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by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for The House Designers®
Who doesn’t enjoy warming up by a fire? Even if we don’t primarily rely on fireplaces to heat our homes anymore, they offer ambiance and a built-in focal point, so they remain an integral part of interior design. But it doesn’t have to stop there—you can add a fire element to your outdoor living space, where its warmth will help you enjoy the porch or patio even more! Here are some outdoor fire options to consider for your home.
The Classic Fireplace
If you enjoy a fireplace indoors, you’ll probably like one outside, too. Outdoor fireplaces offer the same formal ambiance—perfect for traditional home styles—but they are designed to withstand the elements, so be sure to shop in the right section! You’ll find a variety of options that use different kinds of fuel ranging from simple inserts to large bases for traditional masonry. So, do you want the authentic crackle of wood, or would you prefer the on-demand convenience of gas? You’ll need to plan ahead either way.
Carefully consider placement to find the right arrangement for your space and sightlines. You can add a fireplace against an existing wall or use it to create a new one. Many homeowners like to sandwich a furnished covered patio between the house and an outdoor fireplace because it adds to the cozy factor. Putting it on the side instead keeps views of the back of your property open. For those short on outdoor space, consider a two-way fireplace between the living room and patio; it’ll have to be enclosed in glass, so it won’t be as good for heat as open flames, but it’ll still be an asset for ambiance and you can dress it up with stone, brick, and/or a mantel to match your home. There are many ways to adapt an outdoor fireplace to your needs!
The Rustic Fire Pit
Fireplaces create partitions, so if you want to keep everything open, consider a fire pit to avoid the extra backdrop. Fire pits basically provide a campfire experience in a safer, contained location that’s designed for gathering around, so they’re great if you need to build outdoor living for mountain homes. But you still need plenty of open space to ensure excessive heat, flames, and sparks can’t reach your home or any other combustible material. Remember, there isn’t a chimney to draw heat away, so you can’t put a fire pit under an overhang or anywhere even partially enclosed. Depending on your location, there might be laws that stipulate how close a fire pit can be to any structures and property lines, as well as limits on size (diameter) and what you can burn.
Fire pits require space, first and foremost. They also must be placed on a flat, noncombustible surface, whether that be a concrete patio, stone or brick pavers, or, with extra care, loose gravel. Portable fire pits require further caution to prevent them from tipping. Permanent fire pits don’t pose the same hazard, and you can match them to the rest of your garden design with any type of stone. In any case, you can enjoy the casual, social aspect of gathering around a fire in the comfort of your own backyard. That rustic ambiance is perfect for roasting marshmallows and continuing barbecues long into the night!
The Sleek Fire Bowl
A fresh take on the fire pit, fire bowls offer a similar setup with a modern twist. They can be low or high in height, square or round in shape, and short or long in length. In contrast to fire pits, fire bowls always sit on the patio level and have a concrete finish. You can also choose from a variety of concrete colors and textures to suit your style. Fire bowls work well for contemporary as well as Mediterranean homes, depending on the shape and color you choose. They can be super chic with sharp lines and bold tones or offer pottery-style looks with warm clay hues. You might be surprised by the variety!
If you want to elevate your backyard, check out the outdoor living products available from Kindred Outdoors & Surrounds. They have all sorts of fire options as well as kitchen building blocks to build a great barbecue setup, and you can complete the pieces with your choice of veneer to personalize the look. Outdoor living is all the rage, so start planning the perfect design for your home!
