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Can you think of anything more lavish than a beautiful Thanksgiving feast outdoors on your beautiful custom deck or patio?

Neither can we.

With the attention and care you gave to building your perfect outdoor living space, why not use to it to impress your guests this holiday season?  Instead of being elbow to elbow indoors, pull out all the stops and serve up a delicious meal in your outdoor environment. A few things to keep in mind for your outdoors Thanksgiving:

Table. Accentuate the entire experience by avoiding paper and plastic ware. (After all, it IS Thanksgiving!) Surprise your guests with an elegantly set table.

Decor. Use your setting as inspiration. Pull natural foliage into your centerpiece. This will add a rustic contrast to the clean and refined table linens giving.  Don’t forget coloring books on the kid’s table!

Fire pit. An outdoor Thanksgiving means spending a big chunk of time outside in November. Keep warm by firing up your custom fire pit. Consider adding a space heater near the table as well. As a party favor, you can provide the gentlemen with scarves and ladies with shawls for extra warm.

Make the most out of your Kansas City deck or patio this November and celebrate the holiday outdoors!

Photo 1 Source: celebratingeverydaylife.com

Photo 2 Source: Pinterest

Photo 3:  potterybarn.com

Image via San Francisco Chronicle

Being Outdoors Helps Health

It’s no new discovery, no surprising news that going outside to ride a bike or take a small hike has positive effects on your health. But did you know just being outside is good for you? Just being in the presence of nature has proven to be beneficial.

A 2009 study done by Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that being within 1000 yards of a green space (a park or a wooded area) causes lessened anxiety and depression. Being around nature and greenery causes people to feel more restored and even less angry. Being outdoors is the ideal environment for calmness and even meditation.

How Does Being Outdoors Help

The biggest benefit of being outside is all the Vitamin D your body receives. More and more studies show the benefit of this particular vitamin. It has been linked to preventing cancer and strengthening your immune system.

The other natural benefits of the sun is that it “sets our internal clock.” Our body naturally syncs with the sun, knowing when to turn on and off, therefore by spending time outdoors during the day, we are able to sleep better at night.

As though a beautiful addition to your home wasn’t reason enough to build your custom deck, your health may be. For custom Kansas City deck, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Many of the nation’s leading design magazines and websites are featuring wooden barrels this season as planters and other decorative objects. Using a vintage barrel is eco-friendly and adds character. Let’s have a look at inspirational images:

•  Barrel water garden. Country Living magazine featured a “Whiskey-Barrel Water Garden,” which is sealed on the inside.

Image via Country Living

• Barrel tables. Affordable and fun, barrels can be used as either side tables or something large. The popular website My Sweet and Saucey even showed a banquet being given on a long whiskey barrel dining table.

Image via My Sweet and Saucy

•  Barrel planters. A creative arrangement atop a barrel makes for an impressive statement, as the chic blog 100 Layer Cake demonstrates.

Image via 100 Layer Cake

For ideas regarding Kansas City decks, patios, outdoor areas, and more….

Click here to view Outdoor Environments’ Portfolio!

Since 1991, Outdoor Environments has designed and constructed hundreds of decks and outdoor living projects in the Kansas City area. We are charter members of the Kansas City National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) as well as the Home Builder’s Association of Greater Kansas City.

There are many appropriate deck colors, and the key factor is whether the color complements the home’s architecture. One popular color of deck stain is espresso (or chocolate). Here are some images of beautiful espresso decks from across the nation.

• Espresso-charcoal. This deck, which we saw on Houzz, appears to be made out of a composite material the color of espresso blended with charcoal.

Image via Houzz. Photo: Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

• Color coordination. This espresso deck in the U.S. Virgin Islands, by D Studio, coordinates with the stain color of the shutters.

• Sleek. The espresso stain of this contemporary deck, by California-based architect Cary Bernstein, gives it an added sleekness.

Architecture: Cary Bernstein. Image: Houzz.

For the Kansas City deck or patio that is right for you, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

A deck or patio certainly adds to a home’s livability and resale value. To keep your deck or patio from looking like a plain slab, consider incorporating built-in planters. Here are some images to inspire.

•  Contemporary. A relatively small lot in Australia was given lush privacy thanks, in part, to built-in planters by C.O.S. Design. Seating is incorporated into the patio’s knee walls.

Image via Houzz. Design: C.O.S. Designs

• Transitional. Stained pine planters complement the teak furniture on the deck of this California home designed by Sullivan Design Studio.

Image via Houzz. Design: Sullivan Design Studio

• Traditional. Start spreadin’ the news. The built-in planters in this traditional New York flat are as impressive as Gotham’s skyline. (Design: Amber Freda)

Design: Amber Freda. Image via Houzz.

For the latest outdoor living trends, promotions, and news…

Follow Outdoor Environments on Facebook by clicking here!
We would love to keep up with you and hear what you are looking for in an Overland Park, or Kansas City area deck or patio.

Also…feel free to comment below regarding what outdoor environments trends you are seeing.

The Overland Park Fire Marshal issued a burn ban for Overland Park, KS last week.

Extreme heat and dry conditions across Kansas have caused the fire-prone conditons.

Overland Park suspended open and recreational burning. This bog will let you know when the suspension has been lifted.

Any pending burn permit that has been issued is currently suspended until further notice.

The ban will most likely remain in effect until our area receives appreciable rainfall.

Outdoor grilling is permitted, but grillers should exercise caution and have a fire extinguisher or other fire suppressant readily available.

If you have questions or concerns, contact the Overland Park Fire Prevention Division at 913-888-6066.

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Image via sxc

According to a recent survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), outdoor living remains popular, and with that has come more interest in property enhancements. In the first quarter of 2012, interest in outdoor living space increased, with almost two-thirds of architects surveyed stating that outdoor living space, covered outdoor space, and outdoor rooms are increasingly popular.

Decks, porches, and patios are often accompanied by low-maintenance, low-irrigation landscaping. Other popular and sustainable features are rainwater catchment systems, gray water reuse, and green landscaped fencing options (bushes, trees, hedges).

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To make your outdoor living space popular, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Even though the word theme has gotten a bad wrap in the past decade, there really is something to be said for choosing a consistent concept out of design history. The Monet Garden at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is a perfect example of this inspired design. After all, timeless beauty should be able to translate from Giverny to Kansas City.

Image via Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. (Flickr)

The Italian influence of the Brookwood Fountain is echoed in the formal partere garden that surrounds it.

Image via KC Fountains

Spanish influence is seen in the “Court of Lions Fountain,” which was inspired by the Alhambra Court of Lions fountain in Seville. The niche behind the fountain echoes the historical theme.

Image via kcfountains.com

At Powell Gardens, the Quilt Gardens (part of the Heartland Harvest Garden) was inspired by the Chateau Villandry outside Paris. There is a different pattern in each quadrant.

Image via Powell Gardens