Outdoor Environments Blog

While the most luxurious options are outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, you can stay warm outdoors this fall with affordable portable deck warming devices as well. Here are some of the leading options on the market:

• Patio heater. A portable patio heater, like this Home Depot model, works quite well and weathers the elements. (Follow manufacturer’s instructions for usage and safety.)

Image via Home Depot

• Table-top fireplace. If it’s a glowing centerpiece with a touch of warmth that you’re looking for, consider Brookstone’s Real Flame Modesto 15″ Tabletop Gel Fireplace.

Brookstone's Real Flame Modesto Fireplace

• Table with integrated fireplace. Restoration Hardware‘s Laguna Concrete Propane Fire Table fires up instantly and lasts hours.

Image via Restoration Hardware

 

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For the Kansas City deck or patio to enhance your home, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

The different seasons and architectural styles in Kansas City facilitate a variety of residential design styles. This diversity is evident in the stylish planters that look great in the City of Fountains.

• Zinc. This stylish grey metal has been seen in French-inspired planters, such as this “Les Bac Á Oranger” from Authentic Provence.

Image via Authentic Provence.

• Wood. The wood-and-iron Versailles Planter from Restoration Hardware is perfect for small shrubs such as boxwood.

Image via Restoration Hardware

• Terracotta. Terracotta pots work well for any home, and there are many distinctive options on the market. For example, Treillage Ltd. has a pot with acanthus leaves.

Image via Treillage.

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.

We were pleased to convert a 15-year-old screen porch to a four season room recently for a client. The result is a true room that the client will enjoy more fully and for more months out of the year. To incorporate the space into the architecture, we added tile floor and kept the original finish on the interior. Updates included:

• Enlarging the structure’s footprint.
• Insulating the ceiling and floor areas.
• Installing insulated casement windows.
• Adding a  fireplace and air-conditioning.
• Fresh coat of paint.

BEFORE

AFTER

It was a pleasure for us to work on keeping the cost reasonable while still providing full service and a high-quality structure that will last generations.

For convert your Kansas City screen porch into a 4 season room, 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.

As autumn and its cool nights approach, it’s a good time to prepare by building outdoor fireplaces and fire pits. Here are some useful tips, exemplified by projects we’ve completed at Outdoor Environments.

• Stone around base. The surface around the base of a fire pit can be made of many materials. Changing the surface material underfoot from wood to stone adds visual interest. You can visually incorporate the fire pit with the rest of the landscape by matching the stone color.

Fire pit byOutdoor Environments

• Thick ledge. During warmer months, when the fire is not in use every night, the thick ledge of a fire pit is a place for a person to sit.

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

• Seating wall. A seating wall that follows the contours of the fire pit welcomes guests and divides the deck or patio from the rest of the yard. It is a custom touch that adds a sense of permanence and quality to a property.

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

• Multiple levels. A deck with multiple levels enables the fire pit to have its own zone, which becomes a destination.

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

Fire pit by outdoor environments.

For Kansas City fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and more: contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

The greater Kansas City area will be inspired by the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, to be hosted at the Overland Park Soccer Complex.

Overland Park, Kansas impressed U.S. Youth Soccer when it held the competition in 2010. Young adults let their talent shine in this competition, where regional champs face off. College scouts and coaches will even be in the stands in search of the stars of tomorrow.

Kansas City’s NBC 41 Action News even reported on the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, which will occur July 22 – July 28, 2012.

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Image via NBC 41 Action News

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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.

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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