Bundling up around a fire can feel almost magical. What often starts for us as children, a love for s’mores and storytelling, remains even as we age. With the accessibility and ease of a fire pit or fireplace, the campfire experience can be ours anytime the mood strikes. Gathered around the flames, we can revel in the dance of firelight and the warmth that wards off the night’s chill. Conversation feels that much more special, and the atmosphere is just as comforting and inviting as your living room — with all the goodness of the great outdoors.

Form & Function

Creating a seating, entertaining or cooking area around the fire pit or fire place can be as simple or involved as you like. Consider how you want the space to feel and how you want to use it. A more formal space where you want to entertain will be set up very differently from a relaxed area used mainly for cooking.

Size is one of the most important decisions when choosing a fire pit. The first consideration is safety — when positioning a pit in a backyard you need 10 feet or more between the flame and the nearest house or structure. From there you can consider how many people you want to comfortably seat around the fire. If you are choosing a portable fire pit and what size you will be able to move.

Think about how you will use your fire pit. if you want the feeling of a campfire, a fire right can be large enough to seat lots of people around the perimeter and is also easily moveable. For a more intentional or structured experience, look to fire tables, which come in wood-burning as well as gas-powered styles for anyone who wants to avoid the smoky scent of wood fire. Long-lasting permanent structures that are built into the yard or landscape can offer sturdiness along with visual appeal.

Essential to all fire fit festivities is seating. Rockers, lounge chairs, and outdoor upholstered seats are inviting and comfortable options, lightweight enough to scoot closer to the fire. You may want to keep chairs all the way around the perimeter of the pit. Or perhaps you’d rather leave space for some to sit and others to stand. When temperatures dip, it’s nice to have plenty of blankets within reach so people can bundle up.