Tag Archives: Outdoor Environments

Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

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.
Outdoor Environments

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.
Outdoor Environments

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.
Outdoor Environments

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

fire pit

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.
firepit

Fire pit by Outdoor Environments

fire pit

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.

Overland Park will host 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer Championships

The greater Kansas City area will be inspired by the 2013 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships,Overland Park 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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AIA: Outdoor Living Spaces Popular

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.

AIA

 

 

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.

Arbors Keep Kansas City Decks Cool

Arbors add form and function to a home, helping to shade residents from this hot weather we are having in Kansas City.

Kansas City Arbor

Arbor by Outdoor Environments

Arbors help prevent glare and support the vines that provide shade. The arbor above, by Outdoor Environments in Overland Park, incorporates seating and planters into its architectural design. The arbor provides a transitional space between indoors and out, and coordinates with the railing. An outdoor environment is about more than square footage. Outdoor space should be divided into distinct and practical zones for a variety of activities.

 

Outdoor Environments Overland Park

Image via Outdoor Environments

 

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

How to Fix Peeling Paint on Your Kansas City Deck

An interesting article in The Kansas City Star had tips on fixing peeling deck

deck paint

paint, and we’ve boiled these tips and others down to five easy steps.

  • Step 1: Remove as much of the loose paint as possible with a wire brush.
  • Step 2: Use an orbital sander to remove the rest of the peeling paint.
  • Step 3: Sand again using a 150-220 grit sandpaper.
  • Step 4: Clean the deck, perhaps with a power-washer.
  • Step 5: Apply a wood primer and finally, paint.
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For Kansas City decks, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Overland Park. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.
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Image via greenliving

Concept-Driven Gardens in Kansas City

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.

Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

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.

Kansas City landscaping

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.

Kansas City landscaping

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.

Kansas City garden

Image via Powell Gardens

Lush Planter Ideas for Decks, Patios

A lush, overflowing planter can soften the architectural lines of a deck or patio. Here are examples of lush planters from across the nation.

  • Los Angeles. This avant-garde contemporary design by L.A.-based planter specialist Urban Nature incorporates flora suited for that climate.
lush planter

Urban Nature image via plusmood.com

  • New York. A variety of colors and textures play off of each other in this arrangment. This creator of this planter, by Sweet Dirt Designs, trained at the New York Botanical Garden.
lush planter

Image via Sweet Dirt Designs

  • Warm, Dry climates. This low-maintenance succulent planter was celebrated on Apartment Therapy. The container should have soil that is not too dense, and very little water is needed.
lush planter

Image via Apartment Therapy

  • St. Louis. This window-mounted planter, shown in Midwest Living Magazine, has European influence and provides greenery both above and below.
lush planter

Image via Midwest Living

Advantages of Multi-Level Decks

Multi-level decks have practical and aesthetic benefits that make them well-suited for for Kansas and other environs. Here are some of the advantages of multi-level decks:

  • Maximize space. Building up adds square footage without taking up more property. At Outdoor Environments, we angle each deck level to take advantage of views and sunlight.
multi-level deck

Outdoor Environments

  • Protect lower level. The bottom of the top deck serves as a roof for the lower deck, protecting it from rain, snow, and glare.
multilevel deck

Outdoor Environments

  • Entertaining. Multi-level decks enable guests to travel from one amenity to the other. An evening can consist of bar followed by pool followed by hot tub. These multiple tiers also add architectural interest, especially to exterior walls with few windows.
multi-level deck

Outdoor Environments


For a multi-level deck, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Kansas City. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.

Great Magazines for Backyards

We love reading about outdoor environments almost as much as we love creating them. Here are some top publications that we look forward to reading every month.

  • Kansas City Home & Garden shows a variety of distinctive landscapes.
  • Qualified Remodeler gives technical details about industry trends. It has been showing a lot of outdoor kitchens lately (see below), which we enjoy.
Qualified Remodeler

Image via Qualified Remodeler

  • Architectural Digest shows landscapes next to bold architecture. For example, it had a great article on an East Hampton home by Leroy Street Studio (image below).
Architectural Digest

Image via Architectural Digest. Photo: Adrian Wilson

  • Southern Living brings gracious living to families nationwide.
porch

Image via Southern Living

 

For lush backyards, porches, and more, contact Outdoor Environments, a certified contractor in Kansas City. Visit us online at www.outdoorenvironments.com or call 913-897-2706.