We humans love our creature comfort and for millennia, fire has held us captivated and warm. There are very few scenes more soothing than staring into the depths of the flames of an open fire. As the chill of winter is shaken off, we love to spend more time outdoors during the warmer months, and this includes those gorgeously balmy evenings.
While open fires are cozy, many people have turned to the much safer fire pits. These can be bought as complete units or you can build your own. However, a fire pit on its own is not that exciting so you need to set the stage and create an area for your fire pit that is inviting and irresistible.
While the right outdoor furniture is a must if you want to get cozy, don’t overlook adding the right lighting. To get you started, we’ve looked into some stunning fire pit lighting ideas so you can turn any area of your garden into a charming haven for parties or a private sanctuary that you’ll want to retreat to.
Make The Most Of Any Corner
A far back corner of your yard is an ideal setting for a fire pit to be installed, and even if you only have a small yard, you can still set up some impressive lighting to accentuate your fire pit. You can choose a modern look with string lights or, if you prefer something a little more traditional, take a look at wall lanterns.
Most wall lanterns for the outdoors can withstand any weather inclement, and if you choose the right design, you can add enough light to create a cozy area, without the overpowering brightness. You can choose a sleek modern design or opt for a retro design for a classic look that will never go out of style.
Dress Up The Trees
Drive along any suburban street, and you’re likely to encounter a yard with impressive trees that have been decorated with rope lights. Now, take this concept and set up your fire pit among the trees, then wrap rope lights around as many trees as you can around the fire pit.
The best thing about using rope lights is that they are easy to install and flexible, so you can hang them perfectly to the organic outline and branches of the trees in your yard. These handy rope lights are available in a variety of colors and patterns.
Bring The Tropics To Your Home
When was the last time you went away on a tropical vacation? Why not bring that same atmosphere to the close proximity of your own backyard? Reproduce a setting similar to the beach parties you loved going to in your heyday with a blazing fire pit instead of an enormous bonfire.
Of course, you also need the right lighting, and you can do this by placing several outdoor torches around the perimeter of your fire pit area. Once you set the scene, bring out an old washtub full of ice and your favorite drinks, a few picnic blankets and pillows, and have an intimate beach party minus the sand and gatecrashers.
Go Crazy With Mason Jars
Mason jars have become an integral part of decorating our homes indoors and outdoors. What’s not to like? They are rustic looking, simple and they look good in any setting. You can also use mason jar lighting in conjunction with your fire pit.
The best thing about this type of lighting is that it is super easy to install around the fire pit but you also have multiple options for how you’d like to set them up. You can place several stakes around your fire pit and hang a nicely lit mason jar on each stake or you can hang them on hooks from walls, fences, or trees.
You can also place them along walled flower beds and have several simply placed on the ground around you. You may choose to place just a few around your fire pit area or go crazy and place dozens to create lots of soft light as you enjoy the warmth of the fire pit with your special someone.
A Cascading Waterfall Of Light
Set up your fire pit along a wall or fence and set the scene for dinner parties or intimate evenings sipping fine wine or cocktails. When it comes to the perfect fire pit lighting next to a wall, you can’t go wrong with a curtain of string lights.
This style of lighting not only looks stunning but it also offers light that oozes sophistication and elegance. These lights also work well in other settings and give the illusion of surrounding you with dozens of twinkling stars. You can have a curtain of lights falling along the rails of a pool deck or even place them overhead. The hardest part is deciding just how much light you want in your chosen fire pit area.
Illuminate The Path To Tranquility
Gone are the days when backyards were flat and predominantly level from the back door to the fence line, these days many homeowners love to create different levels or tiers to define each area of their yard and this includes the fire pit. While this type of landscaped yard is modern and quite beautiful, it can be hazardous for you and your guests to find their way in the dark toward party central around the fire pit. Fortunately, you can choose some practical and great lighting to not only surround and define the area around your fire pit but also create an illuminated path toward the fire.
If you have paved paths leading towards the fire pit, replace some of the pavers with paver lights. While these do need to be properly installed, once they are in, you can turn them on when the sun goes down and have a safe path shining toward the fire pit. You can also install paver lights right around your fire pit area to complete the look.
For those with multi-level or tiered gardens, it’s also important to shine some light on the stairs to avoid missing a step and getting hurt. Solar deck lights are the perfect solution for lighting outdoor steps and if your fire pit is on a deck, you can also add these lights around the border for a little extra illumination.
Design A Garden Of Light
Outdoor lighting doesn’t need to be boring and for those that want to create a landscape of light, there are some creative and innovative options that will definitely turn heads. These stunning garden lights are ideal for adding to the shrubbery in your yard and they’ll fit right in among the plants on stems that make them look like a glowing bouquet.
This magnificent style of lighting consists of a “bunch” of lights on stems that can easily be placed anywhere and this includes your fire pit area. Enjoy light that moves with nature as these lights often sway as the gentle breezes of a warm summer night pass through them. This means you can illuminate your pit area while being mesmerized by these charming, dancing lights.
No Yard Is Too Big Or Small
The modern fire pit can be made to fit into any sized yard and this includes small urban courtyards as well. Whether you have a tiny bit of outdoor space in your backyard or a sprawling acreage outside your back door, you can dress up these areas with a dazzling configuration of fairy lights.
Place a rope or two around the entire area surrounding the fire pit, hang them swag-style overhead or create an intricate web of light as a backdrop. If you use your fire pit when entertaining, you can also opt for sound reactive fairy lights that will flicker in different colors in tune to the chatter of your guests or your favorite playlist.
Define The Perfect Area
Choose a spot in your yard for a fire pit and then get to work setting up a perimeter that clearly defines this special garden space. There are a number of ways you can do this, and you can use whatever is around the fire pit, such as trees or a fence, or you can set up posts. Once you have decided on the area, you can hang up some string lights.
These are incredibly easy to work with and they come in a variety of lengths, bulb shapes, and more so that you can create the perfect atmosphere as well as add just enough light to see in the dark without overshadowing the charm of the fire pit.
Festive, Fun And Fanciful
If the look you are striving for around your fire pit is festive and full of color then your best option is colorful string lights. Colored string lights are an easy way to add a touch of whimsy to your fire pit set up and you can string them up any way you like.
Set a frame around the fire pit area and drape these lights along the edges or pull them across the top so the string of lights is overhead. While these two options may be the most popular, you can include these around fences or rails or stretch them between trees. Many of these also include solar charging and remote controls so you can choose the color and warmth of light depending on the occasion and your mood.
A Step In The Right Direction
The light from a fire pit is often all the light you need on a warm summer night so why ruin the ambient with lights that are too gaudy and bright? If you simply want to add some strategic lighting along the deck, garden bed walls, or paved stairs, low-voltage deck lights give you everything you need.
Deck lights are basically night lights that you use outdoors and, for the most part, you’ll barely notice them. More importantly, you’ll notice them when you need them to find your way around your yard without worrying about toppling over by missing a step or not realizing where the deck begins or ends. Use this type of lighting if your fire pit is on a deck or in a small suburban courtyard.
Make the most of the warmer weather and get plenty of use out of your fire pit this summer. Enjoy those balmy nights next to the flickering flames and add the right lighting to create your own urban oasis. You can choose any one of these fire pit lighting ideas or, better yet, incorporate a few of them so you can not only have the best lighting around the fire pit but also in the area surrounding the pit and leading towards it.
