Outdoor Environments Blog

We love to create beautiful outdoor living spaces for our clients. Our work in the Kansas City area has won us awards, but the greatest achievement is seeing the smile on our clients’ faces. If you are looking to build a space that is unique to your needs and environment please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

• Annual recipient of NARI Awards for Design, Building and Contracting Excellence including
• 2-Time winner Contractor of the Year for Exterior Specialties
• 4-Time Winner of the prestigious National Association of The Remodeling Industry (NARI) Award for home remodeling
• Judges for the Kansas City Home & Garden “Home of the Year” Award

We have been designing and building decks for the greater Kansas City area for almost 20 years. At Outdoor Environments, Inc we want to make the most of your outdoor living space. Whether you are looking for a single or multi-level deck or an addition to your home we can build you the space of your dreams.

Take a look below at some of our work.

If you have any questions please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

Schools are starting back this month and summer break is beginning to wind down in Kansas. We might have a couple of months left of warm weather before fall sets in, but with school in session, our outdoor living will be reduced to a couple of hours on the weekend.

Outdoor Kitchen by Outdoor Environments

Make the most of summer by hosting a back-to-school barbecue and fire up the grill with this delicious recipe from the Food Network.

The Neely’s Kansas City Style Pork Ribs
Ingredients

• 2 slabs pork spare ribs, 3 pounds each
• Kansas City Barbeque Sauce, recipe follows

Dry Rub:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the thin white membrane off of the bone-side of the ribs. Mix together the brown sugar, dry mustard, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Massage the rub into the ribs and let sit for 1 hour or up to overnight.If cooking on the grill, place the ribs meat-side down next to medium-hot coals that are about 225° F. The indirect heat will cook them slower, making them tender. Allow to cook for 1 hour. Turn ribs every half hour and baste with the Kansas City Barbeque Sauce. Cook until the ribs are tender, about 3 to 4 hours.  

If cooking indoors, place in a roasting pan with a rack. Slather the ribs with the Kansas City Barbeque Sauce and tent a piece of aluminum foil over them. In a preheated 350° F. oven, place the ribs, basting with the sauce every 30 minutes and removing the foil for the last 30 minutes and cooking until fork tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Kansas City Barbeque Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (about 2/3 cup)small onion, finely diced
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup (2 (6-ounce) cans) tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small sauce pot on medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion, cooking until translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Add to sauce pan and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Use to baste the pork spare ribs.

Yield: 3 cups

We know that the last thing you want to do right now in this heat is lounge outside, but these beautiful outdoor living spaces are too cool to pass up.

We are in love with the use of drapes in these outside rooms below. It’s a great way to ward off the sun and cool things down.

House Beautiful

House Beautiful

What do you think?

We love the photo collage Shelter Pop has created to add some extra pop to your outdoor living space. The hanging flower pots and lanterns are my favorite items.

For more on products that make dining outdoors more enjoyable visit Shelterpop.com.

Photo by Shelterpop

Photo by Shelterpop

Photo by Shelterpop

When we were younger kids actually played outdoors. They didn’t have a video game that simulated tennis or football; we actually went outside and tossed a football around or hit the courts for a singles game.

In an effort to reinstate playing outside we are dedicating our post to some of our favorite vintage outdoor games courtesy of Country Living magazine.

Country Living. Miniature Golf

Country Living. Horseshoes

Country Living. Krokay

Country Living. Lawn Bowling

Country Living says Bing-It is "a Ping-Pong/badminton hybrid that uses tambourines as paddles (and doesn't require a table or net)".

Hot tubs are gaining popularity. Unlike the pool, a hot tub can stay open year round. But before you purchase your hot tub, there are a couple of things you need to consider.  Let our list below help you make a more informed decision on buying a hot tub.

1. Make sure you properly measure the space available for the hot tub to determine the size you need. Whether you are looking to accommodate 2 or 10 people, you need to calculate the area first.
2. Contact your insurer to find out how much space you need between the hot tub and the home as well as the edge of the property.
3. The shell of the hot tub, usually made of acrylic, fiberglass and resin, must be at least 5 millimeters thick. Microban technology is used in certain finishes to prevent the spread of bacteria.
4. Make sure all four panels of the hot tub are well insulated.
5. Choose which type of skirt, a wooden structure surrounding the hot tub, you’d like for the hot tub. The skirt is usually made of cedar or resin. You’ll need to preserve the skirt with a water-repellent treatment. You’ll want to make sure that parts of the skirt can be removed in case you need to get to a part in the hot tub.
6. Choose a pump that best suits your needs. If you want a more therapeutic massage two pumps might be necessary. The more jets in a hot tub, the more powerful the pump needs to be.
7. You’ll want to make sure the light and control panel for the hot tub are within easy access once you are sitting in the tub.
8. The cover of the hot tub must be at strong enough to support the weight of a small child and we recommend getting one with a lock.
9. The filtration system should be closely monitored and we recommend purchasing two filters so you can rotate them during cleaning.
10. The water heater must have an output of at least 5.5 kilowatts.

Below are some of our hot tub enclosures, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

We came across these outdoor entertaining must-haves on My Home Ideas and we wanted to share with you some of our favorites! These items are the perfect pick me up for your outdoor dining experience.

Make sure you set the table with these biodegradable bamboo plates.

Bamboo Veneerware Plates from Re:Modern

Toast an evening under the stars with these indestructible wine glasses.

Permaglass Wine Glasses by Smith & Hawken

Light up the way with these polished nickel glass hurricane candle holders.

Santorini Round Lanterns Polished Nickel by Restoration Hardware

This rattan flatware organizer is ideal for carrying the silverware to the table.

Vintage Rattan Kitchen Organizer by Smith & Hawken

Outdoor rugs have come a long way and will sure to dress up any deck they touch.

Outdoor Kilim Rug from Pottery Barn

Bon appetit!

Rocking chairs, porch swings, tables and recliners, Southern Living shows you how to arrange your porch seating to make the most of the space allotted.  Jennifer Kopf, Home Editor at Southern Living, walks you through the different types of porches and suggests the best layout for the best views.  Whether you are looking for a place to entertain or a quiet place to read a book, your porch can accommodate whatever mood you are in!

Always one to help out when we can, we’ve decided to assist you in jump starting your creative juices.  And what better way to get inspired than by Lonny, one of our favorite design resource sites.

Take a look at these inspiring spaces that will make you want to head outdoors.

Lonny Magazine

This space above is one of my favorites, I love how the  mounted shovel brings the whole room together.

Lonny Magazine

This above room doesn’t even look like it belongs outdoors.  It reminds me of something you’d see at a resort in South Beach.

Lonny Magazine

The mixed use of style of furniture in this above photo caught my eye.  I love the look of the wooden bench with these garden chairs.

Lonny Magazine

This is the perfect table setting for eating outdoors, the tray allows for easy transferring of drinks and dishes.