16 Fire Pit Ideas to Cozy Up Your Backyard
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It’s a proven (ok, maybe not *proven*) fact that cool, crisp fall evenings are best when enjoying a s’mores in front of a warm fire. But, you don’t have to wait until your next camping trip to enjoy the experience. Make every night a campfire night with a backyard fire pit. Whether you want to test the waters and go the simplest route with a moveable fire pit placed on an existing patio (you can even go with a smokeless option like a Solo Stove), or are ready to lay a flagstone patio and build a permanent stacked stone fire pit, you’ll find inspiration for all in our list below.
As you’re planning your backyard fire pit, take into consideration both the size of your available area and how big of a group you want to accommodate. Are you aiming for a rustic bonfire look and feel or a more modern and refined limestone design? Will this be a DIY fire pit project or do you plan to hire a hardscape expert? Lastly, do you love the smell of a wood fire or do you prefer the ease of gas? Your answers to all of these questions will help you decide on what material, shape, size, and even placement is best for your fire pit. Below, you’ll find stylish fire pit examples full of ideas to get you started.
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Lay Pea Gravel
At one end of their newly renovated barn, homeowners Petra and Andrej Ivanov created a patio area out of pea gravel to house their casual fire pit seating area that includes a cast-iron bowl fire pit and folding sling chairs. “We’re out here as many evenings as the weather allows,” says Andrej.
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Carve Out a Camp Site
For the Barnes family, no evening is complete with s’mores and banjo music around their campfire-style fire pit. To make, they dug into the hill to make a large level gravel area using stacked landscaping tinders to create the retaining wall. Inside, tree stumps serve as side tables or extra seats around the rustic stacked stone fire ring.
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Build a Bonfire Pit
If you have large gatherings, make the fire pit large enough to accommodate everyone. Here, at their Tennessee farm, the homeowners stacked variously sized and shaped fieldstones to create the large bonfire pit. Straw bales topped with blankets provide casual bench seating.
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Square It Off
At designer Thom Filicia’s lake house, a squared off gravel area provides the setting for a large stacked stone fire pit. Each punchy red Adirondack chair is paired with a tree trunk side table and cozy blankets are always on hand.
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Frame It With Architecture
Positioned in front a large window, a flagstone patio with grass joints makes the perfect spot for the Murphy family’s fire pit. Flanking rows of evergreen plantings help frame the area.
Get the Look:
Fire Pit: Ohio Flame “Patriot” Fire Pit from Amazon
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Go Rustic
It feels like a family camping trip at this fire pit area behind the Marshes’ Wisconsin lake cabin. The fire pit is encircled with a collection of varying-size boulders. Don’t forget the s’mores bar!
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Combine Types of Stones
At a North Carolina mountain retreat, architects Pursley Dixon built a fire pit of local fieldstone atop a base of organically shaped slabs of flagstone.
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Think Outside the Circle
Who says your fire pit area has to be round? On the sandstone patio outside the primary bedroom of this home designed by Brooke Wagner, two pairs of cushioned armchairs flank a rectangular light-colored stone fire pit for an outdoor living room feel.
Situate It In the Garden
Give your backyard garden a center gathering spot with a pea gravel patio. For a casual farmhouse feel, place a galvanized fire ring in the middle and gather metal vintage lawn chairs for cheery, colorful seating.
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Top It With Flagstone
Give your fire pit a wide flat top to use as landing spot for drinks and snacks by topping rough stacked stones with a ring of flat flagstone.
Get the Look:
Fire Pit: Stone Burning Fire Pit from Wayfair
Add Mood-Setting Lighting
Keep the party going long into the evening by illuminating your fire pit area with string lights. To do, place 8' to 10' foot tall 2x4 style posts at each corner, install large screw hooks in each, then run the string light strands post to post securing with large screw hooks. (Be sure to use an all-weather outdoor extension cord.)
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Focus on the View
If you’re lucky enough to have a home with a stellar view, go with a U-shaped arrangement of chairs around the fire pit. For a more rustic “always been there” fire pit, build the base by permanently laying a circle of fieldstones, then place a metal fire bowl in the middle. Keep a supply of wool blankets on hand for chilly nights.
Make It Trough Style
At her family’s ranch, Five Mary’s Ranch, Mary Heffernen and her husband Brian repurposed an old steel water trough into a gas fire pit. Placed in front of the outdoor kitchen and surrounded by benches, it’s the perfect place to end the evening taking in the Montana night sky.
Place It Waterside
Can you think of anything more dreamy than sitting by the fire listening to the gentle sounds of waves? By building a stone patio and stacked stone fire pit close to your shoreline, you’ll be able to enjoy the lake even during the cooler months.
Greet Guests With a Bonfire
There’s rarely a weekend evening at Doug and Nora’s O’Leary's Wisconsin cabin that doesn't involve a fire in the front firepit. “A lot of times, when people are driving up for the weekend, we’ll have the bonfire going outside already,” says Doug. A mix of dark green Adirondack chairs and folding canvas camp stools—plus plenty of plaid blankets—ensures there’s a comfy seat for all.
Get the Look:
Firepit: For similar, Sunnydaze “Forest Wilderness” Fire Pit Ring from Amazon
Adirondack Chairs: The Country Living “Cottage” Adirondack Chair by Polywood
TOUR THE CABIN
Go Texas Big
When your house can sleep up to 27, you need a fire pit large enough to accommodate a crowd. For the Robertson family, this large rustic stone fire pit fits the bill. “Once the sun goes down and it’s dark, that’s where you will find people 80 percent of the time,” says Courtney Robertson. Wood Adirondack chairs are the perfect perches to assemble event-themed s’mores. “We’ve done fishing nights with roasting sticks that look like poles, and at Easter we use Peeps instead of marshmallows.”
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