Fire pits and fireplaces are underrated, potential pieces of design for your landscape that often go overlooked or seem like a nuisance. However, they are part of the latest trends in landscape design architecture everywhere. With the upcoming winter holidays, having a fire piece adorning your outdoors is a great way to make your home architecture stand out. It’s always nice to sit back and enjoy a cozy night near your own personal fire pit that is decorative and versatile.
Roasting marshmallows and spending time with your family near a fire pit doesn’t have to be limited to summer vacation or a weekend getaway. You can have them just outside your home. Most importantly, firescapes or fire features add visual interest, ambiance, and uniquely complement your landscape.
We have created this guide to inspire your landscape fire pit or outdoor fireplace project and provide you with ideas for your landscaping design. At Uncommon Designers, we want to take your landscaping projects to the next level.
Things to Consider
Like any other landscaping project, it’s essential to consider several technical things before you embark on your outdoor fire feature project. The best architectural landscape designs come with patience and understanding of your outdoor area. Before jumping in, keep these pointers in mind:
Location
Choosing the location of your fire features is crucial. Your firescapes provide an anchor point to your outdoor area, so picking an optimal location is essential to draw attention to it. After all, you want a luxurious feature like a personal fire pit to be used, not sit in your backyard and only make an appearance once in a blue moon.
Type
What will fuel your fire pit or your fireplace? Gas or wood-burning fireplaces can be pre-built or customized to meet your necessities. A custom installation can take several weeks, while pre-built ones can be installed in just a few days.
It’s also important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of fuels. Wood, while classic and fresh, can produce a lot of smoke and might trigger sensitivities. Gas fire pits have a more controlled fire source, but they are more challenging to install since they require gas lines but are much safer than wood pits.
Budget
Like any project, the costs depend on the features that you want. Outdoor fire pits are cheaper than fireplaces, and wood fire pits are more affordable than gas fire pits. A good landscaper will look at the big picture and keep your budget in mind for your firescape project.
Outdoor Fire Features
The possibilities are endless when building your own unique fireplaces that will give your outdoor living space a pop of luxury. In Dallas, specific rules regulate the technicalities of outdoor fireplaces and fire pits but are permitted by state law. However, fire features aren’t limited to fire pits and fireplaces.
Let’s start with the basics:
Fire Pits
Fire pits are the most classic option to liven up your outdoor space with a fire feature. You can find almost any shape, size, and style you can dream of. Most fire pits are portable, but you can install permanent ones above ground. You can even find some pre-made fire pits that make for easy installation. They can be built from concrete, stone, bricks, or even steel drums. In fact, some pre-made fire pits are already made of metal.
This fire feature can extend beyond a circular shape in your backyard, get creative and try other geometrical shapes. A fire pit, though common, doesn’t have to be monotonous.
Fireplaces
Outdoor fireplaces allow a lot of versatility. They are the perfect way to keep warm on a cold day and bring a lot of ambiance for your guests. Not everyone can say they have a fireplace in the comfort of their backyard and add an element of safety to your fire features. The most popular fireplace material choices are brick, stone, stucco, granite, and concrete. You can choose what you want depending on your style and budget.
Fireplaces are usually no smaller than six feet wide, five feet deep, and 10 to 12 feet tall, but it depends on local height restrictions.
Fire Bowls
Often mistaken for fire pits, fire bowls use propane or gas to function and can be installed on almost any surface, like columns, tabletops, and decks. They are usually constructed with materials like stainless steel and copper. They can be filled with fire-resistant materials like lava rock and glass.
Fire Columns
Outdoor fire columns also make for a great heating feature outside your home. They are smaller and portable, so they can be moved around to colder sections in your outdoor living space. Typically, a fire column uses propane to work, but their tall and slim design differentiates them from fire pits and bowls. They are notorious for giving your living area an elegant look.
Fire-Water Features
If you’re really looking to give your landscaping an upgrade, fire-water features are eclectic and luxurious pieces of decor that can really make your outdoor space stand out. Simply put, they are small fire pieces, like a small fire pit featuring a small fountain or surrounded by a small body of water. If you’re looking to make a bold statement or be the talk of the party, this fire feature is the one for you.
Light Up Your Outdoors!
If you’re looking for special and unique ways to landscape, using bold and stand-out outdoor fire features can make all the difference. There is something out there for any landscaping project, from classic fire pits and fireplaces to fire bowls, fire columns, and fire-water features.
If you want professionals in the Dallas area to take care of your firescape project for your landscape architecture, Uncommon Designers will take care of all the heavy lifting. Call us at (469)-248-6621, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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