Anne Hathaway's outdoor living room is a 'space for all seasons' thanks to this glowing focal feature

There's nothing better than gathering around a glowing fire outdoors in the evenings; a fire feature makes a fantastic focal point for any outdoor living space. 

The cozy backyard equivalent of a campfire, outdoor fireplaces are increasingly popular for those who wish to prolong their alfresco evenings. Many garden designers are being asked to include them in outdoor living rooms and hang-out zones for families with young children and teenagers. Actress Anne Hathaway and her husband, jewelry designer Adam Shulman, certainly share this sentiment. 

Designed by Pamela Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri, this 1906 country house is the perfect place to extend the evening and take in the fresh California air and surrounding landscape of this exceptional patio. 

To make the most of this ‘extra room’, we must think creatively about how we want to use this space. An outdoor space, even a small outdoor living room, should offer all the comforts and style of an indoor room, and a fireplace is the perfect option to create that much-coveted indoor-outdoor coziness – a space for all seasons.

Not only do they help in creating a comforting space in your backyard or patio, but they also give off light to illuminate your evening. Fire features, similar to one featured on Anne Hathaway's patio, can make a garden look contemporary as well as give you a warm place to congregate. Fireplaces encourage us to use gardens as sociable outdoor rooms. Making the fireplace a visual focal point underlines the fluid connection between the indoors and out. 

'Our clients are re-evaluating their open-air domains, opting for expanded footprints and year-round bandwidth for entertaining,' says interior designer Marshall Erb, founder of Marshall Erb Design. 'They are now requesting perennial outdoor architecture and design so they can take things outside whenever the mood strikes.'

Investing in a fireplace that complements the surrounding architecture means you don’t have to shut the door on your outside space once the flowers stop blooming and cold weather sets in. 

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If a bespoke or built-in fireplace is not an option for your backyard, then you can introduce a fire pit into your existing space. There are a lot of options for adding heat, from contemporary fire tables fuelled by bioethanol and LPG, to more traditional wood-burning fire pit ideas and bowls.