Outdoor Living Trends 2021 - Fire
Fire pits, fire tables, and outdoor fireplaces
Fire is a natural design choice for outdoor entertaining and family enjoyment. It creates a warm, cozy atmosphere, enticing friends and family to stay and hang out, especially on chilly nights.
We all love to gather around a crackling fire; as humans we're naturally drawn to it. It’s a primitive attraction hard-wired in our psyche. (Especially the psyches of boys at any age if they’re anything like my three.) It’s no-brainer to include fire on your patio design check list, so let’s take a look at some options.
Patio living fire trends
Fire pits
We’re used to seeing fire pits nowadays but they come in all shapes, sizes, and styles.
Some common materials are steel, aluminum, copper, and concrete.
Steel comes in carbon, stainless, and cor-ten.
Carbon is generally the most economical but also requires more maintenance to prevent eventual rust damage.
Stainless provides more rusting protection than carbon. It will discolor through use, but it’s fairly easy to clean.
Cor-ten’s unique alloy causes it to finely rust over the surface to a point that then protects it from further atmospheric erosion. It’s patina is often used for a contemporary look.
Aluminum fire pits are powder-coated to stand up to the elements and are lightweight making them easy to move about for cleaning and storage.
Copper will never rust but will patina from it’s original shiny copper color to green. Copper is an expensive metal so it will cost more up front but it’s a durable choice.
Concrete is also durable and certainly won’t rust, but like other materials, it will discolor from the smoke if it’s wood burning especially. It’s also heavy. Sealing once a year is recommended.
This cozy, contemporary space with concrete walls and teak benches is designed around a cor-ten steel fire pit. Source | MX Living
If you’re short on space, consider finding a fire pit that comes with a lid, which keeps it dry and protected, and also makes it usable as a coffee table.
A small, inviting outdoor patio with a fire pit and DIY wooden lid so it works double-duty as a cocktail table. Source | unknown via Pinterest
Kadai fire bowls
Kadai fire bowls are metal cooking bowls used in India repurposed as a fire pit in the landscape. They are popular in Britain and I’m seeing more of them featured in the US.
They first came on my radar when a landscape architect I’ve worked for had me source one for a project here in Napa. I was totally smitten!
I was fully planning on having one in my new garden, but alas, when the time came to purchase the fun stuff like patio accessories, I decided to buy a small and inexpensive fire pit instead. But kadai - I still have my eye on you for the future!
A large kadai cooking bowl repurposed as a fire pit by Erin Martin Design in Calistoga, CA. Source | IDEASGN Photo | Marion Brenner
Chimineas
Chimineas are great because they produce a serious amount of heat in a small, contained unit making them perfect for patios. No gas piping required or lugging propane tanks, and you can roast marshmallows in them! They even come in table-top versions.
Key points - the small “mouth” of chimineas creates a drafting action drawing fresh air into the fire to get the most BTUs from your firewood so it's a more efficient flame than an open fire.
The fire burns hotter and cleaner too so there’s not as much ash and a lot less smoke.
Your eyes won’t sting like with an open fire pit and you won’t have the same smokey camp-fire hair afterwards either.
Once chimineas heat up, the terra cotta or steel radiates heat on all sides.
What's not to love? Many also fit right in that boho outdoor decor trend too.
Geometric, cor-ten steel chiminea. Source | Terrain
Clay handmade chiminea. Source | Latest Handmade.com
Fire tables
Fire tables are a functional addition to your outdoor room because they do double duty - they hold drinks and provide warmth.
Many are propane, so the tank is hidden out of sight below the table. They can also be wood burning or natural gas which requires a gas line installed underneath.
A ledge surround can hold cold drinks when not in use or keep your cocoa or hot toddy warm when fired up during chilly evenings.
Many come with a lid so the fire table converts into a full cocktail table too while providing protection. This can be factored into costs if it saves you from purchasing a coffee table.
Gorgeous contemporary concrete fire table and sofa sectional by Los Angeles based exterior designer Scott Shrader. Source | Veranda
This modern fire table by Paloform has a substantial ledge useful for holding drinks and plates. Image | Paloform
Outdoor fireplaces
If space and budget allows, the ultimate in outdoor fire is the outdoor fireplace. They can be on the small DIY-side or grandiose, but either way, it takes more time, effort, and funds to put into place than picking up a fire pit at the local Home Depot (which is exactly what I ended up doing just before my boys’ graduation celebration).
It doesn’t get any better than this modern Moroccan-style outdoor fireplace, again by exterior designer Scott Schrader. (Yes, I’m a fangirl!) Source | Scott Schrader
This black aluminum fireplace is perfect for a chic urban patio. It does double duty as a privacy screen and the firewood is a design feature. They aren’t running out anytime soon either. Source | Planete Deco. Photo | Anne Heijmans.
A stunning formal outdoor fireplace in warm grays and black contrasts beautifully with the greenery by landscape designer Anouska Hempel. Source | Anouska Hempel
Fire adds a lot of ambiance and comfort to a garden patio. Small, medium, or large - the scale doesn’t matter much, just having the light and warmth it provides makes it a unique focal point that brings people together outdoors.
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