Whether you’re in the initial phases of building your fire pit or you’ve already added one to improve your backyard, you’re here because you are looking for creative ideas to spruce it up. Using your fire pit to bring some interest to your yard can mean paying attention to some little details or require a whole overhaul of your yard’s new design concept. Which course of action you take will depend on your budget and what you feel your fire pit is currently lacking. Here are some ideas to get your imagination rolling.
Rethink Your Fire Pit Seating
If your fire pit is leaving you a little uninspired, then it could be due to the fact that you are using plain chairs, benches, or other seating. We’ve seen ideas for fire pit seating that use actual logs for a rustic look, glow in the dark paint for a modern touch, and much more. Some people will even use concrete to build seating that connects seamlessly to the pit with benches that appear to grow out of the pit’s edges.
This doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking, either, as you can rejuvenate the look of your fire pit area simply by rearranging your seating. Push benches together in new ways or move the seating in new, unsymmetrical ways. Even repainting, reupholstering, or mixing and matching pillows can bring a fresh look to your chairs and benches.
Use Some Wonder
You can think of your outdoor fire pit area as its own room, with its very own ecosystem or design scheme. Make a certain color a recurring theme in your design. Go full tilt and dedicate your fire pit area to your favorite sports team or movie. For example, a Star Wars Death Star fire pit fit sticks out in my mind.
Add some backyard games and make it a fun gaming area. You can design your own traditional horseshoes and cornhole sets and we’ve even seen DIY scrabble, checkers, and other big yard versions of popular board games online. Centering these games around a fire pit also allows the fire to act as a light source at night.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to make fire pits appealing to kids, but you can apply some of our ideas for child friendly backyards when brainstorming. Make the theme of your fire pit upcycling and add some wine bottle lighting or make seating out of old doors, perhaps even with a new paint or lacquer job. Putting your fire pit in the middle of rocks or sand can inspire beach décor or simply make it more fun to sit in.
Make It Multifunctional
Creativity isn’t just for design schemes; it can also refer to clever ideas that make your guests go, “Aha!” Many fire pits come with accessories for using your fire pit as a functional table, so take advantage of that. Have dinner while the sun is setting and then take the table top off and have dessert by the fire. If it’s by a pool, have your fire pit double as a place to warm yourself and dry off after a swim.
Repeat design themes in your yard, too, to give it unity. If you’re adding bricks or other outdoor flooring, you can section off different areas. Have an area for eating with a rounded wall be reflected in a similarly designed section that houses your fire pit. Match your grill and your fire pit and think of clever seating storage to give it all a modern appeal.
Don’t Forget the Accessories
You can completely revitalize the look of your fire pit by adding fire glass or other fire pit media like rocks or geometric shapes from reputable vendors like Starfire Direct. The creativity is inherent to these products, as you can create your own designs and combinations of colored beads and glass, or put gas logs on top of a bed of fire rocks. Fire glass is relatively inexpensive, as well, which means you can keep a lot on hand and change it with the seasons or when the mood strikes.
Please take the proper measures to ensure that anything you add to your fire pit is appropriate and safe. For instance, only treated products should be used in fire pits, some burner media is specifically designed for use exclusively with gas, and other concerns. That being said, have fun with it! Filling and arranging accessories in your fire pit might be as close to playing in the dirt as we can get as adults.
Another great way to add creativity with your accessories is to play up the contrast of water and fire. Many homeowners will set their fire pit by their pool, creating a beautiful scene when the water reflects the flames. Even without a pool, adding a trickling waterfall, pond, or even a bird bath near your fire pit adds a lot of visual interest. Pre-designed fire pits with built in water features are also available if you’d like an all-in-one solution.
