Photo by Marty O’Neill on Unsplash
If you’re designing the best outdoor space, whether your home or another space you’re upgrading, your choices can transform a simple backyard into an inviting retreat. Among the many design options, a brick fireplace stands out as a timeless and versatile centerpiece.
A brick fireplace in an outdoor setting combines warmth, beauty, and functionality, making it an ideal focal point for any outdoor area. Here's how a brick fireplace can elevate your space and tips for seamlessly integrating it into your ultimate outdoor living area design.
Benefits of Brick Fireplace Outdoors
If you own a home frequented by visitors and love to host social gatherings, having an outdoor fireplace is more than a heat source for you. It’s a social setting that creates an ambiance where people are drawn together in one area of your outside to talk and relax.
A fireplace in your outdoor space can transform the area into a more cozy and inviting location for year-round use. As a centerpiece on your outdoor patio, garden area, or pool lounge, it naturally divides the space to create a place for dining, lounging, and entertaining.
One of the most significant advantages of incorporating a brick fireplace is its durability. Brick is resistant to outdoor elements like rain, snow, heat, and cold, enduring those conditions with little maintenance necessary, so it is a practical choice for creating a space that can last for years.
Tips for Choosing Your Outdoor Brick Fireplace
Choosing the right brick style and color to create a perfect outdoor living space helps complement your home’s appeal. Here are some helpful tips to ensure you make the best choice for your fireplace.
Choosing Textures
You can choose from many styles and textures, from smooth bricks to those with patterns. Depending on factors like your location’s weather patterns, clè's brick tile fireplace may be a more practical choice to ensure durability.
Smooth and sleek bricks offer a more modern look if that matches your home’s aesthetic. You can get more rough-looking, rustic-appearing brick that can add visual appeal and mimic stone or other natural materials.
Brick Colors
The color of the brick matters as well. Your home may be composed of more natural or bold colors on the outside, and you’ll want your fireplace, as the focal point in your outdoor space, to reflect those colors.
Earth-tone brown or red bricks can create a more rustic atmosphere and look more natural. Bold like charcoal or bright red can add a dramatic appeal, whereas neutral color bricks like gray and beige look more modern and blend well with more outdoor area spaces.
Outdoor Style
Consider how the outside of your home looks and its vibe. Does it seem more rustic, modern, or old-fashioned? Be sure you’re matching your brick to the style of your home
For example, if you have a stone wall around your garden or another outdoor area, consider incorporating stone-colored or stone-like brick as part of your fireplace to match. It will give your outdoor space a more cohesive look and tie it together.
Brick Maintenance
Another factor to consider when designing your outdoor brick fireplace in your space is the maintenance involved. Consider how much time you’d be spent cleaning the fireplace and how the bricks will last through the seasons.
Light-colored bricks, for instance, can show soot and dirt more easily than darker-colored bricks. Sealed bricks can alter your intended color but provide more protection from staining and weather.
Outdoor Brick Fireplace Ideas
Some ideas that you can utilize or visuals to help create a complete outdoor setup with seating, lighting, and decorative elements around your fireplace can include:
• Lighting
Consider incorporating some string lights or lanterns that create a cool effect. You can choose brighter white colored lights to bring a lot of light to the space or consider using warmer white or Edison-style bulbs that will create a soft glow.
• Seating
Your seating is another factor to develop. You can have a circled layout with chairs, benches, or sofas surrounding the fireplace. You can use varied types of seating, from floor seating to barstool or hightop. Consider having built-in benches for a more permanent setup.
• Other Decorative and Functional Elements
Other things to incorporate into the outdoor space for your fireplace are outdoor rugs, greenery, a bar area, blinds if you have walls or side tables. Potted plants and gardens create a more vibrant, inviting space, and a bar setup can encourage convenience.
The flooring can be a place to add elements. Outdoor rugs help create more texture and define your gathering area, or tiled patterns or stone can provide texture and outline your space. You may even want the fireplace to be the focal point within the dining area of your outdoor kitchen.The possibilities are endless!
Remember to add personal touches like incorporating a place for your outdoor pizza oven, displaying art, or adding throw pillows that showcase your style and personality. Your space should have unique qualities that make it a place for comfort and safety.
Setting Up Your Brick Fireplace in Your Outdoor Living Space
If you have questions or aren’t sure where to begin creating the perfect outdoor space with a brick fireplace, you can consult a contractor or design professional to ensure you’re making the best choice. They can help guide you through proper and safe installation, elements and additions, and even the best brick style and materials for longevity and appeal.