What is the best way to light a fire pit and seating area?

The fire needs to be the brightest thing in the space. Build low, warm light around it with soft downlighting or moonlighting over the seating and path or step lighting along the approach from the house.

When it comes to lighting a fire pit, restraint matters more than ever. The fire already is the light. To overlight the area would flatten the effect of the fire. So the rule to follow is simple: let the fire be the focal point and have everything else be deliberately dim.

Making sure that you don’t have glare issues matters more here than just about anywhere else on the property. Bear in mind that seated eye height is only about three feet. That means a ground-level uplight aimed across the seating circle will shine right into faces. The way to fix this is by shielding fixtures, downlight from height, and aiming away from the seats. It also helps to match the light color to the flame while you are at it with warm light around 2700K or lower.

Also important is to light the approach and not just the seating area. Fire pits usually sit toward the back of the yard, so the dark walk out from the house is a big safety consideration. It helps to have path lights and step lights at every grade change. You can also build the low light right into the hardscape: recessed or under-cap lighting in seat walls and retaining walls gives usable light at the right level without putting a visible fixture in the sightline.

Fire pit season in Northern Ohio picks up as evenings cool from late August into October. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives designs seating-area and deck and patio lighting around Stow and the Summit County suburbs, Hudson, Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls, and Tallmadge. Start with a free nighttime design consultation or call (440) 336-8650.