Create a mood in your backyard by adding fireplaces. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
When making an outdoor fireplace, it has to match with the architectural design of your house.
Nothing transforms the outdoors than a creatively, custom designed fireplace.
Be it at the poolside patio or at the wood pergola with a waterproof TV that brings the family room to the outdoors, having a fireplace eases the chill during the cold season and increases the worth of your property.
While outdoor fireplaces can be intricate, bold and beautiful, they can also be old-fashioned and made portable. You can go for rustic, contemporary, formal or country design.
When making an outdoor fireplace, it has to match with the architectural design of your house.
“This will help one decide on the design options as not all kinds fit into all property types,” says Pius Mwambingu, a landscape architect at Landtek Studios in Nairobi.
The portable fireplaces come in handy for gardens without overhead covers. Clay or cast-iron chimeneas or pits with copper-lined bowls can be found easily. Copper is not so heavy a material but it is still durable.
Aside from the obvious functionality of a fireplace, it can be turned into as a cooking place or an entertainment area for guests and for barbecue parties.
Different shapes
Pius says an outdoor fireplace can have different shapes depending on the architectural design of the house.
“Rectangular, square or oval, this should be informed by the design theme of the main house for harmony purposes.
Go for curves instead of traditional straight lines. Curves will always blend well with the outdoors,” he says.
When selecting materials for use in the construction of the fireplace, fireproof and non-combustible ones should top the list.
For ventilation purposes, the firebox segment should have a big opening. Use brick, stone, rock for wall cladding and river rocks, flagstone, concrete or even stucco as a surface finish.
“Concrete happens to be the faster way of building an outdoor fireplace as it cures faster and optional cladding can be used on top of the concrete,” he says.
James Munuve, a director at Jaria Hortscapes, says that to ensure a rustic look, use the broken bricks left over from when you were constructing your house.
You can also give it some colour. “You want your outdoor fireplace to be unique. To achieve this, accentuate the area with brightly coloured daybeds with vintage throw pillows and side tables,” he says. But don’t clutter the area.
Ceramic tiles can also be used to emphasize the space. You can choose from the array of shapes, colour and sizes of the tiles to customise your fireplace to reflect your personality.
Keep in mind that the size of the fireplace should be proportional to the garden, the outdoor structures around it and the main building.
A large fireplace in a small outdoor space will look untidy. You can also build a linear fire pit bar, creating an intimate space.
Fuel options
Among fuel options for outdoor fireplace is firewood, propane, gas and briquettes. Wood and propane outdoor fireplaces can be built anywhere.
Wood burning is not only cheaper than the other two options but it also produces more heat. The only demerit is that the smoke comes with health hazards.
Gas on the other hand produces less smoke and could be the better option. For the gas fireplaces, a small vent pipe is required.
Position the fireplace or pit in an area that is downwind, or in a spot that will ensure that the smoke moves away from the house or a neighbour’s yard. James says that most home buyers go for stone fireplaces, which tend to appear boring. To give the area life, plant creepers and climbers.
“You can soften the cold stone look by incorporating vines that climb up the fireplace structure or have container gardens with a range of colourful flowers,” he says.
Ensure that you place your container gardens away from any chimney ventilation and from the fireplace opening.
The wall of the fireplace, in the case of the concrete ones or plants can be used to offer privacy.
Kitchen chimney
James says that you can also take advantage of your kitchen chimney on the outside of your house. With this, you get to use the same place, by simply adding longing seats. Ensure to keep it exciting because after all the main reason for a fireplace is its ambience.
“Enhance the warm radiance by adding even more light. A collection of scented candles on the mantel can come quite in handy, casting an enchanting scene,” he says.
If your home has a swimming pool, it becomes even more exciting. Build a small fireplace by your pool which can be portable or a red-brick permanent one built inside a wrought iron pergola. You can also add elegance with in-pool fire pits.
Paired with lighting near the walls and surrounded by trees, these modern fire features bring the pool to life at night.
For the detached fireplaces, raise the hearth for easier fire tending.
“In designing fireplaces, the catch is in the finishing touches, so be creative,” says James.
