Like closing up your cabin for the winter, certain measures should be taken to brace your patio and its patio furniture for colder months. Post-hibernation however, it is equally as important to inspect and treat a patio in the spring for the bumps and bruises that can occur while we were inside. Thankfully for our weary, cold weather spirits, springtime weather is just around the corner and with the help of these hints on how to spring your patio back into action, you’ll officially be ready for the sun.

1)  If your patio is concrete, make sure it’s free of cracks before bringing your outdoor furniture out of your garden shed.  To do this, first make sure that all of the outdoor decor is  cleared off. Then, with either caulk or epoxy, begin to fill in any of the cracks. You’ll want to add sand to epoxy for aesthetic purposes – making it a perfect match of the concrete – and then smooth over the epoxy just as you would flatten out concrete itself.

2)    Using a concrete sealant after filling in the cracks will help prevent future cracking. You should first make sure the area is swept, and cleaned with an acidic cleaning agent to best remove stains, before applying the sealant to the patio.

3)    Look over all of the patio furniture for damaged areas and reconfigure the pieces on the patio. You may notice a bit of rust or patina to the garden furniture, so if necessary repaint, reupholster, or purchase new additions as needed. Set them out according to a plan you have in mind from the previous year, or adjust as necessary.

4)    Speaking of new additions, one thing you’ll definitely want to add this year, if   you don’t have one already, is a grill. Together with the outdoor furniture, bringing a grill into the scene adds a charming outdoor dining effect and is convenient for warm summer parties. If you have one already, make sure it’s positioned right where you want it, equipped with its tools and gas or coal, and polished up for use.

If you go through the simple steps of ensuring your patio is topped off with all cracks filled, all outdoor furniture touched up, and with a new sealant, all you’ll need then is to pull out the grill and do some entertaining to officially get rid of the winter blues!

The quintessential patio chair – tried and true since their inception in 1903 when eleven pieces of wood cut from a single board made their shape – Adirondack chairs are a crowd favorite for entertaining in the backyard, rocking on the front porch, and even folding up when space is needed. It seems that whatever the purpose, an Adirondack chair has a solution for the problem. Thin, reclined, and with a great geometry that accounts for the comfort we seek in an outdoor patio chair, the Adirondack chair varieties serve almost all of our basic human needs in everlasting style.

Treated Pine Kennebunkport Chair: Named after the town in York County, Maine that is known well for its reputation as “a summer haven for the wealthy”, the Kennebunkport Adirondack chair uses Treated Pine in this classy version. Hand-crafted and durable from the nature of its wood, this chair uses galvanized bolts, washers, and nuts to finish out the Adirondack chair’s stylish appearance and help it to sit tall and strong forever.

Polywood Adirondack Rocker: Rocking in the already reclined comfort of an Adirondack chair is a beautiful way to spend the afternoon. Knowing it is made from a Polywood material, or polyethylene plastic lumber, makes you feel that much more at ease knowing you’re keeping forests in tact and plastics out of the landfill. Use this classic porch rocker on your porch or as a set on your patio by the pool. Wherever it decides to rest, a Polywood frame with stainless steel hardware adorning your outdoor living area makes the simple things in life the most pleasurable.

3) Eucalyptus Stained Folding Adirondack Chair: Likely a conversation piece wherever it rocks, the Eucalyptus Stained Folding Adirondack Chair is as apparently luxurious as it is sturdy. Often related to the Teak outdoor furniture whose natural oils help create long-lasting outdoor furniture sets, the FSC Certified Eucalyptus wood is dense and gorgeous when paired with stainless and galvanized steel hardware. To make it even better, this Folding Adirondack chair made it onto this list for its ability to do just as it states – fold up and be put away easily for events, dining or ray of sunshine that comes your way.

4) Red Cedar Southern Wide Slat Adirondack Chair: With massive 5” wide back slats for full body support, the design of this Red Cedar Southern Wide Slat Adirondack Chair lends itself to a great afternoon read or conversation without worry. The deep seating area provides plentiful comfort and lumbar support while the wide arms rest weary limbs at any point during the day. With zinc-plated steel hardware, the Western Red Cedar wood and its 390-lb capacity are a welcome addition to households where size and quality are almost as important as the beautiful design of the patio furniture.

Outdoor spaces grow with every season, as homeowners create alfresco dining spaces with picnic tables and outdoor napping spots with swing beds.  However, the greatest opportunities can sometimes serve the greatest challenges.  I love the limitless prospects of decorating without walls or ceilings, but creating distinct spaces can be difficult without these go-to dividers.

Many people want a space for dinner parties as well as space for casual socializing.  Using creative barriers can help define spaces and communicate an open, yet structured outdoor space design.

Pathways: Often, space can be the best friend to the outdoor decorator.  If you’re lucky enough to take advantage of an expansive backyard, don’t feel pressured to pile your outdoor rooms on top of each other.  Housing your living space in a gazebo and your dining area under your porch (near the kitchen!) will clearly delineate your outdoor rooms.

To propel guests toward different outdoor rooms, use inviting pathways.  Paver stones and brick walkways work well, but treated pine roll-up walkways are an economical and portable option. Laying out pathways and walkways clearly tells guests where to explore!

Structures:  Using backyard structures like gazebos, pergolas and pool houses is another easy way to clearly separate outdoor spaces.  If you’re back deck is lined with patio chairs and chaise lounges, make your backyard gazebo a destination spot for dining.  Using structures not only adds dynamic architectural elements to your landscape, it creates more covered areas for relaxing and entertaining.

Flora: Using vertical gardening techniques can also create private spaces and living walls between outdoor rooms.  Growing wisteria or trumpet vines up a trellis or garden arbor will develop colorful, living and growing walls that will make guests feel at home in a secret garden.  Using garden arbors with gates and softening the latticed edges with growing morning glories will let beautiful color spill over into every available outdoor space.

Separating living, dining and lounging spaces within your outdoor rooms will make your backyard areas seem larger and more encompassing.  Group your outdoor furniture and patio furniture into outdoor rooms and make entertaining easy by cuing your guests around your outdoor living spaces.

Have Fun!

Hazel.

Many homeowners are constantly flipping through home and garden publications, reading outdoor living blogs, and wishing they had access to an outdoor pergola that fit their unique design needs.   Many homeowners fear that a custom pergola would be far too costly for their limited budgets.  But, this isn’t always the case.

Some of the most common situations requiring a custom pergola are covering a unique sized porch or patio, wanting to cover large spaces with angles as well as simply looking for a structure that will stand out from the crowd.

Unique Sized Porch or Patio:  Many custom pergolas are created to cover a porch or patio that does not conform to standard sizing.  Whether yours is long and narrow or short and wide, taking advantage of custom pergola options will help you create a covered outdoor living space that fits.

Angles and Spaces: Especially on large poolside properties, pergolas are required to cover a large span with custom angles.  Using an “L” shaped pergola creates more usable covered space that can hug the pool or other focal point.  It’s important to get the size and shape that nestled into your outdoor living space perfectly, so a custom pergola is incredibly helpful.  You will also want to ensure that all of your patio furniture and outdoor furniture has enough space to spread out beneath the beams.

Wanting to Stand Out in the Crowd:  Many homeowners just have that inimitable taste and can’t find their design personality in most standard pergolas.  Small touches like custom base trim or custom columns can turn any space into a designer space.  If it’s you, and not your space constraints, demanding a custom pergola… never shy away from getting what you want.  Outdoor living spaces deserve to be escapes from the everyday.

As February comes to a close, and the beautiful spring season comes upon us, it very may be time for a custom pergola.  Create a vacation get-away in your backyard this year, and enjoy every evening as if you were at a resort.

Many homeowners are constantly flipping through home and garden publications, reading outdoor living blogs, and wishing they had access to an outdoor pergola that fit their unique design needs.   Many homeowners fear that a custom pergola would be far too costly for their limited budgets.  But, this isn’t always the case.

Some of the most common situations requiring a custom pergola are covering a unique sized porch or patio, wanting to cover large spaces with angles as well as simply looking for a structure that will stand out from the crowd.

Unique Sized Porch or Patio:  Many custom pergolas are created to cover a porch or patio that does not conform to standard sizing.  Whether yours is long and narrow or short and wide, taking advantage of custom pergola options will help you create a covered outdoor living space that fits.

Angles and Spaces: Especially on large poolside properties, pergolas are required to cover a large span with custom angles.  Using an “L” shaped pergola creates more usable covered space that can hug the pool or other focal point.  It’s important to get the size and shape that nestled into your outdoor living space perfectly, so a custom pergola is incredibly helpful.  You will also want to ensure that all of your patio furniture and outdoor furniture has enough space to spread out beneath the beams.

Wanting to Stand Out in the Crowd:  Many homeowners just have that inimitable taste and can’t find their design personality in most standard pergolas.  Small touches like custom base trim or custom columns can turn any space into a designer space.  If it’s you, and not your space constraints, demanding a custom pergola… never shy away from getting what you want.  Outdoor living spaces deserve to be escapes from the everyday.

As February comes to a close, and the beautiful spring season comes upon us, it very well  may be time for a custom pergola.  Create a vacation get-away in your backyard this year, and enjoy every evening as if you were at a resort.

The origin of the word “pergola” comes from the late Latin word pergula, which refers to a projecting eave. Although the architectural word we use today in English is borrowed from the derivative of the original Latin word, the term dates back to before 1645 when an Englishman used it to describe what was built in Rome at the Trinitá dei Monti cloisters.

Modern Patio Pergolas:  When we think of the meaning of a patio pergola, nothing about cloisters or life back in 1645 comes to mind. In fact, we typically think of eating alfresco with outdoor furniture, covering a repose in the hot tub during inclement weather, and perhaps – if you’re well-educated in the outdoor living arena – the ShadeFX canopies that have recently boomed as an outdoor solution to gaps between backyard pergola rafters.

Al Fresco Dining and Hot Tub Coverage:  If eating alfresco or putting a cover over your hot tub brings the family outdoors on a more regular basis, the patio pergola or hot tub pergola is already worth considering. Not walled, like a gazebo or garden shed, a pergola shades you from the beating sun and protects from rain and snow. A cedar pergola can create the perfect scene for a Mediterranean dinner experience while a vinyl pergola’s versatility takes on a much more modern approach to covered spa or dinner party time.

Retractable ShadeFX Canopies:  If modularity is important, the retractable ShadeFX pergola is the best for opening up and closing when need be. The canopy can be automatically pulled close in case of rain or harsh sunshine but reopened quickly and easily – almost disappearing into its frame – when the skies above are desired.  Even if the weather isn’t fit for outdoor dining, using a ShadeFX canopy can protect your patio furniture as well.

A backyard pergola fills the spaces between structures fluidly while covering exposed patios and jacuzzis. Taking it all into account, pergolas keep outdoor dining and entertaining experiences just about unphased by the subtle shifts in Mother Nature.

Much of the east coast was blessed (or was it cursed?) with a brief taste of warm, spring weather.  There’s something about those mild temperatures that excites a renovation bug within our bellies.  After all, isn’t that what spring cleaning is all about?  Throw open the windows, move the furniture and vacuum up all that dust, finally get through that half-completed re-organization project sitting in the corner.

The same is true of backyards.  Once the weather starts to get warmer, all I can see are garden centers and outdoor living retailers creating gorgeous outdoor spaces.  The way the snow melts into the soil smells like opportunity.  A shiny new spring, a fresh new look at your backyard that hid under that snow all winter, a brand new chance to make your home exactly the way you want it to be.

One of the best backyard projects is an effective outdoor storage system.  No great gardens or outdoor dining areas can be created among clutter and tools laying around.  Creating an efficient and functional outdoor storage structure will help get all of your tools and supplies in line to create a more beautiful outdoor space.

Deck Boxes:  For those with minimal storage needs, one or six deck boxes might be a great solution.  Many deck boxes are made specifically to hold outdoor furniture cushions and other outdoor textiles, to help keep your patio furniture accessories clean and well-maintained in inclement weather.  Deck boxes are incredibly versatile, as they can double as patio chairs as well.  Though not terribly glamorous, deck boxes and patio storage can be used as a quick outdoor bench in a pinch.

Potting Benches: Potting benches are a godsend to any avid gardener.  A beautiful and high quality potting bench can add a dynamic element to your backyard space, as well as getting you organized.  Many potting benches have basins for potting soil, and all have specialized storage sections made specifically for a gardeners’ needs.  Say good bye to the pile of garden tools sitting in a rusty bucket by the backdoor. Say hello to your fashionable, functional outdoor potting bench.

Storage Sheds: If you’ve outgrown your current patio storage needs, and are currently re-configuring your garage’s intricate hybrid game of jenga and tetris… it’s time for a backyard storage shed.  The world of backyard sheds has come a long way, before you grimace at those plywood sheds often seen lined up in roadside parking lots.  Stylish backyard sheds can be customized to fit any space requirement, and can be built with high quality tongue-and-groove cedar interiors.  Work benches, green house windows, and porches are all available options on any top-grade backyard shed.  Create a garden structure that stores your stuff and elevates the style of your outdoor space!

Depending on your storage needs, a simple deck box may be all you need.  But, if you’ve been putting this off for awhile, a backyard shed might be the solution to your car perpetually parked outside your garage!  It’s nearly spring, start planning projects that will renew your home and garden now.

Long before we considered white pine outdoor furniture a style, we used thick conglomerations of earthy wood to make everything from patio chairs and picnic tables to garden benches and planters. Nowadays, with plenty of manmade options attempting to conquer the market, we’re seeing the about-face towards whole log outdoor furniture as the most natural way to achieve rustic beauty in natural, high quality materials that can play easily with colorful cushions to create a comfortable deck or yard design.

Blend Wood Furniture Into its Natural Environment:  The best part about using rustic white pine or cedar patio furniture is that the stage has already been set. No need to match colors, patterns, or infuse textures into your patio design – with whole log furnishings, you automatically mirror the beauty of the trees and plants that surround your yard. Open up your back door and enjoy the seamless beauty of the planet earth as a functional patio seating arrangement or cozy garden bench.

White Cedar and White Pine Furniture Understand Nature:  If you’re concerned about weathering materials, the logical solution is to infuse hearty woods that understand what it is to reside outdoors in their natural state. With pine log and white cedar log furnishings, you obtain some of the highest levels of resiliency in wood. Each piece – rain or shine – will look bright and new year after year, with proper care and maintenance.

Add Comfort With a Cushioned Effect:  Since we speak so highly of its durability, wood is naturally not going to be the softest material to sit on while reading or laying out while the kids play for hours on end. For this reason, the easy addition of colorful outdoor furniture cushions is a great way to bring in the soft, comfortable qualities that don’t take away from your ability to breathe in the fresh air for extended periods of time. Look into cushions that blend in with mellow, neutral tones or stand out with bright, solid colors or patterns.

The unison of nature and patio furniture comfort blends together perfectly with rustic outdoor furniture built to last.

As the heat of summer sweeps the nation, porches and patios are quickly becoming vacation destinations for families and friends.  Whether you’re hoping your outdoor space will be a hub of social activity or a sanctuary of escape, designing a porch that suits your needs exactly will allow you to enjoy your outdoor space to its fullest potential.

Furniture: Your porch furniture is sure to define your entire space.  For an outdoor room to feel comfortable, it has to be furnished like a true room. Find outdoor deep seating collections or outdoor dining sets that are pre-selected to match.  It makes it a no-fail solution.  Plus, buying in groups usually saves you money

Lighting: Using outdoor lighting will let you enjoy your porch for longer.  While many porches do have an overhead light source, using outdoor lamps creates more ambient tones that make your porch feel more like home. “I have an outdoor ceiling fan with a built in light,” said Lauren Klock, a homeowner in the middle of a porch re-decorating project.  “The fan moves the air to keep the breeze going and the bugs away, and the lighting element is great for evening get-togethers.”

Drapes, Rugs and Pillows: Outdoor curtains, rugs, and outdoor furniture pillows can soften the edges of a porch and truly finish an outdoor space. Mary Morris, author of Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com said “A lovely outdoor rug can sure pull together an outdoor space like nothing else: it is soft for bare feet and gives your porch a comfortable feel.”  Keep a color scheme in mind when selecting textile elements like outdoor drapes, outdoor rugs, pillows and outdoor furniture cushions.  Making sure all of your softer pieces coordinate will streamline your design.

Morris also suggests letting the garden do the decorating.  “Grace your porch with seasonal potted plants, hanging baskets and vases of fresh fragrant flowers.  Dress up your bistro table with a vase of fresh flowers from your garden. Lilacs, gerbera daisies, vincas, roses, even fresh herbs are nice.”

Selecting the right patio furniture, porch lighting and outdoor textiles will create an outdoor space that you can’t wait to enjoy.

Families are always looking for ways to spend more time together, and parents are often searching for strategies to pull their kids away from the television and video games.   Many homeowners are creating gathering spaces right in their own backyards, to provide a fun and at-home retreat.  When considering turning your porch or yard into a dynamic living and gathering area, keep to these five tips!

Safety First: More than any other consideration, safety should always be at the top of the list, especially for families with young children.  One trending outdoor furniture complement is the fire pit.  Whether used for cooking, keeping warm or just aesthetics, it doesn’t have to be out of the questions for families. Fire pits should have a protective ring around them to keep the flame contained.  But, also consider how you envision the fire pit being used. The options for fire pits are incredibly varied, so it’s important to consider your maintenance concerns and your intended use before diving into the selection

Furniture Materials: Always look for patio furniture in materials that will stand up to harsh outdoor environments: Red and White Cedars contain naturally embedded oils that resist insect damage and decay.  Teak is a dense, heavy outdoor wood that is fantastic for patios and exudes absolute luxury.  If you’re looking for something synthetic, Polywood is created from recycled milk jugs and plastic bottles originally destined for the landfill.  Fashioned to look and feel like real wood, the plastic construction makes it absolutely indestructible.

Child Size and Kid Friendly: Consider incorporating kid’s outdoor furniture into your backyard space design.  Having their own area, seats and tables will encourage them to spend more time outdoors.  When hosting a neighborhood get-together, the kids will have a place to entertain each other without being constantly underfoot.  A lot of retailers sell child-sized outdoor furniture that match their standard size designs, so your entire outdoor room can have a unified, but still functional, lay out.

Stay on Budget: Balancing a budget with a growing family is no easy task, and creating an outdoor room doesn’t have to break the bank.  Look for outdoor furniture that can serve multiple purposes.  For example, get an outdoor dining set that has patio chairs you can pull away for round-the-fire pit seating.  Picnic tables with detached benches can be used in the traditional way, or you can set out a buffet style meal on the table and use the benches elsewhere for more casual seating. Adding splashes of color is also an simple way to make a big impact.  Plan a color scheme that works with your home and incorporate it into patio umbrellas and outdoor furniture cushions.  Adding indoor comfort and brightening color will make your outdoor space feel more finished and furnished. Then, if you ever get tired of your design, you can simply switch out the cushions for a brand new look!

Carve Out a Space for Just You: Especially for busy mothers, any porch, patio, or outdoor spaces should always leave a section nestled in the corner for solo-relaxation.  Whether you string a hammock, hang a porch swing, or simply pull one of those dining chairs/patio chairs out of the way, having a quiet space to reflect and drink tea outdoors will do wonders for your stress levels.  Creating an outdoor room will give you a great place to entertain, but also a quiet place to escape the every day noises of your home’s interior.

Have Fun!

Hazel.