European Home, manufacturer and distributor of innovative and contemporary fireplace products, has compiled research and industry knowledge to form the definitive ‘what’s hot’ list of luxe outdoor modern fireplaces for the summer of 2019.
According to a 2018 Nielsen Report, American adults spend over 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or generally interacting with media. “However, all this digital consumption doesn’t lead to feelings of genuine connection. There are few experiences in life that bring people closer together than gathering around a crackling fire under a dark summer’s night,” says Holly Markham, President of European Home.
Fire is a universally experienced phenomenon and there is little wonder why it captivates us so. One could also view design on a universal scale. According to Markham, “Good design affects our lives in subtle and often unseen ways. When you sit in a perfectly designed chair or drink coffee from your favorite handmade mug, there is a quiet sense of contentment that fills your body; similarly, an outdoor fireplace, designed with elegance, can create a sense of connection and togetherness.”
The Popularity of Outdoor Living Spaces Continues To Surge
The U.S. Census Bureau has tracked the recent growth of outdoor room building in the United States. It notes that the addition of outdoor living space to new home construction projects has skyrocketed from the years 2010-2017. Patios, for example, saw a 112% increase over that period. Decks and porches 40% and 28% respectively.
So what’s Trending in Modern Outdoor Fireplace Design Right Now?
1. Fire that hangs from the sky. For example, the suspended Ergofocus by Focus Fires combines the humble backyard fire pit with the high art of the sculpture garden at MoMA. This fireplace even rotates so you can enjoy every square foot of your outdoor living space.
2. A linear fireplace with a twist (or a corner rather). The J Series: Corner outdoor fireplace can dramatically draw attention to the architecture of your outdoor living space with its unique wrap-around corner design.
3. The architectural fire pit. At actress Courteney Cox’s Malibu home, custom seating becomes an extension of the patio and surrounds a teak and steel gas fire pit.
4. Industrial textures. This wall-mounted outdoor fireplace features a rusted, corten steel finish which is the perfect textural accompaniment to an industrial or minimalist outdoor living space.
5. Color + Illumination. The JM2 outdoor fireplace offers the ability to illuminate the interior of your fireplace with multi-colored LED lights so you can create a tantalizing outdoor ambiance with or without the flames.
The five outdoor fireplace trends above represent innovation dedicated to a simple pleasure. That of being outside, with friends, around a fire. Companies like European Home realize they’re not just manufacturing a container for flames, they’re helping to create the designs that connect us.
