Spending time outside in the summer with friends and family helps create some of the best memories of your life. Of course, the good times shouldn’t end when the weather gets a little colder. An outdoor fireplace strategically placed in your yard will provide warmth, light, and a sense of community that will keep everyone close. They are perhaps the best investment you can make in outdoor amenities, because they extend your enjoyment of a space that would otherwise go unused for much of the year. Here are six benefits of an outdoor fireplace in the Wilmette and Northbrook, IL area.
Related: 5 Eco-Friendly Landscape Design Ideas For Homes In Buffalo Grove And Wilmette, Il
A Charming Presence
Even when it isn’t active, an outdoor fireplace sends a message to friends and family that you love to gather in the backyard and enjoy quality time outside whenever possible. Fires have brought people together for millennia and the simple feeling of community that we get gathering around the fire is irreplaceable. As the summer nights begin to get a little cooler, your loved ones will thank you for getting a fire going.
Radiating Warmth
Apart from the intense heat of mid-summer days, your outdoor fireplace will always be a welcome addition to any outdoor gathering. An outdoor fireplace can radiate just the right amount of heat depending on how much wood you throw in it (or how high you turn up the gas or propane). If feeling chilly is the only reason people don’t spend time on the patio in colder months, an outdoor fireplace takes away that excuse!
Ambient Light
The fire will work to create a beautiful glow that washes over your patio area and flickers with warm and inviting energy. This creates a relaxed mood that can add to any festive party or intimate gathering, or even a solitary time for reflection. Consider angling your landscape light sources to avoid the area directly around the fireplace so you can take advantage of this pleasing ambient light.
Designated Seating Area
Since an outdoor fireplace is a natural gathering area, you may want to include a designated seating area. There are advantages to both temporary and permanent seating. Temporary seating can be moved and arranged at will: a set of comfortable outdoor couches is a favorite choice for many homeowners.
A set of masonry high-backed seat walls will give this section of your outdoor living space an elegant prestige. These walls not only help trap the heat in its small area, but the backs help protect the area from cold, blustery winds. Even better, the seats themselves provide ample safe storage for blankets, cushions, pillows, and help prevent a cluttered look.
Artistry in Stone
An outdoor fireplace is a prominent feature in your landscape, and an opportunity to really show off the beauty of the masonry. Whether your home is more rustic or more contemporary, you’ll have the wide variety of choices of color, texture, and shape that can adapt to any design aesthetic. You’ll also be able to add some artistic expression in the form of tile accents or interesting patterns and compositions.
Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
Probably the most exciting addition you can make to an outdoor fireplace is a wood-fired pizza oven. Nothing will excite kids and adults more than spending time cooking (and anticipating) some delicious hot, bubbly pizza straight from your own pizza oven. You even have the ability to cook far more than just pizza with skillets, casseroles, and braised meats, just to name a few. This addition to your outdoor fireplace could inspire you to create an even larger outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor fireplace will become the hub of your backyard and soon, your friends and family will be begging to come over.
Related: Warm Up Your Landscape With An Outdoor Fireplace In Northbrook, IL
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