There’s something magical about bringing the best part of camping to your own backyard. We’ve been fire pits for years now, including a flagstone circle in our back yard in Idaho, a weekend house we built for a family in our area, and now a fired brick from our pool here in North Carolina. The first night we broke that, we carried the tray out, put our feet up, and made s’mores until late at night and we did. The kind of regular evening you find yourself lost before it’s over.
Background Sources
I get asked about our method and size of fire pit all the time, so today I’m going to break down exactly what makes ours work. And, most importantly, how to get the same feeling whether you have a small patio or backyard to play with.
(And if you want to grab a PDF to use for reference, you can find it here!)
The formula that makes ours work
We worked on the design of our current fire pit with a contractor and landscape designer, but the ideas behind it are ones anyone can borrow:
Soak it in, or at least explain it. Ours is to be taken down, and that one move is what turns the ring of fire into a the room. The step doubles as extra seating when the kids pile in, and accommodates a crowd. You don’t need to dig to get the effect – even a stone border or a wall of low chairs tells your eye that “this is a gathering place.”
Repeat something you already have. This is the trick to a fireplace that looks like it’s built in instead of bolted on. We put the surround in the same red brick as our house and end walls, in a herringbone pattern – a quiet nod to the herringbone wood floor in our entry. Dragging one item from your home to the yard is what makes everything feel purposeful.
Put it in a different stone. We topped the curb and stairs in the same bluestone coping that surrounds our pool and brick walls. The warm red brick against the cool bluestone is, frankly, a chef’s kiss – and it ties the fire pit in with everything else there.
It rings with chairs that invite you to sit. Black Adirondacks in a circle. That receding angle is basically designed for sitting, and the circle keeps everyone in the conversation and warm.
Plan the weather. Because it’s downhill and it rains a lot here, our team installed drainage so the water never pools. No matter what you build, think about drainage, a safe fireproof margin around the fire, and evacuating the house before you fall in love with the area.
Our direct plan (steal our numbers)
I’ve drawn our entire build, and shared the actual numbers in case you want to build something similar. Working from the fire to the outside:
- Fire bowl: 4′ across the center
- Facing rim: 14″ bluestone wrap bowl. That brings the entire fire pit unit to 6′4″ across, and stands 16″ tall – just the right height to sit on.
- Lower terrace: 6′ of red herringbone brick, from exit to first step
- Step up: 8″ riser to 14″ bluestone seat-height ledge, then a second 8″ riser
- Border rim: last 14″ of bluestone
- Overall: 23′ across, edge to edge
We ran a 1″ natural gas line from the fireplace to those big flames with a switch probe, and filled the container with about 20 bags of these lava rocks (medium). Not ready to sew? A wood-burning pit gives you crack and coal, and a propane tank (hidden tank and all) gets you a quick flame instead.
We’ve also drawn everything up – all measurements, section views, exact materials – as a free printable that you can give directly to the contractor. Hold it here.
Get the look in a small space
Our first fire pit in Idaho
You do it not they need a stone project to pull this off. Our first fire pit was a modest 4-foot ring set in a flagstone circle, and you never once felt like you were missing a thing. A few ways to reduce it:
- Start with a tabletop or compact fire bowl. A Solo Stove or a small propane tank gives you a flame without a footprint – place it on a small paver or piece of pea gravel, and you have your place. (When we went through that neighbor’s yard over the weekend, we ran a propane line, filled the hole with black pumice rock, and it looked like a very small practice.)
- Keep the circle tight. Two Adirondacks and a small side table are all you need for most nights. Students with small rings tell me that they sit on their thumb comfortably – the closeness is comfortable, not tight.
- Borrow the trick of things on a smaller scale. A single ring of brick for your house, or a gravel border for a tone that plays on your house, makes it look “local” without a big installation.
- Finish with a little green. A few potted plants (I lean towards faux where I can keep things alive) make even a small corner feel like a finished outdoor room.
Scottsdale 40″ Table Round Stone Propane Fire Pit
The look of a built-in stone fire pit without hiring a contractor.
buy now
Get the look with more room
If you have the space, this is where you can rely on the built-in, layered version we have:
- Go dead and built in. The actual drop down with the edge of the seat height gives you the architecture again overflowing the seats in one move.
- Connect it to your other “rooms” outside. Ours sits in conversation with the pool deck and outdoor kitchen because they share materials and colors. Repetitive brickwork, joinery, and a black and white palette throughout make the main yard read as one cohesive space instead of a bunch of separate projects.
- Mix the ambience. Overhead lights – from a post or tree line – are what make everything glow after the sun goes down.
Don’t forget to eat
A fire pit is just an excuse to get together, and every good gathering needs some work. Ours is almost the same: keep a s’mores basket ready to go so it’s handy when the second person asks.
- Chris’s Blackberry Campfire S’mores – honey-blackberry jam takes a childhood classic somewhere unforgettable. (Make the jam ahead; whisk the rest into the yogurt.)
- 7 Must-Try S’mores Combinations – if you want to go beyond the old. Set out a tray with different cookies, crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows and let everyone create their own.
- The Ultimate Hot Dog Bar — the easiest way to turn “hot dogs on the fire” into a real party is a real distribution of clothing items. Mustards, all pickled, good slaw, and you’re a reunion hero.
Before we remodeled the backyard, we held a fire pit to enjoy our first fall in North Carolina
The best fire pit in the world is only worth it if it’s worth it out there to use it. So pour the drinks, load up the s’mores tray, and pull up your chairs. That’s the whole point.
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