An outdoor fireplace is a prominent feature on your patio. Whether you want the fire feature to have a fully integrated feeling using the same materials as your patio, or whether you want it to be a dramatic focal point, here are 4 ways patio pavers can complement an outdoor fireplace in Glenview, IL.
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1. A Cohesive Look
Some paver companies offer outdoor fireplace kits that use the very same materials as their pavers and wall blocks: for example, a Tuscan-style outdoor fireplace made with antiqued blocks that complement the patio’s relaxed and lived-in feel. Your landscaping contractor could do the same on a custom fireplace, such as one that includes a wood-fired pizza oven. This approach of using the same materials will give your outdoor living space a cohesive look. To add interest, the fireplace could use the same materials but in a slightly different shade, so that everything isn’t the same color.
2. The Fireplace As a Dramatic Focal Point
Another approach is to make the outdoor fireplace the center of attention. Deliberate use of different materials is one way to accomplish this. For example, your patio might feature bluestone-inspired pavers, which could offer an amazing contrast to a traditionally styled brick fireplace or a modern fireplace that features a smooth concrete facade.
3. Textural Contrasts
In general, it’s good to introduce some textural contrast between vertical and horizontal elements on your patio (too much of a good thing is still too much).
For example, a brick patio surrounded by a brick retaining wall and featuring a brick outdoor fireplace would be overwhelming visually, and could become boring very quickly. Brick is relatively smooth, but it does have a lot of visual texture due to the small unit sizes and a large number of joints between the bricks. As one element - say, a patio, OR a retaining wall, OR an outdoor fireplace - brick is beautiful; but it is best appreciated when surrounding textures are smoother. This includes both visual and tactile textures.
You could emphasize a beautiful brick fire feature by using large format pavers such as granite- or limestone-inspired pavers. Not only will the bricks pop in terms of texture, but color as well; and the large size of the pavers is substantial enough to visually balance the heft of the outdoor fireplace.
If you are using tumbled wall units for a relaxed-feeling fireplace (these are often relatively “chunky” in appearance, you could contrast these with brick pavers. Tumbled wall units in a warm sandstone color along with a classical brick patio in a herringbone pattern could make for an amazingly cozy and inviting space.
4. Color Contrasts
Color is the best way to either have an outdoor fireplace blend in, or to make it a stand-out focal point. With colors, you could make the differences subtle: for example, going just a few shades darker or lighter. Or, you could make the differences dramatic. It all depends on how you want your outdoor spaces to feel.
Keep in mind, just like with textures, you will get the best results by not overdoing it. Two or at most three colors (for example, one color each for the outdoor fireplace, pavers, and paver borders) will keep the space aesthetically pleasing while giving each element its own character.
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