Adding Fire and Water to Patios in Powell and Dublin OH Areas

With everyone spending more time than usual in the backyards due to the pandemic, a sense of boredom has likely set in. Adding fire and water to patios in Powell and Dublin, OH, areas, can transform outdoor living spaces and make them a welcome escape from the stresses of the outside world.

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Fire

Fire has always been something that naturally draws people together. Sitting around a fire sharing stories, meals, and laughter is a human trait we’ll never outgrow. 

A fire feature can be as simple as a fire pit which will give everyone the “best seat in the house” for warmth and viewing the flames. You could encircle the fire pit with a low seat wall to remove clutter and allow for easy passage around the fire area. Or, you could provide ample space around the fire pit for a few Adirondack chairs. For an authentic campfire experience, choose wood (fruitwoods smell the best, and they are also suitable for cooking). If you’d like to do away with the mess, potential hazard, and smoke of wood fires, opt for natural gas or propane. 

Since cooking and fire features are often in close proximity, you could also add another way to enjoy fire and food simultaneously without balancing plates on your lap: a fire table. This is a fire feature that burns natural gas or propane. It can be coffee table height, dining table height, or bar height and features a generous ledge intended to give enough space for plates and beverages. 

An outdoor fireplace creates the illusion of being in an outdoor living room. It is more often surrounded by cushioned furniture and features personalized touches such as a custom mantelpiece, built-in wood fired pizza oven, and decorative inlays. The best part about a fireplace (over a fire pit) is its location flexibility. If the fireplace is integrated into a pavilion or covered porch, you effectively create a multi-season outdoor experience that isn’t as dependent on weather as open-air fire features. 

A fire feature is a focal point that encourages more of what the outdoor experience is all about: making great memories with family and friends.

Water 

A masonry water feature could become the focal point of the entire backyard. Whether your preferences are naturalistic or ultra modern, a water feature can express your design style and give you exactly the feeling you desire. Perhaps it’s a serene reflecting pool in a long, slender raised rectangle with a generous ledge where you could sit and observe the reflection of passing clouds. Or a pond, surrounded by boulders and fed by a bubbling “spring,” with a small paver patio beside it where you could spend a relaxing afternoon. Maybe your idea of the perfect water feature is a Roman-style fountain with two or three spouts embedded into a masonry wall. Or, a rectilinear pond crossed by stepping stones and recessed into the patio.

A water wall is a chic example of a dramatic and unexpected water feature that can also do double duty as a privacy wall between the neighbors and an intimate dining nook or seating area. The pillars that support the water wall can match other vertical elements on your patio: a fireplace, a grill station, or a retaining wall. The center of the water wall, where water flows down, can be opaque glass to give the space a bright yet private feel; or, it could be finely textured masonry that will, over time, grow a lovely patina of moss. 

Fire and Water

Combining water and fire is the ultimate. You’ll be mesmerized by the contrast of the dancing flames and shimmering water. It’s eye-catching, and the perfect way to add drama to your outdoor living space!

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