Embracing light and pockets of darkness
There are reasons people go crazy for one-of-a-kind fire pits or the latest in outdoor lighting technology: we want to be outside, entertaining or hanging out in our backyards, but we also want to be cosy and warm.
It’s really no different if you’re sitting around a bonfire in a field, on a beach, or small contained brazier in your backyard, the experience is hypnotic, tranquillizing, the ultimate in relaxation (perhaps more so in your yard on a comfy chair with throw cushions and blankets than in a field). But something we maybe don’t often think about when it comes to lighting our outdoor spaces is how much we value the “pockets of darkness,” says San Francisco designer Pablo Pardo, of Pablo Designs.
“I’m a big fan of contrast lighting, pockets of dark and also pockets of light so that you can walk from one into the other. The space in between is just as critically important as the light themselves,” says Pardo.
Personally, says the designer, he didn’t like to be in spaces that are “awash with light,” conjuring up memories of over-lit driveways or floodlit backyard parties.
“I think something humans naturally respond to is allowing themselves to be in spaces where there is darkness as well as light,” he says.
Portable lighting is a great way to transform your backyard without having to commit to one configuration. An outdoor lighting trend which Pardo says his company is responding to is the desire for a modular lighting system, which allows you to link up lighting products to suit the size and design of your space.
“We’re looking into creating daisy chain light sources that can be hung in trees (or similar). We’re looking at building an ecosphere that is interconnectable so you can have one light source but connect to another one, and you can build a grouping,” he says.
Carla Moreira is Home Depot Canada’s trend and design manager and says summer wouldn’t be summer without sitting around a fire, sharing stories, and roast marshmallows.
“Bring these memories to life with a backyard fire pit,” says Moreira.
With simple, clean, modern home design trending so strongly these past few years, she says fire pits in black steel are currently proving very popular.
Design element firepits are a natural gathering place and add a fun element to an evening.
They combine the allure of a campfire with modern comfort and contemporary style.
Something to bear in mind if you want to use a firepit in your backyard, is what your local municipalities local codes are, and consider any predominant winds and the distance of permanent structures.