A fire pit is a great way to put some of your outdoor space to use. It’s a cosy place to share a drink, tell a scary story, make s’mores, and grow friendship on warm summer nights and cool autumnal evenings. You can make family memories around your fire pit, unwind after a long week, and host the best parties of anyone in your social group.
Building a fire pit doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate. A fire pit can be as simple as a ring of rocks in the backyard. But if you want to make your fire pit as inviting as any other part of your living space, you should put in the effort to make it look nice. Whether you’re using a portable fire pit or building one of your own, use these tips to make your outdoor fire pit area look as comfortable and cosy as any other part of your home.
Lay Some Flagstones
Whether your fire pit is a permanent structure or a portable one, a stone patio provides the perfect surroundings. With a flagstone patio surrounding your fire pit, you won’t have to worry about sparks and embers flying out and setting the grass on fire. You won’t have to worry about setting a root fire by lighting your fire directly on the ground, since there will be sand and flagstones under the fire pit to act as a fire block. You’ll also have a firm, smooth surface for chairs and benches. You can lay a flagstone patio under your fire pit yourself. For a more rustic look, you could opt for a gravel patio instead.
Get Creative with Seating
There’s no end to the fun you can have with seating around your fire pit. Go for upholstered outdoor chairs and benches with fun fabrics and colourful throw pillows. Mix and match different coloured chairs and even chairs in different styles. Pull up an air mattress made up with soft blankets and pillows for summertime sleepovers. Create a more relaxed, laid-back look with butterfly chairs, or a more rustic, campground look with log benches. Keep blankets handy for cool-weather hangouts in an outdoor storage ottoman.
Make Some Privacy
If there’s one thing you definitely need when you’re sitting around the fire with friends, it’s some privacy. You can put up a fence when you build your outdoor fire pit area, and decorate it however you want. You can hang potted flowers from the fence, or even train vines to climb it. A fence will keep the neighbours from peering at you, and it will also block gusts of wind from stirring up embers and sparks from the fire.
Tall hedges can also add privacy around the fire pit without the need to erect a fence. Simply plant some hedges around your fire pit area to gain all the benefits of a fence from a natural barrier. The foliage will protect your fire pit from gusts of wind, and block the view from prying eyes. Hedges are great for marking out a curved boundary and you can prune them into interesting shapes or decorate them with ornaments.
Erect a Gazebo or Pergola
Erecting an open-air shelter above or near your fire pit can make it feel more permanent and cozy. Parties will gravitate to the outdoor shelter, and with a roof over your fire pit, you’ll be able to celebrate even when it’s rainy. Pergolas and gazebos also provide a handy structure for vining plants or for hanging string lights.
Add Some Lighting
Sure, your fire pit will produce some amount of light, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spruce the fire pit area up with some well-chosen additional light sources. Hang some string lights from your privacy hedges or fence or from nearby trees and shrubs. String lights can make any spot look more magical, romantic, and rustic, no matter where you are.
String lights aren’t the only option for decorating around your outdoor fire pit and making sure everyone has enough light to see by. You can also use camping lanterns, tiki torches, tree spotlights, or solar lights around the fire pit.
An outdoor fire pit can be a great place for relaxing and socializing on nice evenings. With a little creativity, you can make your outdoor fire pit look every bit as inviting as your living room inside the house, so that friends and family members alike will look forward to spending time there.
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