Once you’ve installed a beautiful paver patio as the base for your outdoor living space, you’ve already gotten off to a great start in your landscape renovation. Making the space even more beautiful and functional will encourage your friends and family to spend lots of time outdoors, and not just during the summer but throughout the year. With the addition of a simple fire pit, you can really turn things up to the next level. Here’s how to add visual interest and functionality to an expansive paver patio with a fire pit in Lehigh County, PA.
Related: Landscape Contractor’s Tips for Creating a Beautiful Outdoor Fire Pit Area in Berks County, PA
Fire and human culture go hand in hand. As we built civilizations, we spent considerable amounts of time around the fire. Our primal desire to gather around a fire isn’t going away any time soon - and if your backyard has been missing a fire pit, you’ll soon wonder how you managed without it for so long.
In order to safely contain as much heat as possible and maximize efficiency of the fuel, a fire pit is constructed using masonry blocks arranged in either a circle or a square, giving the maximum number of people an opportunity to share in the warmth.
Take design cues from your home and landscape. A round fire pit is the more classic - or primitive - design that adds a relaxed campfire feel to your outdoor living space. A square fire pit feels more grand, and would echo the angular shapes and linear aesthetic of a modern space.
Complementary Masonry
When a fire pit is built on a paver patio, one approach is to blend the fire pit in with the design aesthetics of the surrounding pavers. That doesn’t mean that the design needs to match the patio surface, but rather complement it with colors and textures that give the fire pit its own character but blend it seamlessly into the surroundings.
However, you could also make a very bold statement by using starkly contrasting materials for the fire pit. This approach can work well if the fire pit is centrally located, were it’s clear that you are making a design statement; if the fire pit is tucked away in a quiet corner of the patio, a bold contrast would look like an afterthought.
In general, using complementary materials is more pleasing to the eye. There are many options to work with, but sometimes simplicity is a better path to take.
Go Big
An expansive patio needs a fire pit with a presence. Don’t be afraid to go big if the fire pit is centrally located as a focal point. You could get away with a smaller fire pit if it’s situated off to the side or in a corner; but remember, too, that the fire pit is surrounded by seating which takes up considerable space. You’ll need about 7’-10’ around the fire pit for comfortable seating and traffic flow.
Light Fixtures
Fire pits naturally produce a substantial amount of ambient light with the fire. However, since the fire is up on a pedestal and protected by walls, there is a large area around the pit itself that can become dark and potentially hazardous. Some subtle light fixtures within the masonry structure of the fire pit can eliminate these dark spots, and raise the visual profile of the fire pit when the fire is out.
Related: Wow Your Guests With These 5 Fire Pit Design Ideas in Allentown and Lebanon, PA
