Outdoor Fire Elements

 When Rhonda and José Castro began the three-year makeover of their San Clemente home, Rhonda had a pretty good idea of what she wanted: fresh and modern, but also warm. That’s the approach she takes to the investment properties she and José redesign and sell.

“When we came to this house, I just knew I wanted to do a very bright, crisp, modern, but homey, style,” Rhonda said of her house. It would be modern, yes, but not museum-cold. “I still knew I wanted to have a warmth to it, for it to be cozy.”

Three fire features, inside and outside, help create that ambiance. Before renovation, the first floor was divided up with walls, and the spectacular view out of the back of the house was overlooked. The couple opened up the space and added lots of windows. Now the focal point in the comfortable, modern living room is the fireplace. The limestone facing is complemented by a custom concrete slab intersecting it to create an attractive off-centeredness.

 On the second floor, another fireplace divides the master bedroom and bathroom with a partial wall. It’s wonderful for staying warm while starting the day on cool mornings, Rhonda said. Rather than flat, plain stone, they picked a material with embedded glass for this fireplace. “It gives it a sparkle, but keeps it kind of spa.”

Rhonda said they’ve added warmth to the modern, neutral palette of the house with other touches too. She loves chandeliers for adding glamour, and she’s picked some beauties, like the traditional one in the entryway that’s contemporized with silver spherical framework. She also likes distressed wood floors, not too shiny, more worn-in.

But the fire elements aren’t limited to the indoors. José designed the backyard and patio, including an L-shaped fire pit made from white concrete and filled with round, gray stones. It’s another focal point, not just aesthetically, but also for its physical warmth.

“Every time we have people over, they end up gravitating outside to enjoy the view,” Rhonda said. “It’s always a little cool, so it gives that warmth.”

CREATING HEAT WITH CONCRETE

The Castros’ outdoor fire pit, as well as several other concrete features in the house, are the work of Andrew Noble and Brock Greenberg.

The two cousins started their company, Concrete Wave, in 2005. They grew up like brothers, often working under the tutelage of Greenberg’s dad, a plumber who took the two along on his work, had them pitch in on his constant home projects, built skate ramps for them and was the adult face of their nascent business when the two were still in their teens. 

Many of Greenberg and Noble’s first jobs were polishing concrete floors, but when concrete started becoming more popular, orders for sinks and countertops started growing. Now, in the past year or so, orders for outdoor fire pits have increased from a handful overall to one or two a month, Greenberg said.

Though the possibilities for concrete finishes are almost endless – it can be made to look like marble or natural stone – their aesthetic is clean and polished, Greenberg said.

“People think of concrete when they think of outdoor stuff. It’s versatile,” Noble said, walking through Concrete Wave’s Santa Ana workshop, where they make molds and pour concrete. “People started to see what you can do with concrete. ... You’re not stuck to just straight lines and boring shapes.”

Concrete Wave makes square and rectangle fire pits in standard sizes and custom measurements, depending on the needs of the homeowner. They also make large bowl-shaped fire pits, as well as fire tables, concrete fire features with recessed edges to accomodate seating. An attractive teak wood frame lies over the top of the fire pit portion to create an outdoor dining table when the fire is not in use.

Concrete Wave also offers a wide range of tones for their work, from industrial gray to a rose-tinted shade or bright white to a sandy hue that might be suited to a desert home. They install in Southern California houses and ship their creations as far as the East Coast.

Noble thinks the rising popularity of outdoor fire features is related to entertaining and cooking outside. It helps that Southern California has mild winters. “People are cooking more. It goes hand in hand. People are doing outdoor kitchens. Then it’s like, ‘I have a kitchen out here. Why not have a place to sit? And why not make it like a fire table?’ ”

With outdoor design, homeowners are perhaps willing to take a little more risk, Noble said. “You can be a little more creative ... People aren’t as scared to try a different, unique color or design outside as they are inside.”

DESIGNING FIRES FOR GARDENS

Landscape designer Molly Wood said fire elements are a big part of the gardens she creates for her clients, who are focused on entertaining outdoors.

“All of my gardens are going to have a look that I call California gardens,” Wood said. “A lot have to do with outdoor living, and that is the chief component of fire elements.”

Fireplaces indoors are a mainstay, but gathered around a fireplace, your back is often to the beautiful views outside. What’s more, space is often a limiting factor when trying to seat a large group.

But take that fire element outside, and you open up possibilities with more space. It’s better suited to a large group or a party, where friends and family can enjoy the candlelight-like glow.

Wood had a blank slate when she was tasked with designing an entertainment- oriented back patio and yard for a bachelor in Newport Beach. But she already had an impressive element to work with: a dramatic view from the backyard over Newport Harbor and a perfect vantage point for sunsets.

To take advantage of the scene, she created a fire feature that combines fire and water. A long, rectangular pool stretches across the space, and in it, a smaller, square pool creates an eye-pleasing geometry. Edging the pools and intersecting with the outer rectangle is another rectangle, this one the fire element. Fire-proof ceramic balls of different sizes rest in a bed of sand.

“With fire and water, you know that all your needs will be met,” Wood said. “I really think that water noises and a fire feature connect in a visceral way.”

Along with two hot tubs and two TVs, the fire and water elements add up to a swanky place to entertain. Though Wood designed the space with a masculine color scheme and overall feel, she included ingredients to soften the look. The angular geometry of the pools and fire feature is balanced with plantings, such as the greenery that’s a little unruly growing between pavers around the pool. And the sleek and clean surface of the porcelain pavers is complemented by wood decking in raised areas.

Wood said the fire features she incorporates into her designs are square or rectangular, perhaps with a wide lip to use as a seat or a place to rest a drink. She loves to use the ceramic spheres, as in the Newport Beach bachelor’s pad. With them, the fire feature looks attractive even without the flame. Both the spheres and the lava rock used in some fire features conduct heat, lending additional warmth.

Outdoor fire elements don’t have to be limited to fire pits, however. For another house, Wood brought the traditional indoor fireplace outside. With a white- walled structure, light-colored wood outdoor furniture with big white cushions, and glass lanterns accenting the fireplace, it’s a much more feminine space than the one she created for the Newport Beach homeowner. This one she designed for a single woman. 

As such a beautiful, enticing spot, “It’s a great invitation from the inside looking out,” Wood said. “It pulls you out into the space.”