Outdoor Environments Blog

Safety Tips from Outdoor Environments this Holiday Season

December 1, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Tips
Tags : outdoor decor, outdoor lighting,

Courtesy of Outdoor Christmas Lights.

Tis the season to hang holiday lights and decorate your outdoors with Christmas lawn decorations, but before you do so, please inspect each set for any damages. Christmas lights definitely add holiday cheer to any home, but there are some safety concerns you should consider before you install the lights. Check out a few of our safety tips below so that you can have a safe and happy holiday.

1.       Avoid hanging or placing holiday lights near any sources of heat.

2.       Secure lights to avoid wind damage.

3.       Avoid puncturing the insulation of the holiday lights with staples or nails.

4.       Avoid placing holiday light bulbs on any electrical wires.

5.       Make sure you unplug the holiday lights when you leave your home or retire for the night.

6.       Keep your holiday lights away from small children to avoid burns or strangulation.

7.       Avoid closing doors or windows on the holiday lights or extension cords.

8.       Keep paper and cloth away from the light bulbs.

9.       Make sure you replace any burned out lights to avoid overheating the bulbs.

10.   Avoid overloading your extension cords and use no more than three standard-size sets per cord.

When hanging lights outdoors please be aware that you need to use only outdoor Christmas lights and plug all outdoor electrical decorations into a ground-fault circuit interrupter. If your lights burn a fuse than make sure you reduce the amount of wattage that is flowing through it.

Plan Ahead with Outdoor Environments

November 29, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Our Projects
Tags : deck, Kansas, Outdoor Environments, Outdoor Kitchens, outdoor living space, spa enclosures,

You’ve probably haven’t had a chance to enjoy your outdoor living space since the weather has turned colder in Kansas, but you can always plan ahead and make the necessary arrangements to ensure that you have your own private oasis come spring time. At Outdoor Environments we can create for you the perfect porch, deck, 3 or 4-season room, arbor, outdoor kitchen area, spa enclosure and more.

Give us a call at 913-897-2706 or visit us online at OutdoorEnvironments.com to learn how you can get the outdoor living space you always dreamed of.

See photos of some of our work below.

Outdoor Environments

Outdoor Environments

Outdoor Environments

Outdoor Environments is the Grand Prize Winner for Deckorators Best Deck Contest

November 24, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Events and Happenings
Tags : award-winning decks, composite wood deck, decks, firepits, fourseason rooms, hot tub enclosures, Outdoor Environments, Outdoor Kitchens,

We were recently honored to have won the 2010 Deckorators Best Deck Contest. According to Deckorators®, a leading manufacturer of products to enhance your outdoor living space, “the amazingly versatile deck from Richard DeVuyst of Overland Park, Kansas separated itself from the rest by showcasing a depth of pre-planning and innovation to create a series of decks that integrate flawlessly.”

Our multi-level, composite wood deck featured a firepit, outdoor kitchen, fourseason room, ceramic tile bar rail, sunken hot tub and built in planters. Our stained wood railing with Deckorators balusters surrounded this award-winning deck. See the photos below of our entry.

Outdoor Environments' Award-Winning Deck

Outdoor Environments' Award-Winning Deck

Outdoor Environments' Award-Winning Deck

A special thank you to Deckorators for awarding us the Grand Prize in your Best Deck Contest!

For more information on Outdoor Environments please visit us online at Outdoorenvironments.com or give us a call at 913-897-2706.

Avoid Kitchen Fires this Thanksgiving

November 22, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Events and Happenings, Tips
Tags : Outdoor Environments, outdoor fires, overland park,

Holiday season is upon us and at Outdoor Environments we wanted to make sure that you will have not only a Happy Thanksgiving, but a safe one. With all the cooking being done on Thursday for your Thanksgiving Day feast we wanted to give you some tips on how to avoid indoor and outdoor kitchen fires.

When frying a turkey please make sure that you cook it outdoors for safety purposes. Below is a short clip from KCTV 5 featuring our friends at Overland Park Fire Station 1. For more tips please visit KCTV5.com.

This the Season

November 17, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Outdoor Design Ideas
Tags : outdoor decor, outdoor design, outdoor living spaces,

Earlier in the week we showed you one of our favorite ways to get the exterior of your home ready for the holidays. Today we wanted to share some other festive holiday outdoor décor ideas to get you and your family in the holiday spirit.

Breaking out the holiday décor at Thanksgiving gives us just the right amount of time to enjoy the holiday season as well as the lights. We also love to see a well decorated mailbox. Don’t you think the pinecones and mistletoe shown below is picture perfect?

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

This below photo, also from Better Homes and Gardens, features a line up of “simple shepherd’s hooks with oversize red jingle bells.”

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

We love how this homeowner decorated their outdoor fire pit, very festive.

Courtesy of My Homes Ideas

What are some ways you decorate your outdoor living space during the holidays?

How to Spruce Up your Outdoor Living Space this Holiday Season

November 15, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Outdoor Design Ideas
Tags :

Thanksgiving is right around the corner so we wanted to give you some pointers on how to spruce up your outdoor living space before the guests arrive. Your home’s exterior is the first thing your Thanksgiving guests will see when they arrive for the big feast so let’s begin with a little holiday front door makeover.

The front door is always a great place to start. And a beautiful wreath with orange and brown accents will look great on any front door.

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

This simple gold cedar wreath from Martha Stewart Living will brighten up any dark winter night.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

The next wreath is one of my favorites, the long spruce pinecones, moss and snow will get any home ready for the holiday season. We get our fair share of snow here in Kansas, but if you live in a more temperate climate you could always use fake snow.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Check back later in the week for more holiday ideas for your outdoor living space.

Outdoor Environments is featured in Kansas City Homes and Gardens

November 12, 2010
Posted By : admin
Tags : fire pit, fireplaces, Kansas City, outdoor entertaining, Outdoor Environments, outdoor living,

Outdoor Environments’ own Dick DeVuyst was recently interviewed for the November issue of Kansas City Homes and Gardens’ article titled All Aglow. In it Dick talks about extending the outdoor living season well into fall by creating a fire element. Whether you decide to use a chiminea, outdoor fireplace, fire pit or outdoor kitchen a fire can help keep you warm on those cold Kansas City nights.

Dick tells KCH&G that “Fire and human beings are attracted to each other. It automatically gets people out of the house.” Let Outdoor Environments help you spend more time outdoors this holiday season by “adding the warm glow of a fire.”

For more information please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

Outdoor Environments

A special thank you to Veronica Toney with Kansas City Homes and Gardens.

Do you like our new layout?

November 10, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Events and Happenings
Tags :

As you can see we have made some changes to the look of our blog. And we want to know what you think. The new layout allows us to engage more with our readers and lets you see more of our posts on the home page.

Some of the changes include:

1. A new flash box at the top of our blog that previews our featured posts.

2. We have provided you with an excerpt of each post so that we can feature more content on our home page.

3. Easier social networking buttons for Facebook “like” and Twitter “tweet”.

Leave us a comment and let us know if you “like” the changes.

The Benefits of a Four-Season Room by Outdoor Environments

November 4, 2010
Posted By : admin
Tags : additions, enclosed porch, four-season rooms, Outdoor Environments, sunroom,

With the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) on Sunday, November 7th, 2010 at 2 a.m. comes two things– an extra hour of sleep and it gets dark a lot earlier. The first thing is a definite bonus, the second not so much. With the shorter daylight hours comes the desire to spend more time indoors. At Outdoor Environments we want to help you spend more time outdoors all year round. With our four-season additions we can help you enjoy nature from the comfort of an enclosed space. Whether you are looking to build a sunroom, conservatory or a screened in porch a four-season room can add value to your home.

Below are four-season rooms that we have created for our clients.

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

For more information on ways to extend your time outdoors this season sign up to receive our posts in your email. Just enter your email address to the right of this post.

Why use cedar for your deck

November 2, 2010
Posted By : admin
Categories : Outdoor Design Ideas
Tags : cedar, cedar decking, sustainability,

Here at Outdoor Environments we use a number of building materials from composite to wood when building decks. One of our favorite materials is natural cedar, which has long been praised for its durability, strength and beauty.  Cedar is resistant to decay and insect damage and ages gracefully. Its beautiful texture and color complement any architectural style and is a great return on your investment.  We also love its sustainability. Cedar doesn’t require treatment with toxic chemicals since it is naturally resistant to the elements. Its own natural preservatives allow the wood to be protected even in the harshest of winters. Wood is also a great option for those in the warmer climate since it is a natural insulator keeping the surface cool.

Outdoor Environments

To find out more about cedar decking please give us a call at 913-897-2706.