How to Design a Stone Patio and Fire Pit for Outdoor Living in New England

Thinking about adding a stone patio and fire pit to your backyard?

In this first part of our two-part blog series, I’m sharing how we designed and built a cozy outdoor living space in Vermont — from landscaping and layout to choosing the right fire pit and stone materials for our New England climate.

Creating Our Outdoor Living Space in Vermont

Our home sits in a beautiful valley nestled between the Green Mountains of Vermont, offering scenic views right outside our windows. Inspired by this natural backdrop, we set out to design a custom outdoor living space we could enjoy for three seasons — and maybe even the occasional sunny winter day.

The front yard, however, was originally filled with apple trees and diseased pine trees, a common issue in Vermont due to tree blight, which ultimately led us to clear this space and start fresh.

From there, we began planning a low-maintenance outdoor area complete with a smokeless fire pit, comfortable seating, and natural landscaping — a space we could relax in, entertain around, and truly enjoy with family, friends, and neighbors.

Clearing the Landscape for Our Backyard Patio Design

Backyard Tree Removal: Making Room for the View

Our Vermont backyard makeover began with a big decision — to remove the existing landscaping and trees to open up the space and make way for our new stone patio and fire pit design.

While the original pine trees had grown tall and full, they’d become overgrown and diseased and were now blocking the mountain views we wanted to highlight.

The old apple trees, while beautiful in bloom, dropped messy fruit throughout the yard. Our Bernese Mountain Dog, Ella, also loved to snack on the fallen apples — and since apple cores can be toxic for dogs, it was one more reason to start fresh.

The entire removal process took place during the pandemic, and we documented it all — from winter tree cutting to the final cleared yard.

Tree Stump Removal: Preparing for a New Patio

Once the trees were down, it was time to remove the stumps — and this was no small task. Every stump needed to be ground down and cleared before we could begin designing and building our stone fire pit patio.

We hired a local tree company to handle the removal using professional-grade stump grinders. And while it’s possible to rent a chipper and attempt the job yourself, these machines are expensive and easy to damage without the proper know-how. In our opinion, this is one job best left to the pros.

Watch the process in action as we clear the tree stumps to prep the space for our future stone patio and fire pit — a big job, but worth every step!

Choosing the Best Fire Pit for Windy Outdoor Spaces

Why a Natural Wood Fire Pit Didn’t Work for Us

Here in Vermont, our front yard is wide open and frequently exposed to strong winds — especially during the colder seasons. As charming as our wood-burning fire pit was at first, it just didn’t hold up to the elements. The smoke and ash would blow everywhere, making it nearly impossible to sit outside and enjoy a fire for long. That’s when we knew it was time to find a low-maintenance, smoke-free fire pit that was both functional and beautiful.

What We Were Looking For in a Fire Pit

When we began our search, we made a checklist of must-haves to fit our New England outdoor living needs:

The Fire Pit We Chose (and Love)

The Outdoor Greatroom’s Vintage Square Faux Wood Fire Table

We landed on the Vintage Square Gas Fire Table from The Outdoor GreatRoom Company, and we couldn’t be happier with it. Not only did it check every box on our wishlist, but it was also in stock and ready to ship — a huge bonus. The fire table arrived on a single pallet weighing about 350 pounds, and assembly was surprisingly simple.

It runs on a standard propane tank tucked neatly inside the base, with an optional remote on/off switch that makes using it effortless. For entertaining, we always keep a second propane tank on hand, just in case — because no one wants the flames to go out mid-s’mores!

How We Installed Our Propane Fire Pit on a Temporary Base

While we knew a stone patio was in our near future, we were too excited to wait — so we installed our new propane fire pit on a temporary gravel base to start enjoying it right away. The setup was quick, easy, and perfect for testing everything out before the permanent stonework began. If you’re planning a similar outdoor fire pit installation, here’s how we did it in just a few simple steps.

Designing a Round Stone Patio for Our Fire Pit

Once we had our fire pit in place, it was time to bring the full fire pit patio design to life. We hired a talented local stonemason, René from Evergreen Designs, to help us create a 10-foot round stone patio that would serve as the centerpiece of our outdoor living space.

We carefully selected Corinthian granite for the patio — a beautiful, rustic stone that blends perfectly with the natural Vermont landscape and all the cozy backyard elements we planned to incorporate.

Before construction began, we calculated how much material we’d need to build a strong, weather-ready base. Here’s what went into creating this New England-style fire pit patio:

We had everything delivered to our lawn, where the bulldozer made quick work of spreading materials and shaping the base.

And yes — more crushed stone was needed and delivered the very next morning (isn’t that always the case?).

The work-in-progress photos show just how this patio started to take shape, framed by the mountains and the vision we had in mind.

Designing A Circle of Granite

Rounding the Corner: The Patio Comes to Life

By day seven, despite daily spring rains and full-on Vermont mud season, our round granite fire pit patio was nearly complete. The panoramic view captures the wide-open layout, with the mountains peeking through the clouds and the final granite pieces sliding into place. The rain didn’t slow us down — it just added some character (and a whole lot of mud) to the memory!

Finishing Touches: Grass, Hay, and Center Stage

We placed our Outdoor GreatRoom faux wood fire table right at the center — thanks to René, who left a small etched mark in the middle of the patio to help us align it perfectly every time.

This thoughtful detail is one of the many reasons working with a skilled local stonemason was so rewarding.

After the final stone was laid, we waited for the skies to clear. Then it was time to surround the patio with grass seed, topsoil, and hay to blend into the natural landscape.

Adding Stone Steps to Complete the Patio Design

To make access to our new stone fire pit patio easier, we also worked with our stonemason to install a set of natural granite steps leading down from the house. These oversized stones were set into the slope for a natural look that flows with the landscape and blends beautifully with the patio below.

We go into more detail on the full stone step styling and landscaping in the second post of this two-part blog series — but here’s a sneak peek.

See the Full Backyard Reveal: Outdoor Living with Style

From the fire pit installation to cozy conversation seating, we brought our backyard vision to life in part two of this outdoor living series. You’ll see how we styled the space with our Frontgate sectional and vibrant blue cushions, added thoughtful touches like my mother’s blue quilt, and shared entertaining ideas with McKenzie-Childs’ Sterling Check enamelware. And of course, Ella makes a few appearances, keeping things cozy and perfectly New England.

→ Click here for the complete backyard patio reveal: Backyard Fire Pit and Stone Patio Ideas for New England Living post.

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