Sorry, fire pits, this is the stylish outdoor heating solution from B&Q I'm using to keep warm in the garden on chilly nights this summer
If it works for my tiny garden, it'll work in yours
I love sitting out in the garden as soon as it's warm enough to perch outside in a fleece, coffee in hand. But when the sun goes on a summer evening, my north-facing garden is the last place I want to be, or at least that was the case until I added the beautiful La Hacienda Trentham Clay Chiminea for £140 at B&Q to my garden.
If you've never heard of a chiminea, they're essentially a small free-standing chimney you can use to heat a patio or even cook food over, depending on the style you have. I grew up with a chiminea in the garden of my family home, so I've always been a fan of this outdoor heating idea. However, over the last 10 years, chimineas appeared to fall out of fashion, with many favouring a Love Island-style fire pit instead.
The main difference between a chiminea and a fire pit is that a chiminea controls the direction of any smoke upwards and out of the chimney, something you can't do with a fire pit. This was a big bonus for me, as I really didn't want to be that annoying neighbour. I also preferred that there be only a small opening in the front of the chiminea that you could light it from, so all flames are contained inside the clay structure.
Now, the other bonus is the aesthetic appeal. The best firepits and even the best patio heaters aren't the most aesthetically pleasing items during the day when they're not in action. A chiminea, on the other hand, can be a beautiful statement piece to complete your outdoor living room ideas, and I think this is what's behind their current resurgence.
The beautiful green turquoise Clay Chiminea I chose for my garden from B&Q had already drawn many compliments from the Ideal Home team before I'd even set it up to test in my garden.
My particular chiminea arrived in two pieces with a stand, so it is up and ready to go in seconds. It is relatively tall at 82.2cm and wide at 38cm, so like most other chiminea styles, it is best styled in a corner or to the side of a seating area, as a traditional fireplace would be. I positioned mine halfway down my garden to help zone the small seating area, positioning it safely away from any plants.
Mine is just the perfect size for my garden, but if your space is on the snugger size, I'd recommend going for the slimmer Molela Clay Chiminea for £75 at B&Q, which is 35cm wide. I've only had the opportunity to light my chiminea a couple of times, thanks to the rain, but I've been impressed by the heat that radiates out of it.
I'm planning to use it all summer long with kiln-dried firewood, available for £10 on Amazon, to help minimise any smoke it produces. But, I would advise investing in a chiminea cover like this £20 one from B&Q, as I learned during the recent downpour, it can easily turn into an accidental bucket.
There are so many different styles of chimineas out there to suit every style of garden. Here are just a few of the others that have caught my eye.
Have I convinced you that chimineas are this years stylish alternative to the fire pit?
