Winter will soon be upon us, and with it, time to close the door on our outdoor spaces until next spring. But Lindsay and Jonnie O’Mahony will keep entertaining in their garden all year round, without ever feeling the chill.
How? Forget the tacky fire pit or dated chiminea – enter the outdoor fireplace. ‘We use it for everything,’ says Lindsay, a musician. ‘Parties, family dinners, we even take laptops out and use it as a workspace.
‘We had a party last Christmas, and at the end of the evening when there were about 20 of us left, we lit the fire and chilled in the seating area for hours, beside the crackling flames.
‘Everyone thought it was a great idea to create a warm space outside in a country where the climate forces us to spend a lot of time inside.’
Lindsay and Jonnie, who owns a property company, were inspired by a trip to Soho Farmhouse – a boutique Oxfordshire hotel.
‘We sat on a sofa around an outdoor fireplace and decided to have a go at building our own,’ Lindsay says.
And they’re not alone, with eager home improvers looking for ways to maximise their space and make use of their gardens year-round. Searches for ‘outdoor fireplace’ have risen by 100 per cent on Pinterest over the past year.
Outdoor fireplaces were popular across the pond first, with actor George Clooney luxuriating by an immense hearth at his Mexican villa, while Khloe Kardashian’s California courtyard boasts a Moroccan-style tiled version.
Now, despite our rather chillier weather here in the UK, the feature is fast becoming the latest must-have for the fashionable country set. After all, who wants a trendy (but admittedly muddy) boot room, when you could enjoy the great outdoors without ever having to pull on your wellies?
‘There’s a Neanderthal in all of us,’ says Robin Hutson, founder of The Pig, a group of restaurants with rooms that are loved by celebrities.
‘Who hasn’t spent hours gazing at the flames at the end of an evening? Fireplaces are like magnets that draw a crowd.’
One of his hotels, The Pig in the New Forest in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, boasts a formal alfresco fireplace that is open year-round.
At their home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, Lindsay and Jonnie’s fireplace occupies a concrete and steel frame, topped with a timber-slatted roof. An Indian sandstone patio with Mexican rugs completes the look.
Lindsay says: ‘We designed a steel frame with the help of a local metalworker, then added a granite worktop for the wood-burning stove – which cost £800 – to sit on.
‘The stove is a double-sided burner with glass doors on both the front and back.’ On one side, there’s a cosy seating area, on the other a smart outdoor dining room that means there’s plenty of space for larger parties.
Lindsay is the lead singer of a rock band, and says the fireplace also comes in handy for heating up outdoor rehearsals.
‘We also built a small kitchen work surface for a barbecue and pizza oven, which our two sons, Max and Ozzie, wish we used on a daily basis.
‘Because it is undercover, we can use it whatever the weather and it’s really quite warm, although we do have fleece blankets on the seats for extra cosiness.’
And while Lindsay and Jonnie’s is in sleek, modern style, outdoor fireplaces can be just as at home in a period property.
Stephen Turner lives in a converted coach house in Hove, Sussex. He had an outdoor fireplace built for around £2,000 as a surprise present for his husband Anthony Bloomfield.
‘He really wanted a fireplace – the original one had been removed when the building was converted from a coach house,’ says Stephen, a first aid instructor. ‘Inspired by a French chateau we saw on holiday, I designed it myself and conspired with the builders to keep it a secret while Anthony was away on a work trip.’
The couple’s massive fireplace is built out of bricks, with a painted oak sleeper as a stand-out feature – quite something to come back to as a surprise gift.
And it was built into an existing garden wall, while the metalwork was all sourced from a salvage yard.
‘Our courtyard garden connects seamlessly to the inside via sliding doors, so it’s like an additional room,’ Stephen explains.
‘From eating and entertaining to reading and FaceTiming family – or even just stargazing with our telescope – we often sit outside after dark with the fire lit.
‘We haven’t yet had Christmas dinner out there, but we certainly might this year as we have even celebrated the New Year by lighting a fire.’
He adds: ‘We held our wedding reception at home in June 2007, lighting a huge fire, which meant guests stayed outside until the small hours.’
And there’s no doubt the fireplace is the envy of Stephen and Anthony’s friends.
‘The fireplace is constantly admired – one guest was so impressed they’ve gone the whole hog and installed a fireplace, pizza oven and outdoor bar.’
The outdoor fireplace is fast becoming a mainstay in the capital, too.
Hamptons, the estate agents, was recently marketing a Georgian townhouse with one in the heart of Knightsbridge, central London, overlooking Hyde Park. (A snip at £13.95 million.)
‘Especially in the capital, where outdoor space is scarce, garden owners want to maximise every inch, knowing how much they’re paying for it,’ says Becky Fatemi, executive partner at Sotheby’s International Realty.
‘An outdoor fireplace doesn’t only keep everyone cosy, but provides an architectural focal point that remains even when the trees have lost their leaves.’
Luckily, you don’t need the budget of a City banker or the size of property of Ed Sheeran – who also has his own, on his enormous Suffolk estate – to build one.
‘While it’s difficult to provide an exact figure for installing one, you can expect an outdoor fireplace to add value to your home, especially if it’s matched with a wider landscaping project,’ advises Joanna Humphreys, of Direct Stoves, whose outdoor fireplaces range from £1,000 to £2,800.
Meanwhile, architect and designer Alexander Shepel advises: ‘When designing your outdoor fireplace, I always recommend prioritising natural materials such as stone or brick for their durability and heat-resistant properties.
He adds: ‘Ensure the style fits seamlessly into its natural surroundings to create a calming environment you’ll be drawn to time and again.’
