It’s that time of the year again when you want to put in a little more life into your home. If you’re thinking of doing an outdoor renovation, adding a backyard deck with a fire pit can be a great choice.
Not only can you have a cozy place to spend your day, but it can also be a great place to invite friends for a night-time cookout. In case you need some suggestions for the right fire pits at home, here are some suggestions to try.
Concrete-built fire pit
Concrete is always a solid (pun intended) go-to design choice in more ways than one. It’s cheaper than other building options like wood while being pretty strong and sturdy. It’s especially great for fire pits for two reasons: (1) it lessens the risk of fire hazards; and (2) it is easy to clean.
For the fire pit itself, you can have a concrete dish supported by curved legs. The pit will be rust-inspired, looking well-used but sturdy. For the concrete floor colour scheme, you might want a neutral palette with a simple design. Charcoal black seats that can be fitted with plush backrests will be a nice closing touch for your backyard deck.
Tropical-inspired fire pit
Invoking a tropical touch for your fire pits can be an inspired choice. You can bring out all of the relaxing vibes of your favourite tropical beach getaway every time you have a cookout.
Set up a pebble or shaped stone section all around your fire pit bowl. A rectangular or circular seating area can be put down all around the stone section so that guests can lay down their feet on the stones. The seating area can be built with bamboo or painted to give that tropical wood appearance.
You can then decorate the backdrop with mini palm tree variants to complete the tropical design.
Water feature with fire pit
Fire and water can make for some stunning views especially when combined. That’s where the water feature and the fire pit come in.
There’s several ways to go about the idea. You can create a full multi-tiered waterfall fountain with the pit or pits built on the side. In this idea the fountain-pit will serve as more of a centerpiece to your outdoor deck area rather than just a rest area.
Another idea is to make the fire pits part of the water feature. Usually it’s the very top or centre of your typical fountain arrangement, except the centre piece would be a fire pit. This won’t require as big of a space as the previous idea which can be advantageous for you.
This design is not only perfect for decks. If you have a patio that is detached from your house, this one makes an ideal design.
Fire pit by the outdoor hot tub
Speaking of fire and water, there’s definitely more to this scheme. If you want to create the ultimate outdoor deck hangout, you might like to pair off your pit with a hot tub.
Build a tiled deck with warm brick-inspired colours. You can position your tub close to the fire pit (but not too close) or far enough to enjoy the yard view however you want. After an hour or two of chatting in the tub, you and your friends can enjoy some smores by the fire.
Other optional additions to this setup could include an awning to prevent cold rain from coming in suddenly.
Multi-tiered fire pit
Tiered fire pits are just pits that are built with several levels to give you more options. There are pits with two and three levels that can be used to expand or minimize the flame at will.
The pit will ideally be built on the edge of the deck. If you’re going for a theme, rustic is a good idea as this can easily blend with a country style aesthetic. So go with stone tiles or granite that’s been shaped to look like stones with rough edges.
If you want your deck to match this aesthetic, you should ensure it has that brown cabin look down pat.
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Sauna-inspired fire pit
When we say “sauna-inspired” we’re actually referring to the interior trappings. A sauna is usually built with a rectangular seating area. In this case, the wooden seating area will of course be outdoors on the deck and the fire pit will sit in the center.
The pit is filled with natural rock enclosed by a glass case with an opening on top. The wooden seating area will be painted in red cedar to provide that sauna-styled look. The idea is that it will share the same colour tones as the deck to allow it to blend visually with the rest of the deck.
Sunken fire pit with built-in seating
In this example the fire pit is now built into the deck, and so is the seating. Built-in steps gradually lead to the sunken seating section which is big enough to seat several people on all four sides around the pit. The pit needs to be filled with natural stone or a similar colour to make it stand out.
When you’re enjoying the pit, the sunken area generates the feel of being multi-level even if it technically only spans one or two levels of steps. The colour of the seating area is made to reflect the deck as well as to push the visual feeling of being bigger than it is.
Council rules and standards on fireplaces and fire pits
The building codes vary depending on where you’re building the structure and whether you’re opting for an indoor fireplace or an outdoor fireplace. But basically, the council’s concerns revolve around the following:
- If the smoke from your outdoor fireplace or fire pit can disturb and harm your neighbours
- The distance between your fireplace or fire pit and the nearest vegetation, residential, or commercial structure
- The fuel needed to light up your fireplace or fire pit
It is important to hire a building designer who knows and abides by the local building codes. That is the best and fastest way to get council approval.
To avoid any future accidents, you can fireproof your outdoor space. Cleaning up your garden or planting fire-resistant plants or trees can go a long way to prevent fires at home.
For more information about the regulations, you can check the links we’ve compiled below for each state:
Other fire pit designs to try
Design your backyard deck with Dreamspace
No matter the size, most of the fire pits we’ve explored can make a great addition to your backyard deck. If you already have a pre-existing backyard deck, then you may want to consult a building designer first before building a fire pit on it or beside it. Assess what you want to do and the possible factors at play like the direction of smoke dispersion, etc.
You can be matched with the best designer and consultants specific to your home renovation project brief using Dreamspace. Yes, we have a built-in tender service that helps you select the right designer-slash-builder for your project—considering your budget and preferences.
Not only that, you can enjoy a few more perks when using Dreamspace, such as:
- Free detailed quotes for design and build cost estimations
- Free project consultations by phone and video chat
- Access to thousands of design inspirations/ideas from our Inspiration Gallery
- Access to all design trends, guides, and articles from our Trends page
- Access to reliable suppliers of materials, furniture pieces, and design elements for your renovation project in our Inspiration Gallery
Is this article helpful? Feel free to reread our suggestions to lead you to other fire pit ideas. Don’t forget to read our other articles for suggestions on other home design trends!
