Dreaming of an Outdoor Fireplace? How to Incorporate One into a Summertime Landscape Design in Ann Arbor, MI
Are you dreaming of adding an outdoor fireplace to your Ann Arbor, MI, landscape? Expand your summer landscape plans with a seamlessly designed and built outdoor fireplace, and you will be rewarded by warmer evenings and long gazes at beautiful flames. Here are some of the benefits of an outdoor fireplace and a few details to consider as you plan out what yours should include and where it should be placed.
Advantages of an Outdoor Fireplace
An outdoor fireplace can transform your landscape with its unique qualities.
Creates a focal point: What might be missing from your landscape is a focal point, a feature that catches the eye and draws your guests toward it, either to admire or spend the majority of their time. A well-crafted outdoor fireplace fills this purpose: When your friends and family come to visit, the fireplace becomes the spot where they will gravitate for the warmth and ambiance that only a fire can bring.
Stay outside longer: When you have an outdoor fireplace, the warmth and gentle glow can let you linger on the patio for as long as you want. The best days will no longer have to end just because it gets dark or chilly. You can simply light the fire and continue to have fun.
Outdoor Fireplace Design Ideas
Make it feel like part of the house: When your landscaper adds a custom outdoor fireplace close to (but safely) your home, access to your new favorite spot will be just outside the backdoor. Add some comfy seating and bright cushions, and you’ll feel right at home as you enjoy the fire. The materials used to construct the outdoor fireplace can look just like natural stone or take on a modern, sleek look with large angular blocks. The choice is yours.
Free-standing with shade: The outdoor fireplace could be a destination in itself, by deliberately being designed to be separate from the patio. Connected by a rectangular stepping-stone walkway, the fireplace area can serve as another lounging area, with a pergola or full roof to bring some shade when you want it.
Customize the outdoor fireplace with a TV for watching your favorite shows and sports games. A landscaper can even designate a work-from-home spot complete with a desk, chair, and task lighting to make working from home by the fire a regular option, even even during fall afternoons.
Wood burning: When you prefer the authentic warmth and crackle of a wood-burning fireplace, a stone fireplace with matching nooks on each side for additional dry firewood can keep the fire going for a long time.
Outdoor couches arranged in a “U’ shape could provide plenty of space for guests to sit and catch up with you by the fire. Incorporating a retaining wall around the fireplace can increase the privacy there and add more seating when you host large events.
The landscape design options for an outdoor fireplace are virtually endless. From the look of stone or brick, and other materials, a skilled designer can fit a fireplace into a small courtyard or an expansive lawn. When you customize the fireplace according to how you plan to use it, the options to have a dazzling outdoor feature are limited only by your imagination.