recalls Dominic.

From this very fireplace, it all began. One day, a friend looked in at Dominik, saw the fireplace and asked the owner to do the same to him. One, second, third ... So Dominic gradually became the designer of fireplaces. By the way, the company still produces the very first fireplace. The model is called Antefocus and became the prototype of the famous Gyrofocus. Just imagine, a fireplace on a steel pipe that “goes down” from the ceiling straight into the center of the living room and whose firebox turns in different directions ... In 1968, when Dominic invented this model, its advantages did not seem obvious to many. Owner FOCUS says that when he showed his fireplaces at exhibitions, they laughed at him. And the first buyers were the architects, who immediately appreciated the innovative design. Since FOCUS has become a world-famous company, a market leader in modern designer fireplaces. What awaits her in the future? “I decided that when I was gone, my shares would be transferred to the company's employees. Many of them work more than 20 years. It will be fair, ”says Доминик İmber.