The holiday entertaining season is just around the corner, and you still have time to add a statement piece to your back yard to impress guests coming from near and far.

Whether your holiday entertaining entails a large group of family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner, a few friends from the office for an intimate holiday evening or an extended family stay during the winter school break, you are sure to impress you guests with a unique outdoor fireplace.

Our designers can assist you in creating an outdoor fireplace that fits with your home and back yard landscaping, but also one that can be a signature piece that guests will marvel at while they gather around on cold winter days and evenings.

Here are 5 unique materials you could consider working into your design to make your fireplace one of a kind:

Clinker Bricks

Clinker bricks are those that were miscolored or misshapen during the baking process and therefore were considered worthless at the time. But during the 1920s, the Arts and Crafts design movement discovered these tossed-aside bricks and incorporated them into designs that spoke out against the soulless, machine-made uniformity that had come about with the Industrial Revolution.

Their unusual curves, broken corners, trapezoid shapes and more break up the traditional lines of a solid brick fireplace, drawing your guests close to examine each brick for its unique nature.

While the heart of the Arts and Crafts movement was centered in California, it also gained a strong foothold on the East Coast and was woven into many great Tudor-style, Eastern homes.

Clinker bricks can be found in the lighter orange color of the California style, the deep reds of the Tudor homes and in the muted mix of orange, red, pink and purple that calls to mind the ancient Tuscany style from Italy.

Firebricks

A less radical but still unique option would be reclaimed firebricks, which are the bricks that have been removed from kilns in the old brickyards. These bricks were made to withstand the extreme heat of repeated firings, but have taken on a variety of colors over the years from exposure to so many firings.

The firebricks also come in nontraditional sizes, which will give your fireplace a different look that will have guests wondering where your bricks came from.

Poured Concrete

If the antique look of bricks is not to your appeal, consider the sleek, modern look of poured concrete. A tower of poured concrete can stand in stark contrast to your greener landscape and complement a modern home design. Large concrete tiles are another option to create a similar look.

Stucco

Bring a Spanish or Southwestern flavor to your back yard with a stucco fireplace, which also can combine with modern or antique bricks to provide a lovely contrast of colors. A tiled mantel or hearth also can add accent to the fireplace to create interest or make it coordinate with the design colors of your home.

Wooden It Be Lovely

Don’t be afraid to add a little or a lot of wood design into your fireplace scheme. Wood doesn’t have to be limited to a thick-beamed mantel. You can incorporate many wood features, including with exotic woods, around your fireplace to create a true outdoor environment.

With the right wood accents, you can mimic a Colorado cabin feel, a Swiss chalet or a Japanese Zen garden.

Whatever idea you have to construct a unique fireplace that will wow your holiday visitors can be accomplished with our professional design staff. Contact us today to get started with planning so your outdoor fireplace can be up and burning in time for the holidays.