Tips for Incorporating a Precast Stone Fireplace Onto Your Patio

An outdoor fireplace can be a boon to your patio, providing both warmth and light, not to mention a natural area of congregation. Below are some tips for incorporating a new fireplace so it matches your patio’s style.

Choose Stones that Match or Complement Your House

You have many options to choose from when selecting your fireplace, so you’ll need to find a kind of stone, whether real or cast, that fits in with your existing home and patio. When you choose the stones, the goal should be to either match or complement your house. If you have any stonework incorporated into your house’s façade, start by looking at stones that are similar to see if you can find ones that match. This will make your fireplace look like it has always been there.

Conversely, you can choose a stone veneer that complements colors within your façade rather than match those colors. Perhaps you have cool, even blue-toned siding on your house. A warm peach-toned or yellow-toned fireplace would provide a beautiful counterpoint. If you choose this option, your fireplace will become a focal point instead of blending in.

Echo the Style of Your Patio

Another method for making your fireplace cohesive to the rest of your house is to ensure the fireplace is in a similar style to the patio. You may not think your patio has a specific style, but the patio probably has its own unique characteristics.

Turn a critical eye to your patio. Do you see a lot of clean lines with minimal ornamentation? You may prefer a contemporary fireplace with geometric appeal. Perhaps, instead, you see some wrought ironwork that denotes more of an old-world flair. You may want a custom masonry job to present an old-world veneer for your fireplace.

Think About Adding a Hearth

Speaking of old world, there’s a reason the phrase home and hearth creates such a cozy feeling. The hearth, or the shelf that extends out from the front of the fireplace, was traditionally a gathering spot for the family.

You can put a hearth on an outdoor fireplace to good use. For example, you can extend the shelf to provide seating. A hearth is also a suitable area for decorations. Further incorporate the style of your new fireplace by placing décor on the hearth that matches other décor in your patio.

Match the Mantle to the Overall Style

When you choose the stone for your fireplace, you can opt for a stone mantle as well. Luckily, like the stones, said mantles come in a wide variety of styles.

You often see facades with carved trim. The level of ornamentation of this trim will help determine how well it complements your patio’s unique style.

For example, the most ornamented styles go well with old-world décor. However, you can see mantles with simple ornamentation, which would match a rustic style. If you look for mantles that look very square, they will work well for a contemporary patio.

Decorate the Mantle

When you’ve installed your outdoor fireplace and mantle, decorate said mantle. The décor your place on the mantle, as what you place on the hearth, will go a long way toward ensuring the mantle matches the rest of your outdoor space.

The mantle isn’t meant to be as hard-working as the hearth — mantles are often just for décor. Consider finding objects or pictures that best represent the décor style you’d like for your patio. The only consideration is décor pieces should be at least somewhat weatherproof.

An outdoor fireplace offers not only beauty, but charm and options for using your patio in colder weather with friends and family. Alpine Fireplaces can help you make your patio beautiful with such an installation. Find a showroom to see what we have to offer.