Far from the glare of city lights, the warm glow of a crackling fire can keep the shadows at bay as day turns into night. From the grounds of a rustic mountain lodge to the back terrace of a summer residence, an outdoor fire pit has a commanding but comforting presence in the surrounding landscape.
Furnishing a fire pit with beautiful seating and creature comforts should be an expression of personal style and also complement the character of the site’s natural features. Here are a few landscaping and decorating principles to guide you toward creating the ultimate outdoor hearth.
Mix Elements for a Dynamic Outdoor Fire Pit
Fire is traditionally held to be one of the four sacred elements that animate the cosmos, along with earth, wind, and water. A modern fire pit, especially around the aperture for the cylinder that contains the fire, will often have clear, or faceted materials, such as glass beads, or brightly colored stones or tiles, to reflect and enhance the brilliance of the flames. The other most common features of fire pits and the surrounding hearth are earth elements, like stone or iron.
As you can see below many modern wood-burning fire pits feature intentionally oxidized metal surfaces for a weathered earthy finish. Our Ak47 Design wood-burning fire pits frequently leave recesses in the frame to store logs. Not only does this create a very pleasing organic aesthetic of repeating wood crescents, but it is also a functional asset to have dry sheltered logs at arm’s length to keep the fire going late into the night.
This principle holds for the surrounding decor and seating of the outdoor hearth as well. For this reason many outdoor fire pits have a rustic woodsy character. Fire pit seating can be somewhat informal, but it is almost always a mix of earthy elements such as teak or wicker, and often with cozy cushions or soft sling for comfortable rest and to stave off the bite of an evening chill.
Top 7 Fire Pit Seating Ideas
1.) Ethimo Allaperto Mountain. Luxury Italian outdoor furniture manufacturer Ethimo offers a lounge chair or 2-seater love seat with a Burberry-like Tartan pattern padded upholstery made from all-weather Ethitex fabric and a sustainably-harvested naturally moisture-resistant teak frame. The blend of rustic highland charm and high-end materials makes this seating collection perfect for chilly nights by the fire wrapped up with a blanket and a warm beverage.
2.) Skargaarden Kryss. Swedish furniture manufacturer Skargaarden engineers functional and stylistically Minimalist designs especially for harsh winter climates. Kryss has a folding teak frame, and fabric sling secured by leather straps as well as an included plush pillow. At only 11 pounds, these lounge chairs are perfect for adding seating around an outdoor fire pit, or moving out of the reach of smoke.
3.) DEDON DALA. Constructed by the originator of outdoor woven fiber, German furniture manufacturer DEDON, DALA cocooning comforting lounge chairs are available in 3 distinct colorworlds of interwoven wicker strands. Plush cushions and a plump underbelly underscore the playfulness of these pieces built to last for decades of use. We suggest a combination of the larger Lounge Chairs, smaller Club Chairs, and ottomans that can function either as a side table or additional seating option.
4.) Mamagreen Babbo. This scalable sectional circular sofa from Belgian design firm, Mamagreen, can seat up to 8 or more revelers around an outdoor fire pit or even a small hot tub. Mamagreen is world-renowned for their commitment to sustainable green production, utilizing recycled teak and other materials. Babbo has a luxurious faux-leather Stamskin frame and plush Sunbrella all-weather cushions.
5.) Gloster Omada. Designed with the principle of “less is more” in mind, Omada revels in timeless simplicity and unequivocal comfort. The gently contoured body of the chair and ottoman are woven in wheat-colored textured wicker and include luxurious full-length all-weather cushions. The lounge chairs can be stacked together to create sofa-style seating or combined with ottomans for reclining.
6.) Manutti Cascade. This expansive thickly but somewhat open woven collection consists of a lounge chair, 3-seater, and daybed, which convert the refinement and comforts of your indoor living room into an outdoor sanctuary.
7.) Houe Level. Level is an assortment of 6 modular elements that can be combined to make DIY sectional sofa combinations. Pick and choose from side tables, ottomans, and 1-seaters and 2-seaters. Light-weight, modular, and all-weather, low-set Level lets the beautiful scenery surrounding it shine.
Now that you’ve got a sense of some of the seating possibilities for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, there’s just 1 final item to consider. Accessories such as outdoor cushions, additional lighting, and storage can make a world of difference when it comes to enjoying those spontaneous moments by the fire, whether it’s gathering round for a guitar sing-along or for those more meditative moments of blissful silent witness to the timeless dance of flickering flames.
Paul is the Outdoor Furniture Storyteller at Curran and sisalcarpet.com. For the past 2 years he has been focused on crafting content that helps connect those who enjoy the finer things in life with heirloom outdoor furniture pieces. With over a decade of experience in e-commerce and web publishing, he envisions Curran as a comprehensive destination for building dream outdoor spaces. His favorite furniture style? Mid-Century Modern (it kind of encompasses a little bit of everything :D).
