What Are the Top Trends in Outdoor Fireplaces?

Portable fire features have been around for a few years now, but there’s nothing like an actual outdoor fireplace to add warmth and luxury to your backyard space and pool area. Today, outdoor fireplaces area leading trend in outdoor living space design, as more homeowners desire that vacation destination feel for their own backyards. Plus, an outdoor fireplaces allows you to get greater enjoyment out of your backyard space and swimming pool area for a greater portion of the year.

Here are some of the top trends in outdoor fireplace style, to help inspire your own outdoor fireplace selection:

• Big and dramatic. In the past, outdoor fireplaces often stood at a height of 3 feet or so, and now, outdoor fireplaces are more often taller – perhaps 10 feet tall. A large and dramatic outdoor fireplace makes a tremendous visual impact when gazing upon your outdoor living space and pool area, and it also defines the living space and seating area where it’s located.

• Multiple fireplaces. That tall, dramatic fireplace may be situated against your house, or it may be a structure out in your yard, joined in your outdoor living space by a separate fireplace such as a see-through fireplace on your terrace, in poolside seating areas, by your outdoor bar area. Having more than one fireplace allows for different groups to gather by them during your parties, and adds even more mood-setting fire elements to your outdoor areas.

• Natural stone materials. The earthiness of natural materials adds a grounding feel to even the most luxurious of fireplace areas. Top trends in fireplace materials include stone, stucco, rock, brick, and unusual stones like porcelain. Stones in your outdoor fireplace design can coordinate beautifully and naturally with stones and boulders in your landscaping as well as the stone of your pool waterfall design.

• Metallic design. If you prefer a sleeker metallic design for your outdoor fireplace, cast iron and aluminum are top trends, lasting longer than copper. Stainless steel is also a luxury outdoor fireplace choice, especially for those terrace and bar areas where stainless steel may be part of your outdoor kitchen design, letting those metals coordinate in style.

• See-through styles. Double-sided fireplaces may provide a see-through look from the outside of your home to the inside, such as into your den or living room. Or, the see-through fireplace may simply be embedded in the design of a rock wall fully situated in the outdoors, perhaps dividing your outdoor kitchen or bar and your outdoor terrace sitting area.

• Pool and spa located. A roaring fire situated right behind your pool’s spa creates a romantic scene like something out of The Bachelor, and provides a warming element for your spa use in cooler months or at night. As a backdrop to a spa or pool, outdoor fireplaces add drama, especially when you have other fire elements situated around your pool area.

• Mantels. A deep mantel extending across the top of an outdoor fireplace opening provides space for displaying pottery and plants, adding more natural décor to the setting.

• Built-in seating. Adding built-ins eating to your outdoor fireplace defines the space, creating a more official ‘room’ in the fireplace area – and a far more attractive, intentional one without the hassle and unimpressive look of portable lawn chairs. Adding built-in long stone benches, ‘couches’ with seat backs, and ledges provides plenty of greats eating space for your family and friends, and seating can be dressed up with throw blankets and pillows in coordinating designs to complement your outdoor fireplace area.