Oklahoma Outdoor Fireplace Ideas | Design Options for Tulsa Metro Homes
Oklahoma’s outdoor living season — September through May with occasional mild summer evenings — makes an outdoor fireplace one of the most used features in any Tulsa or Broken Arrow backyard. Here are the design approaches that work best for Oklahoma properties. Call 918-779-1317 to plan your Oklahoma outdoor fireplace.
Oklahoma Outdoor Fireplace Design Options
Traditional Oklahoma Limestone Fireplace: A classic rectangular fireplace built with locally quarried Oklahoma limestone. Warm buff and brown stone tones, a generous firebox opening, simple corbeled mantel shelf, and a clean chimney that rises to appropriate height. This design has worked in Oklahoma for a century and will work for another century. Highly recommended for traditional, craftsman, and ranch-style Tulsa homes.
Fieldstone Fireplace: Irregular rounded stones — river rock or quarried fieldstone — set in a mortar pattern that showcases each stone’s unique shape. Creates a more organic, naturalistic appearance than cut limestone. Best for rustic, farmhouse, and landscape-integrated outdoor rooms. Every fieldstone fireplace is one-of-a-kind.
Brick Outdoor Fireplace: Traditional full-face brick with or without stone accent. Classic appearance that connects with most Tulsa homes’ brick exterior. Tumbled or antique brick creates an aged character; standard brick creates a clean contemporary look. Highly durable and easy to match to an existing brick home exterior.
Stucco Exterior with Tile Inset: A contemporary design — smooth stucco exterior with decorative tile inset above the firebox. More modern appearance than stone or brick, easier to coordinate with contemporary home styles. Color flexibility is excellent with stucco.
Two-Sided Outdoor Fireplace: A see-through fireplace that serves two outdoor spaces simultaneously. One fire, two views — a dining side and a lounge side, or an indoor room view and an outdoor view. Requires more complex chimney design but creates a remarkable architectural feature.
Oklahoma-Specific Fireplace Design Considerations
Wind: Oklahoma’s persistent winds can create draw problems in outdoor fireplaces. A larger flue relative to firebox opening ratio, and a chimney that reaches appropriate height above nearby structures, helps maintain good draft in windy conditions.
HOA: Many Tulsa metro HOAs restrict wood-burning. If you’re in an HOA, verify the rules before committing to a wood-burning design. Natural gas outdoor fireplaces are approved in virtually all Tulsa metro HOAs that restrict wood-burning.
Orientation: Position the firebox opening perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction where possible — Oklahoma’s prevailing winds from the south/southwest can push smoke into the seating area if the firebox faces into the wind.
Call 918-779-1317 to plan your Oklahoma outdoor fireplace with VistaScapes today.
