The weather is turning cooler (from 88 degrees today to 74 degrees tomorrow …. yeah!!) and it is time to gather around the firepit, fireplace – wood or gas – and sip a beverage of your choice and tell stories with a friend or family.

Today we have many options. Stand alone firepits come in all varieties of sizes, shapes, and styles …. but when you want that “camp fire” feel or an element that is designed to fit into your larger landscape – an inground firepit is the answer. Simple to elaborate, firepits and fireplaces today are designed to complement an outdoor kitchen, pool and water feature/s; all places to gather a group, sit with a friend, your spouse … or just enjoy on your own.

The image below is a recently completed firepit for a home in Cameron Park, California.

A seating wall around the firepit will allow guests to warm up by the fire while engaging with guests on the flagstone patio.

A fireplace is often designed within an outdoor kitchen setting. Sometimes remote, and sometimes an extension of the kitchen itself. This outdoor room features a large fireplace.

This fireplace has a mantle, storage for wood,  and a hearth that connects to the seating walls that extend around the room.

Four comfortable chairs, cut stone with creeping thyme, a rectangular water feature with jets and a sleek water fall,  and a simple firepit takes a turn towards the modern, ordered sophistication of a room with a view.

No matter what your personal space, budget, or style …. consider the warmth of a fire for your outdoor living.