Friday, February 5th, 2010
It doesn’t matter what size your home is – from an apartment to a luxury seaside retreat – having a place to step outside and enjoy the fresh air is a must for most people. It is not surprising that interior designers are seeing more requests for a piece of outdoor tranquility, and they are delivering.
Creating an outdoor getaway can be done on your own as well. There are a number of books, magazines and websites to guide homeowners as they transform the look of their exterior space. Investing even a small amount of time and some new furniture will greatly increase the value of a home, should you decide to sell.
Outdoor living can consist of a simple table and chairs with a patio umbrella, to a completely new living space with furniture that is every bit as cozy as the family room inside. Of course, the patio furniture would have to be weather resistant, but in recent years, manufacturers have released exceptionally trendy looks to suit all ages and budgets.
When considering the addition of an outdoor living area, it is important to know how the space will be used. Will you be entertaining large groups, complete with meals? Would comfortable conversation areas be more suitable? Do you want a large-screen television and sofas for watching the big game or the latest movie release?
Flooring options
The choices for outdoor flooring range from well-groomed lawns to wood decks to designer slate installed over a concrete base. This factor is something that should also be considered in the early stages of planning how you will use your outdoor space. Is there a pool near your deck? Would slippery conditions be a hazard for yourself or your guests? In this case, non-slip flooring is essential.
Top it off
Even though it is wonderful to enjoy the sunshine, hot days require a shady respite from the heat. Outdoor living spaces can be just as enjoyable when they are created inside gazebos, in the shade of tall trees or temporarily covered by retractable awnings.
Outdoor lighting sets the mood
Well-planned lighting is essential in creating a completely relaxing environment in your outdoor living room. From strings of soft white lights artfully set in trees or along roof lines, to flood lights for illumination in cooking areas, having a mixture of light styles will bring a new look to your home.
Fire and water finish the charm
The addition of a water feature will ensure a sense of relaxation as you and guests enjoy the gentle sound of flowing water. It can be as small as a table-top model or a custom-designed waterfall over natural rocks in your landscape. As the sun sets, the lighting of a bamboo tiki torch or a selection of candles will complete the mood and allow any stress of the day to melt away.
Tags: Living, Outdoor, Rooms, Value
Posted in Living Room | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Ping pong tables can be great if you wish to have a durable table for year round use. An outdoor ping pong table can withstand weather changes and they allow you to leave them outside. This can be very convenient. You want to buy the right type of table to make sure that yours doesn’t warp or get damaged from outdoor elements.
Generally, the best outdoor tables are aluminum tables. These will give extraordinary protection against warping and water damage. You can keep these tables, when they are waterproofed, in any type of environment. There is also a waterproof coating that can be placed on wooden ping pong tables that make them suitable for play outside in any weather too. The higher the cost of materials used in the construction of the table, the more you will have to pay when you buy one. Synthetic and metal tables are generally more expensive than wooden tables.
When purchasing a table for outdoor use, you want to get a table that has a similar bounce on the surface compared to the bounce that would be found on indoor tables. If you are a serious ping pong player, this will be important. If you care more about durability though, you will want to look into special design features that help keep your table safe.
No matter what kind of table you get, a good idea to help protect your table when outdoors is by using a cover. By putting a tarp or a cover over your table, you will protect it from the heat of the sun while also stopping rain from pooling up on the surface. This can be very helpful in keeping your table in its original condition.
If you choose a metal table, then you will have to expect the table to have a slower bounce than a standard indoor table. Also, the spin will generally be less on metal tables.
Another important aspect for a ping pong table is the sturdiness of the legs. By having waterproofed legs on your table, the table will last longer and stay rust free over its lifespan.
Another great option if you are only planning on using your table outside occasionally, is to buy a ping pong table that is designed for indoor use and then only take it outside when the weather is nice. Then you will have all of the same features that standard indoor tables have, while also keeping your table safe from the weather.
Tags: find, Good, Outdoor, Ping, Pong, Table
Posted in Table | No Comments »
Friday, February 13th, 2009
Too often we see balcony and deck areas go unused because of a sheer lack of privacy. Now you can showcase and bring texture to your yard with natural beauty and privacy at the same time. A unique way to add beautiful greenery to your balcony, coverage from the prying eyes of neighbors, or, what might be an unattractive view, is to create a natural outdoor privacy screen .
Start with lightweight decorative resin or plastic containers. We used 3 for our project because of the size of the balcony deck. One for the front, and one for each side of the balcony. Be sure to select containers that that have drainage holes at the bottom. Plants that are sitting in soggy water-filled soil are never a good thing.
Put a few small rocks around the top of the drainage holes to keep the soil from draining out. Then, fill the containers with soil, and plant vines (we used Creeping Fig because it is hardy and will naturally cling to the surface once it gets established) with branches that are long enough to secure to your balcony’s fence panels. Position your 3 decorative resin containers along the front side of the balcony – center, left and right side. This will give you an outdoor privacy screen that covers all the angles.
Next, cut rolled plastic fencing in to 1-2 inch strips and staple to fence using your staple gun. Secure vines to plastic fencing with plastic coated wire ties. Be careful not to staple the vines themselves. Ouch!! As vines branch out, continue to add more plastic fencing until wood fence panels are completely covered. This will give your balcony a custom charm and a natural outdoor privacy screen. You can also use this same method to cover ugly metal fence poles in your yard as well (see our article on ‘Covering Up Ugly Metal Fence Poles.’)
Supplies:
3 Lightweight resin plant containers with drainage holes, or drill your own. Plastic Gardener Fencing (3 x 50 ft. ? Can be found at most home and garden centers.) Plastics coated wire ties for outdoor plants. Staple Gun Staples (for your staple gun of course) Scissors or wire cutters 3 creeping figs Potting soil and mulch Drainage saucers
Tags: Area, Balcony, Charm, Custom, Deck, Green, IdeasCreate, Landscaping, Natural, Outdoor, Privacy, Screen, Sure
Posted in Balcony | No Comments »