Outdoor Fireplace Sag Harbor NY - Focal Point of Outdoor Living
A living room needs a focal point and so does your outdoor living space. An outdoor fireplace is a natural candidate to fill this need, if it’s done right. Here’s how to make your outdoor fireplace the focal point of your outdoor living space in Sag Harbor, NY.
One of the hottest trends in home design is the development of the outdoor living space—much more than simply a patio, outdoor living spaces become multi-season extensions of your home and include the same comforts typically found indoors: full outdoor kitchen, comfortable seating, landscape lighting, and heating elements. If you think the outdoor fireplace is going to be the highlight of your landscape, you’ll want to keep the following tips in mind as your consult with your landscape designer.
Choose the Right Fireplace Style
Don’t underwhelm a beautiful custom patio space with an ordinary outdoor fireplace. Add custom design features and make it your own! Even fireplace kits can be customized to some degree to take them from ordinary to works of art. Consider whether you want the fireplace to fit in seamlessly with the rest of your hardscape and let its location be the focal point, or you could have it act as a dramatic stand-alone feature. The fireplace could act more as sculptural element that also has the benefit of creating a wonderful gathering space.
Related: WOOD-BURNING OR GAS OUTDOOR FIREPLACE FOR YOUR DIX HILLS, NY, BACKYARD?
Focus on the Location
The most important consideration with regards to creating a focal point could be the placement of your fireplace. It doesn’t have to be centrally located in your main patio. Answer this question to determine the best location: When you stand on your patio, where is your eye drawn to the most? If you want to make your fireplace a focal point, the spot your eyes naturally tend to go could be the place for it.
When thinking about location, don’t feel that the fireplace must be “in your face” the moment you step outside. The fireplace can be placed to take advantage of a spectacular view, which may mean that the fireplace area is not immediately adjacent to the home. Or it can be positioned to create a visual barrier between your home and the neighbors, or adjacent to an outdoor kitchen. Attaching an outdoor fireplace to an outdoor kitchen can create a timeless “heart of the home” feeling in your outdoor living space.
Take your time to decide whether you want your entire focus to be on the fireplace itself or if there’s something in the landscape that begs for equal attention. You could look into positioning your fireplace to best meet your desire for a unique gathering space, whether it’s attached to the home under a roofed porch where you can enjoy it in all kinds of weather, attached to an outdoor kitchen (where most of the action is), or in a secluded spot away from the home. A secluded spot would give visitors a sense of discovery when they come across the unexpected delight of your beloved fire feature.
Related: HOW AN OUTDOOR FIREPLACE CAN TRANSFORM YOUR OLD OUTDOOR KITCHEN IN THE WESTBURY, NY, AREA
Choose the Size Carefully
A focal point doesn’t have to be huge in order to be dramatic. In fact, a focal point that is too big for its location can become a distraction. Scale your outdoor fireplace to the home and the surroundings. While a monolithic fireplace certainly commands attention, it could feel out of place next to a ranch-style home. Bigger isn’t necessarily better: Design and location are usually more important in creating a pleasing focal point.
