Outdoor Fireplace Designs
for the Way You Live (continued)
Continue with outdoor fireplace designs, and learn how choose the design style that is just right for you. In addition, you can learn how to arrange outdoor lighting and how to evaluate a project so that you don't become overwhelmed. Create your perfect outdoor by continuing with step 3 below.
3) Which design style do you want in your space?
In general, rustic and country styles tend to work better in outdoor fireplace designs. Rustic styles contain textural elements like an
outdoor stone fireplace
, unfinished wooden furniture, accessories made from twigs or bark. Country styles contain soft faded colors and elements like an
outdoor brick fireplace
, painted furniture, and accessories like baskets or wooden crockery.
However, you are not limited to rustic stone fireplace designs. If you have a very modern home, you may want a space that complements this style. The Modern style has clean lines and emphasizes function. For example, your outdoor space could include a light gray stucco fireplace on a dark gray tiled patio with the addition of metal outdoor dining furniture and accessories made from glass or chrome.
Other outdoor fireplace designs that may work for you include the Southwestern Style. This style takes its colors from the desert, therefore, a outdoor space my contain a light brown stucco fireplace with azure blue accent tiles, unfinished pine furniture, and accessories such as wrought iron candle holders and clay pots.
The Italian Tuscan Style is also very popular. This style includes colors such as golden yellow, deep red, and azure blue. Your outdoor space may include a carved stone fireplace, large distress wooden furniture with matching chairs, and accessories such as copper pots and reed baskets.
Take a look at fireplace design ideas, to see some illustrations of additional outdoor spaces.
4) How can you define your outdoor space?
Outdoor fireplace designs require boundaries such as the floor, walls, and a ceiling to be defined. Let’s say that you have decided on a dining room on a patio. Obviously, the patio tile will become the floor.
The walls will be partly defined by the outdoor fireplace, but you’ll need more elements. Let’s use some large modern black planters to grow vines up a metal trellis. The vines soften the metal trellis, and add to the warm atmosphere you would like to create.
Outside, the ceiling could be the sky. This could be very dramatic for evening entertainment. You could also add a metal arbor over the dining area and grow vines on the arbor.
5) How can you arrange your outdoor lighting to enhance you outdoor space?
Outdoor patio lighting
can be functional as well as decorative. For your outdoor dining room, you can use candles on the table and rely on some of the light from the outdoor fireplace. This is an example of functional lighting, but it looks as if it’s decorative. If you want to highlight other areas of the outdoor space like a special plant, you could add a spot light for decorative lighting.
If you want to extend the dining space from the patio into your back yard, investigate accent lighting for your garden. You may choose to illuminate an interesting tree, a garden pond, or a statue. You may need an electrician to help with connecting the lighting.
Alternatively, solar outdoor lighting may be an excellent money saving option. This lighting option uses the sun to charge batteries during the day, and during the evening the batteries power your garden lighting. These lighting options are usually straightforward to install and portable.
6) How much of this project will you do yourself, and how much will be done by someone else?
This question affects other points such as your budget and time. Obviously, the more you do on your project, the lower your budget will be and inversely, the more time you will need to complete your outdoor space. In addition, there is the fun factor! If you’re like me, you like jumping in and getting your hands a little dirty for a labor of love. You will need to weigh these factors as you decide what to do in your outdoor dining space.
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