Outdoor Fireplace Ideas

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated August 03, 2020

From fancy to rustic, portable to permanent, find an outdoor fireplace design to suit your home’s architecture and your living style.

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Scene setter

This three-sided fireplace means that views are hot from almost anywhere in the yard.

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Lakeside fire pit

Credit: Chad Holder

The patio firepit and twinkle lights from a boathouse set the mood for relaxing with friends at a Minnesota lakeside home. Blankets tossed over lawn chairs let guests cozy up when the sun sets. See more photos from this home.

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Rooftop fireplace

This striking fireplace anchors a Chicago rooftop garden. More photos from the rooftop garden

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Table topper

Flames flicker at eye level if you use a tablesize fire pit (burning ethanol). Despite its size, it generates warmth and cheer.

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Balancing styles

Wood and stone provide substantial weight to a rustic scene accented with modern furniture.

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Warm spaces

This Indiana homeowner built benches, walkways and decks around the fire pit.

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Seamless flow

A roofed, open-air living area, or loggia, ensures a seamless flow between indoors and out in this St. Louis home. A wood fireplace warms the area on cool nights. With the addition of draperies and portable heaters, friends and family can enjoy the space year-round.

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Bold statement

A tower of poured concrete makes a bold statement.

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Simply stunning

The fire pit in this Chicago home's backyard is a simple portable unit. But the fall-color plantings make it stunning.

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French touch

Embellishment makes this an airy piece even as it anchors a pavered seating area.

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Chiminea styles

Mexican chimineas come is all shapes, sizes and materials. Natural materials merge in this woodland garden in Stillwater, Minnesota.

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Flowing look

The flowing lines of brick and stone turn the back of a house into a thing of beauty and warmth.

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Big and bold

The size of this fireplace makes a bold statement all year. The materials withstand the Glencoe, Illinois, winters.

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Two sides to the story

This Spanish-style two-sided fireplace heats two seating areas.

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Not-quite cottage

Though in a cozy corner of a cottagey backyard, this setting has some modern touches—striped upholstery, bug pillows, gray furniture.

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Brick works

This is a spacious yet cozy patio because of all the brick and wood. The fireplace contributes to that feeling, too.

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Hearth works

Indoors or out, a raised hearth puts a fire where you can most enjoy it. The stone surround complements nature's beauty.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com