Tag Archives: outdoor entertaining

outdoor design ideas

Create a Focal Point in Your Yard With a Beautiful Fire Pit

outdoor design ideas

Source: DecorPad

Adding a fire pit to your Kansas City area backyard is one of the most popular outdoor remodeling trends. The fire pit extends the use of your outdoor living space from spring until late fall. Some people even enjoy the fire pit during the winter holiday season if there’s no rain or snow.

A fire pit can be any size or shape. It can sit in the ground or above on any size patio as long as the area is open and ventilated. A fire pit can stand alone or it can be part of a stone wall built around the patio. The fire can be gas, charcoal or wood.

A sunken fire pit can suggest a rustic campfire or it can be paved with stone or brick. Seating can be built-in with stone and decorated with colorful cushions that are removed during wet weather.

A raised tiled or stone fire pit can also be a welcome addition to the patio designed so that it doubles as a barbecue with a grill placed over the fire. Marshmallows and hot dogs can be roasted on a stick over any fire pit.

Contact Outdoor Environments for a fire pit for your patio.

 

outdoor living areas

Design Tips for Making Your Patio Usable Throughout the Year

outdoor living areas

Source: Outdoor Environments

A patio can be a wonderful addition to your home, as long as you are making good use of it. Many homeowners have patio spaces, but because they haven’t put any work into designing it, that space ends up being barely used. The following are a few ideas that you can incorporate into your patio design to make it more inviting.

  • Gazebo – Erect a gazebo over your patio area. This provides a number of benefits. You’ll still feel like you’re out in the open, since you’ll be able to see the sky, but you’ll still be protected from harsh sunlight. Additionally, a gazebo will create a more      comfortable atmosphere.
  • Plants and Trees – By planting plants and trees around your patio area, you will not only increase the scenic and natural beauty of the space, but you’ll also be helping to block out exterior noises and sounds such as traffic. You’ll also be adding shade.
  • Indoor Chandelier – Bring some of the comfort of inside outdoors by hanging a chandelier over a small table underneath your gazebo.

If you need assistance with patios in Kansas City, be sure to contact Outdoor Environments.

outdoor living spaces

Enhance Your Outdoor Storage With Beautiful Built-in Solutions

Finding enough storage space for all of your things can prove to be quite the chore sometimes. Perhaps the best solution is to get creative with some storage solutions for your patios, decks, outdoor living rooms and kitchens. So here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

  • Deck Space: The most obvious place, start storing things underneath your deck.
  • Storage Bench: Why not make your seating double as storage for gardening supplies and toys?
  • Mesh Bags: A must have for pool toys. The mesh helps them dry off and avoid mildew, putting it in a bag means that you can hang it from a wall too.
  • Recycled Tires: It sounds a little odd, but stacking a few recycled tires together makes a great storage area for kids toys. Just paint the outside to match the play area.
  • Milk Crates: These make an excellent storage place because not only are they stackable, but they’re easy to organize once the crates are all labelled.

outdoor living spaces

Source: Outdoor Environments

What kind of creative storage have you come up with to maximize your free space? Tell us below or come join the discussion on Facebook.

outdoor lighting

Light Your Outdoors with Universal Design in Mind

outdoor lighting

Image via Pinterest

Creative outdoor lighting is one of the leading outdoor remodeling trends.  Universal design in lighting leads the way to your front door safely and makes your patio and outdoor eating area more pleasant at night.

Universal design refers to safe and easy accessibility to residential and commercial buildings for people of all physical abilities, including those with disabilities, children, and seniors. Good outdoor lighting helps people of all ages and abilities see clearly where they are walking and stay safe on a path at night.

Well designed outdoor lighting creates zones to help people determine borders at the edge of paths and stairs.  Swimming pools and other landscaped water elements should also be illuminated at night for safety.

Various styles of outdoor lighting can illuminate pathways, entries and parking areas while adding elegance to your home. A pathway lined with ground-level LED lights can show the way to your front entry, backyard deck or  your garden. Illuminate your raised deck area with colorful lights under the railing.

Lights mounted next to or under steps will make them easier to ascend and descend at night. Lights can also be added to the stairway bannister by your front or back door.

Outdoor Environments will work with you to create safe and elegant lighting for the exterior of your Kansas City home.

outdoor decks living spaces

All the Comforts of Home – Outside

outdoor decks living spaces

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

“Summertime… and the living is easy,” or so the song so aptly goes. The summer is indeed, a great time to get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather especially if you can bring all the comforts of inside with you. Here are a few suggestions for creating an outside room that has all the comforts of home and making this transition possible: 

  • Use Comfortable Furniture – Face it. Most outdoor furniture is uncomfortable. Break the mold and find some that keeps your backside at ease.
  • Add Colorful Rugs – Richly colored rugs create conversational spaces and add a splash of excitement.
  • Decorate with Aplomb – Anything goes; art, potted plants, lanterns and even gold fish ponds. Treat this outdoor space like a room and decorate it.
  • Create a Focal Point – Build the space around one singular item like a fire pit or objets d’art and you will naturally generate a meeting for family and guests.

If you need more information on outdoor living rooms and kitchens, contact the professionals at Outdoor Environments, Inc. Our designers and staff are experts at expanding the interior comforts of your home into your outdoor spaces.

Lighting a Deck for Safety and Beauty

outdoor deck

Image via Pinterest

To make your deck among the most beautiful decks in Kansas City you will want to make sure that you take advantage of great lighting. You will find that there is a large variety of deck lighting from which you can choose to make your deck not only look great but to also be much safer for your family as well as for visitors.

All decks in Kansas City should offer the benefits of being able to be useful after the sun goes down and with smart lighting  you can almost use your deck as if it were another room added to your home. You can enjoy eating dinner on your deck or entertaining friends and family at get togethers during the evening hours or the late night hours if your choose.

Selecting from the vast choices of deck lighting will help light up the steps to your deck so that the deck is easily and safely accessed. Lighting can also be placed along your handrails to outline your deck. You may also choose to place your deck lights in areas that you want to be focal points.

For the best in outdoor deck construction and design, be sure you talk with the experts at Outdoor Environments if you have a home in the Kansas City area.

Decorate Your Deck for Thanksgiving

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to put away the fake, fuzzy spiders and the webs made of cotton and pull out decor that is warm and welcoming for Thanksgiving.

Decorating your deck is, in our opinion, one of the most fun parts of having a customized deck. It’s a great activity that brings the family together, energizes the holiday spirit in all those involved, and brings a fun and festive liveliness to your home.

However, decorating can be tricky. So we’ve put together some great ideas for you to try out on your Kansas City deck this fall:

Wreaths. Create them yourself or by them store made, but wreaths incorporating colorful leaves or festive mini-pumpkins are a welcoming addition.

Potted Plants.  A year round favorite, potted plants instantly bring color to any deck.

Customized Pumpkins. Paint a welcoming message across a few pumpkins. Whether it’s your family name, house number or even just a plain “Welcome,” personalizing your home has never been easier.

Horn and Husks. A classic fall favorite. Create something artistic, display in a garland, or just bunch together a bunch of colorful corn tusks and their dried husks.

Cornucopia. A Thanksgiving classic, but instead of filling it with food, try filling it with festive flowers, leaves and dried berries instead.

 

Celebrate this beautiful season by decorating your custom built Kansas City deck today.

 

An Outdoor Thanksgiving: Giving Your Holidays A Natural Twist

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

 

 

5 Great Tips on Decorating Your Deck This Fall

Photo: Amy Neunsinger

Beautiful decks aren’t just for the warmer seasons anymore. Easily make your patio or deck a warm and cozy oasis for entertaining guests or a soothing space to enjoy yourself.

 

  • Lighting is an important element. With cooler months bringing us less light, it’s important to have an adequate amount of lighting. Set the mood with soft yellow) for an intimate feel, or use white solar lights provide a brighter, high-energy vibe.

 

  • Candles easily add ambience and decor with lanterns or hurricanes. Also use different height candles to add visual depth and color.

 

  • Baskets are a perfect (and versatile) way to accent your room. Coat your basket with either acrylic or outdoor paint and fill it with magazines or throws.

 

  • Plants bring life to any deck. Surround yourself with fall-friendly plants such as Plentifall pansies, bluestars, and mums.

 

  • Firepits are a great addition to any patio to celebrate cold weather.

 

Want an amazing deck or patio of your very own? 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.

 

Photo Credit: http://amyneunsinger.com/

Deck Makeover: Before and After

At Outdoor Environments, we have been creating outdoor living rooms for Kansas City homeowners since 1991! We often add entirely new decks, sunrooms, screened in patios, and gazebos for our customers, but we also perform another vital service- remodeling or replacing old or badly designed decks to better suit the architecture and flow of the house. There are plenty of less-than-desirable decks out there, but you don’t have to resign yourself to living with a badly designed outdoor living area!

Take a look at one of our deck remodeling projects, below.

Before

This was a beautiful, spacious house and yard, but the deck seemed like a last-minute addition that did not relate to the scale or materials of the house at all. In fact, the tiny deck was basically just a landing for the strangely large and prominent staircase. There were not many entertaining or leisure opportunities on that staircase, to be sure!

After

As you can see in the “after” photo, Outdoor Environments created a deck that relates to the architecture of the home and simultaneously creates much more space for outdoor dining and relaxing. The homeowners now have the perfect party deck, and the back of the home looks much more intentional and complete.

If you would like to add or remodel a deck on your Kansas City area home, contact Outdoor Environments today!