Top 17 Best Outdoor Fireplace Ideas

Top 17 Best Outdoor Fireplace Ideas – Outdoor Living Ideas

You might not immediately think about outdoor fireplace ideas when creating your own outdoor living space.  

However, an outdoor fireplace can create a warm and inviting atmosphere for friend and family gatherings and can be a great asset to your home. 

It also makes you use your outdoor space more and for longer as you are now able to spend quality time cosy and warm outdoors all year round in a warm and inviting environment.  

Your outdoor fireplace can be part of an outdoor kitchen area, a warm seating area, it can become the main focal point of your garden or be the centre of a perfect outdoor relaxing and entertaining area.  

For those of us in colder climates, an outdoor fireplace is ideal and a must for any serious garden lover as it extends your indoor living area into your garden, creating more living space and a relaxed environment, I mean, who doesn’t love a warming fire? 

There are many different fireplace design ideas for your garden and rustic outdoor fireplaces and stone outdoor fireplaces are most popular. While you can create a warming atmosphere with wood burning stoves, firepits and fire bowls as well, we will be mainly focusing on outdoor fireplace design ideas in this article. 

There is nothing nicer than keeping warm in front of a fire, be it indoors or outdoors!

Grand Outdoor Fireplace

Source @wesleystoutassociates

Outdoor fireplaces might not come any grander than this stunning fireplace!

A fantastic outdoor living room to enjoy on any dry day!

Minimalist Concrete Fireplace

Source @thinkoutsidegardens

This minimalist concrete fireplace has a simple design and suits a modern garden. No frills, so the focus is purely on the flames in your outdoor fireplace!

Traditional Outdoor Fireplace

source @jenniferrobininteriors

Outdoor Fire Place with tv

source @amystormandco

Best Outdoor Fire Place Ideas

Why is an outdoor fireplace a great asset to your garden and outdoor living space? 

Anything well-designed adds value to your home, and when you create the perfect outdoor living space complete with outdoor fireplace, this will most certainly be the case.  

Outdoor fireplaces are versatile. You can create your own design to match your style and home. You can have a rustic outdoor fireplace made from stone or brick which is a more traditional outdoor fireplace design. You can also have a modern outdoor fireplace design made from concrete or why not have a sleek metal outdoor fireplace for a modern home and garden? 

An outdoor fireplace also increases the space of your home which is usable all year long as you can create a warm and inviting outdoor living room to relax and socialise in. With some blankets and comfy furniture, you might find yourself enjoying your living room under the stars even more than your indoor one! 

You can use your outdoor fireplace to create privacy by building the fireplace in a central place and creating your seating area away from neighbour’s windows. You can also create your fireplace as part of a sunken seating area for even more privacy in your garden. 

You can create a large gathering space by adding outdoor furniture so you can spend quality time with loved ones in a ready to go setting. You can prolong your outdoor living season this way as you are more likely to spend more time in your garden, even on those colder evenings. 

Double Outdoor Fireplace

Source @studio_el73

Small Fireplace

Source @thealluringhome

Metal Outdoor Fireplace

Source @yardgardenstyle

Stone Outdoor Fireplace

Source @corbinreeves_construction

Large Patio Fireplace

Source @mckaylighting

What outdoor fireplace design ideas are there? 

• Stone outdoor fireplace; these are the rustic, traditional fireplaces which are very popular and are often made from natural stone to create a cosy outdoor gathering space. They often have a large chimney and look very much like indoor fireplaces.  

• Brick outdoor fireplace; these are similar to the stone fireplaces and are often build in the traditional fireplace style, however, by using bricks, you can create a more budget friendly fireplace and bricks are often used for DIY outdoor fireplaces.  

• Modern outdoor fireplace; made from concrete or metal, these outdoor fireplaces create ambiance in a modern garden setting and home and are often smaller and less of a focal point than the natural stone fireplaces.  

• Gas outdoor fireplace; they are mostly modern fireplaces which are smaller and create warmth in an outdoor living room attached to the home.  

• Fire pits; These are not fireplaces perse as they don’t have chimneys and don’t look like a fireplace in the traditional sense. However, outdoor fire pits are a great and affordable way to create a warm, cosy space outdoor to socialise and relax regardless of the temperature. 

• Fire bowls; these are very similar to fire pits; however, they tend to be movable rather than build in and again create warmth, though on a smaller scale.  

• Wood-burning stove; these come in many different styles and sizes and can be a great option for a smaller garden as they take up less space and are a budget friendly option. They often have a chimney and can create much warmth which is great when entertaining on colder evenings. Sometimes you can use them as an outdoor grill or pizza oven as well.  

Double sided fireplace

Source @tmsarchitects

Mosaic Mantel

Source @msisurfaces

Modern Outdoor FirePlace

Cozy Outdoor Livingroom

source @paradiserestored

Do outdoor fireplaces give off much heat? 

All outdoor fireplaces give off heat, however how much heat it gives off depends on the design and the materials used in the construction of the fireplace, the fuel source and of course the size of the fireplace.  

Gas fireplaces are easy but tend to give off less heat than a wood burning fireplace, which tend to be larger than their gas counterparts. Metal fireplaces keep warm for a while, even after the fuel has burned off, however, they tend to be smaller than wood burning fireplaces as well, so they tend to be less warm than wood fireplaces.  

Having said that, all outdoor fireplaces give off enough heat to keep you warm, though blankets are often used for extra warmth. 

Patio Living Room 

Brick Outdoor Fireplace

Source @taraeiken

Fireplace on Imprinted Concrete Patio

This imprinted concrete patio has been turned into a lovely outdooor living room by adding an outdoor fireplace, rattan outdoor furniture and an awning to stay protected from the elements.

Which outdoor fireplace is the best? 

There are different things to consider when you are looking for an outdoor fireplace for your garden. 

• Design and style 
• Ease of use 
• Warmth  
• Power source 
• Budget 
• Fuel source 
• Environmental considerations 

Design and use: 

If you are looking for a traditional design, then a natural stone hearth or brick fireplace might be the best option, however if you are looking for something more modern, a concrete or metal fireplace or a gas-powered outdoor fireplace might be a better choice. 

Ease of use: 

If you are looking for ease of use, a gas fireplace is most definitely the best outdoor fireplace option as it’s quick and easy to get started without any fuss or preparation. 

A wood burning fireplace on the other hand needs preparation as you will need wood and fire starters and can take a while to get properly going.  

Warmth: 

While there are not many things which are more relaxing than staring into the flames of a fire, the main reason for installing an outdoor fireplace is warmth. And different fireplaces create different temperatures. 

Wood-burning fireplaces typically give off more heat than gas-fired outdoor fireplaces or electric fireplaces. however, they take more work to get started and to maintain the heat. 

Other options to heat your outdoor area is to install patio heaters so you can create warmth all around and the heat source of the outdoor fireplace becomes less important as the temperature will be more constant all-round. 

Power sources 

The main power sources for outdoor fireplaces are: 

Wood

Wood is most popular as it’s easy to come by and affordable.  It’s also the traditional option purely for the beautiful flames it creates in an open fireplace. It creates an instant ambience!  

Natural Gas

Gas-fired fireplaces are easy to use as you can instantly start your fire. A gas fireplace is normally connected to the indoor gas supply.  

Propane

Propane is used for gas-fired fireplaces which are not connected to the main gas supply of the home. This makes propane-fired fireplace portable as the gas is stored in gas canisters.  

Bioethanol

This is a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel which produces heat and flames so will give you both warmth and ambiance without smoke, smells and residue. As you won’t need a chimney when using bioethanol fuel, your fireplace doesn’t need to look like a traditional outdoor fireplace though you can keep the aesthetics of a traditional fireplace should you wish to do so.   

Electricity

This could be another environmentally friendly fuel source, when the electricity used is generated from renewable sources like solar or wind. However, some electricity is generated by using non-renewable sources like fossil fuels. In that case, your electric outdoor fireplace is still making an impact on the environment.  

Budget 

Your budget will greatly influence which outdoor fireplace will be most suitable for your garden. It’s a misunderstanding however, that you’ll need a large budget to have an outdoor fireplace in the first place.  

The price of your fireplace depends on several factors; 

• Fuel type
• Installation
• Materials
• Fuel source

Fuel type 

Foremost you’d need to decide what kind of fuel you would like to use.
Gas and electricity fireplaces have a higher purchase price.  You would also need to hire a professional to install your outdoor fireplace to ensure it is safe and complies with local laws and regulations.  

Wood on the other hand can be burned in open fireplaces which can be created by a professional landscape architect or can be created by yourself as part of a DIY project.  

This leads to the second influence on the price of your outdoor fireplace; 

Installation 

Will you have an outdoor fireplace build for you, or will you build one yourself? Or will you buy a ready-made fireplace which needs installing or connecting to gas or electricity?  

The more technical knowledge and man hours involved, the higher the price of your project. 

Materials 

If you decide to go for a man-made fireplace for your garden, you’d need to consider the materials used for your fireplace. Bricks will be a budget option, while concrete or natural stone will push up the price. Again, the larger and more complex the design, the more you will need to pay for labour and installation.  

Fuel Source 

We’ve touched on fuel sources in this article several times as this will be one of the most important considerations regarding your backyard fireplace.  

The most popular fuel source is wood, followed by gas, electricity, bioethanol and propane. Different fuel sources have different advantages and disadvantages.  

Wood is cheap and readily available, however it’s not environmentally friendly. 

Gas is easy to use but needs to be connected to gas supply in the home. With rising gas prices this can also become an expensive fuel source. 

Electricity is also easy to use but as with gas, it needs to be installed by an electrician and with rising electricity costs, this can also become an expensive option.  

Bioethanol is great for the environmental conscious people.  

Propane is easy as it’s portable and you will be in control of how much gas you use and how much this will cost as you will pay upfront for the gas canister. 

Environmental considerations 

The main environmental considerations are :

• Air quality 
• Fuel source 
• Wildlife protection 
• Water conservation 
• Waste reduction 

Air quality

burning fuels can produce harmful particles in the air which can negatively affect the local air quality and can be harmful to humans. You can reduce air pollution by choosing more environmentally friendly fuel options such as bioethano’ 

Fuel source

how your fuel source became available to you will impact the environment in a small or large way.  

Using wood can cause deforestation and habitat destruction for example. Wood is also often transported over large distances which is not good for the environment. 

Gas is often seen as a more environmentally friendly option compared to wood; however, natural gas is non-renewable, and the burning of gas is a significant contributor to climate change by emitting carbon dioxide. Methane leaks during gas extraction also contribute to climate change. 

Propane is also a fossil fuel however it burns cleaner than natural gas which means that it produces less greenhouse emissions than natural gas. It can also be found more locally which means that there is less transportation of the fuel involved.  

Bioethanol is a renewable energy and is often made from plant materials. This can be sugar, cane or wheat for example. As it only produces water vapour and carbon dioxide when burned, it is by far the most environmentally friendly option for your garden outdoor fireplace! 

Wildlife protection

This is very important, and your outdoor fireplace can attract small animals and birds. By adding a screen to your fireplace and by checking for animals and nesting before lighting your fireplace will help protect wildlife in your garden.   

Water conservation

When cleaning your garden fireplace, you can reduce the amount of water you use by using a bucket rather than a hose. While a hose seems easier, it does use a lot more water than you would realistically need.  

Waste reduction

Lastly, only burn natural materials like wood, you can then add the ashes to your garden as fertiliser rather than putting it in the bin which reduces waste.

We hope these outdoor fireplace ideas will help you consider which type of garden fireplace is best suited for you and your outdoor living space.   

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