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Built into a bluestone patio, this small, circular fire pit in an Exeter backyard fits in close to seating areas for warmed-up outdoor entertaining.

Let’s face reality, fall is here; winter is on the way. The leaves have almost all turned to shades of red, yellow, and orange, and are drifting to the ground; sweaters and jackets are no longer shoved to the back of the closet; and the sun goes to bed earlier each evening. But if you’re someone who finds it hard to say goodbye to summer, an outdoor fireplace, where you can gather with family and friends even when the temperature starts to drop, may be the right choice for your backyard.

 

“Outdoor fireplaces are making a comeback,” says Toby Parke, owner of Harborside Land Design in Portsmouth, N.H., a company that designs and builds landscapes with custom stonework throughout the Seacoast area. “They’re definitely a nice item to have, and a nice gathering area,” says Toby. “That outdoor space draws you outside instead of inside on the couch watching television.”

 

His company specializes in transforming outdoor areas into living space, building stonewalls and patios that are both practical and attractive. Toby says he works with homeowners to design the best solutions to make this possible, but is not averse to offering advice. “I’ll see an acre of land that’s not being utilized in the best way. I tell them if this is my house, this is what I would do.”

 

Custom-built of stone, outdoor fireplaces can come in endless variations. In a recent renovation in Exeter, N.H., which featured a wide bluestone patio set off with walls and steps of granite, Harborside created a small, circular fire pit within the patio off the back deck just steps away from the house, and nearby seating areas.

 

 

In a Portsmouth backyard, Harborside designed and built a fireplace into a wall of Pennsylvania fieldstone as part of a complete redesign of the outdoor area. The fireplace has two granite slabs at the base, and as a nice added touch, two rocks jutting out on each side, so that a grill can be placed over the fire for outdoor cooking. Toby says the homeowner is thrilled with her fabulous outdoor space that can be enjoyed not only in summer, but also during the colder months.

 

“What’s great is that the fire is backed by stone so it all just radiates onto the patio. It throws heat out 10, 15 feet, easy,” says Toby.

 

Who’s got the marshmallows?