I'd like some thoughts about an outdoor grill/fire pit project.
This is a picture of a corner of my back yard. The circular wood "table" lifts out, in halves, to expose a fire pit. We use it for roasting marshmallows, cooking paella, etc. Typical fuel is wood from pruned trees or 2x4 scraps.
As with most fire pits, the fire is at your feet and the smoke rises to your eyes. Cooking is awkward since you're hunched over with smoke in your face. There's no a grate, you rest a metal camping grate on the logs and hope the paella is done before the logs crumble.
I was thinking about building a - not sure how to describe it - an elevated fire pit with an annular counter about 30" high and a proper grate, fire chamber, door to load fuel and admit combustion air, etc. So you can sit upright like a Civilized Man, wine glass and cheese plate before you, tending to the marshmallows, kebabs, rotisserie bird, paella, etc.
Kind of like
And that's where my idea turns to fuzz. What design? Features? What material - stone? Brick? Is it DIY-able it? Is it even a good idea?