Create Fire-Pit Magic in Your Own Backyard
Fire pits are the number one trend in outdoor living design—and with good reason. Here are four of the hottest styles.
The sound of a crackling fire, the scent of smoke in the crisp evening air, the taste of hot dogs and s’mores—these are the wonderful memories associated with gathering ‘round a campfire. For most people who love the Rocky Mountain West and the great outdoors, nothing is more enjoyable than bringing the ambiance of a campfire into your own backyard. In fact, annual national surveys by the American Society of Landscape Architects confirm that fire pits are the number one trend in outdoor living design—and with good reason.
The luxury of an outdoor fire pit not only maximizes time spent and comfort felt during chilly Colorado evenings, but it also creates an almost magical setting, whether you’re enjoying an impromptu evening on the patio or entertaining guests for post-dinner-party drinks. As this trend continues to grow hotter with each passing season, design ideas for fire pits have evolved and taken many different forms. Whether a gas-burning, wood-burning, or hybrid version, fire-pit designs continue to become more unique and individualized in nature. Here are four of today’s hottest styles, sure to create fire-pit magic in your own backyard.
An in-ground fire pit creates that rustic, primal effect of flames erupting from the ground. When it comes to fire safety, there is the added benefit of lower flames, which are more contained. However, there’s a safety drawback as well, as there are no protective walls around the fire. In the Colorado wind, fire pits are exposed, so the lower you install the feature, the more heat you’ll be able to retain.
Gas fire tables offer a contemporary look for homeowners who prefer the ease of gas—always ready to light, with no wood or ash to worry about. An added benefit of this design is that it has a larger surface area and can actually be used as a table, creating more function and outdoor-living-room aesthetic than a traditional fire pit. Fire tables can also be built at varying heights, including bar height.
Take your fire pit to the next level—literally—by creating a multi-level fire-pit patio. This design separates the fire-pit area into a distinct outdoor “room,” making it even more of a destination spot and adding worlds of dimension to your outdoor living space.
When it comes to outdoor living, where does everyone want to sit and gather? By the fire, of course! Built-in seating holds a spot in the top 10 trends in outdoor living design, so it’s only natural that seat walls would become a popular fire-pit feature. Built-in seating not only accommodates a crowd—it also integrates the fire-pit design with the rest of the space. Using the same product to build the fire pit, seat walls, retaining walls, and steps creates a cohesive look and blends various elements of the design together.
Bryan Pretzer is Sales Manager for Belgard, a national hardscape manufacturing company. View their profile or contact Bryan at bryan.pretzer@oldcastle.com.
Content for this article provided by Belgard.
