Fireplaces are popular features of outdoor living spaces in the DMV because they offer an array benefits for being a single accessory. They're aesthetically exciting, they provide physical warmth and boast multi-season appeal, and contribute to the ambiance of design-built decks in Virginia and the best outdoor kitchens in Maryland. With the efforts of companies like EcoSmart Fire, who develpos portable alternatives to the familiar stone and brick behemouth fireboxes, they're becoming more affordable and cleaner to own as well. But does that mean an EcoSmart Fireplace is right for your home?

Screened-in porches have come a long way from the rickety, drab structures where grandmothers used to read romance novels in rocking chairs.

Thanks to advancements in technology and design, some of the screened-in porches of today are surprisingly cool, with cutting-edge sound systems, sleek fire pits, and state-of-the-art grilling facilities.