The outdoor living trend is here to stay, and homeowners are enjoying their “ceiling-less” home additions well past the Labor Day weekend.
1) Outdoor Heating: Once only found in restaurant settings, outdoor heaters have come way down in price over the last few years. They come in all sizes, styles, and mounts; including table top, wall and ceiling mount. New models are designed to look like high-end floor lamps and are a beautiful addition to any outdoor living room. Look for coordinating tabletop versions for use on bars or dining tables.
2) Keep Cooking with a Fire Pit: Fire pit kits are springing up everywhere. These all-weather Hardscaping™ features are built to last and will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Did you know that most any fire pit can be turned into a barbecue pit? Just pop a grill grate over the fire pit to enjoy open flame campfire cooking right in your own backyard. Look for Fire Pits that come equipped with a cooking grill.
Try using cherry, apple or oak to infuse your food with added flavor. Experiment with hickory and mesquite chips and your ribs will be the talk of the town.
After dinner, guests can enjoy s’mores and stories around the fire pit.
TIP: always check dimensions carefully of your fire pit and the dimensions of the grill beforeordering.
3) Keep Outdoor Throw Blankets on Hand: Keep lots of extra warm wool blankets on hand when the temperatures really start to drop. While wool can be a bit rough, look for a 50-50 blend of wool and ingeo, (a plant-based biopolymer that is used to create eco-friendly fibers) The perfect blend for outdoor use; this friendly combination is hypoallergenic, moisture wicking, resists grease and is flame retardant.
4) Cut the Wind Chill: How cool would it be to enjoy an outdoor meal during the first snowfall? By keeping the heat in and the wind out, these clear plastic curtains allow you to enjoy your view and use your outdoor living space all year round. This instant greenhouse is also a great way to transition backyard plants back indoors as the temperatures cool down.
5) Extra Lighting: The sun has already started setting earlier, and before you know it, it’ll be dark by dinner time. Lanterns, candles and string lights are great for parties, but may not be so practical every night. Make sure your outdoor living space has ample lighting to accommodate everyday living.
Try to incorporate varied lighting; such as task, overall and accent. Overall lighting is used to define the space, while task lighting is used for a specific purpose; such as, over a kitchen counter or to light a backyard path. Accent lighting is used to add drama and to highlight ornamental objects.
With just a little forethought, your backyard can be used by the entire family and well into the winter months.