Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

There are tons of projects for us to do, in and around our homes; but, at least, we get to work with houses that already exist.  Imagine the monumental challenges that our earliest ancestors faced, when, surrounded by wilderness, they had to construct various forms of shelter from whatever was at hand.

Many of those who weren’t lucky enough to find caves to live in (the “high society” crowd), made huts from wood and branches, while others draped animal skins over wooden frameworks, or used the bones of mammoths for the skeletal (literally!) structures, then covered them with the skins.  In any case, it took a lot of effort to build even the most makeshift abode.

Even so, it wasn’t long before people began adding on rooms to these modest dwellings, and furnishing them with chairs and tables that had been crudely fashioned from rocks, wood, and branches.  Outdoor furniture, I guess, was anything that was found lying around on the ground.  Perhaps a felled tree could have been used as a lounge chair, a smooth rock, as a garden bench (or, if it teetered on an uneven surface, a rocker), and an animal pelt tied between two trees, as a hammock, a hammock chair, or even a porch swing.

Naturally, people quickly began accumulating more possessions, in an attempt to keep up with the Joneses – or, the Oggs, as the case may have been.  Then, because of the apparently innate compulsion of the human race to hoard things, even when there’s no place to put them, the first storage sheds were created; and, like many homes, and some inhabitants thereof, they were nothing but skin and bones.

Throughout the ages, they have really fleshed out, appearing in many forms and materials, in virtually every culture, evolving into the good old backyard structures that we’ve all come to know.  In the 21^st century, however, apparently unsatisfied with being used only for storage, the shed has once again changed the way it is perceived in society.

Today, there are several styles of sheds, made from vinyl, cedar, and pine, available with features that include skylights, insulation, window boxes, and dozens of colors of siding and roofing.  Along with their impressive, new looks, garden sheds are taking on daring new roles, as home offices and gyms, studios, playhouses, guest rooms, and hobby rooms.  In fact, because they have proven that they can successfully serve all of these purposes, and many more, sheds have become almost as popular as gazebos.

It just goes to show that great things can happen when you’re courageous enough to shed your old image.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: backyard structures, cedar, chairs, garden bench, Gazebos, hammock, hammock chair, insulation, lounge chair, Outdoor Furniture, pine, porch swing, rocker, roofing, Sheds, siding, skylights, storage shed, storage sheds, tables, vinyl, window boxes

Are you not sure what to do with a pool house if you don’t have a pool?  If you have a pool… are you still not sure if you’ll get enough use out of it?  Well, I’m here to tell you a pool house does NOT need a pool to be fabulous, and it can be used for plenty of activities!

1. Party Central- If you want the best backyard for get-togethers, parties, and barbeques… a pool house will definitely send you to the top of the list.  Pool houses include a concession window and bar that’s great for putting out drinks, snacks, pizzas, and goodies!  Plus, you can install a mini-fridge or microwave behind the window for quick prep and easy serving.  Imagine not having to constantly run between the kitchen and your party to get all the necessary supplies! Your guests will have a convenient and stylish place to grab some refreshments and you’ll be free to enjoy their company.  You can even design your pool house with an attached screened in porch and decorate it with a deep seating patio group, Adirondack chairs, and a porch swing.  That way everyone can come in and enjoy the evening bug-free once the sun goes down.
2. A Guest House- Neither you nor your house guests enjoy   the sofa-bed.  They feel like they’re intruding as they take up one of the family’s most used rooms; there’s no sense of relaxation with the constant and nagging feeling that they’re not only intruding, but lack a sense of privacy as well.  You hate quietly stumbling over the coffee maker or tip toeing around the room in fear that your morning commotion will wake your house guests.  The solution? A pool house.  Imagine having your own separate guest house with a screened in porch, windows, insulation, and electricity for your guests to retire to.  They’ll feel at ease knowing they’re not in your way, but won’t have to pay big for a hotel room that leaves them removed from your home.  And you won’t have to stay up wondering if your hundred pound dog is going to decide to jump up and lovingly (though they might consider it annoyingly) cuddle with them.  Your guests won’t feel like they “made it work” in your living room, they’ll feel like they escaped to a peaceful retreat!
3. Dressing Room- If you do have a pool, a pool house is incredibly helpful with the logistics that go into having such a great backyard watering hole.  Gone will be the days of dripping bathing suits hung from towel racks in your bathroom to allow puddles of water to sit on the tile.  No longer will your carpets suffer from little wet and dripping bodies scurrying through the house.  The days of wet towels starting to stink of mildew as they are buried at the bottom of the family hamper are over.  With a pool house, you can make sure all of the post-pool clean up happens before anyone leaves a watermark in your home.  Try setting up a pool shower with a privacy screen just outside the structure for people to rinse off and maybe even wash the chlorine from their hair.  Then, you can set up plenty of drying racks or clothes lines for wet towels and bathing on your porch.  Inside, throw in a Red Cedar Towel Valet and Hamper to keep clean dry towels in and a Modular Red Cedar Shelving Group for clean undergarments, shorts, and tee shirts.   Now, your family can go for a nice long swim, then shower, dry off, hang wet garments to dry, and put on clean, dry clothes before coming back into your home.  Sounds great, huh?
4. Good, Old Fashioned, Storage- If you have all kinds of outdoor furniture and décor, or even a heap of gardening and landscaping tools and equipment, you’ll need storage.  Most patio furniture needs to be stored throughout the winter to prevent damage, and garden equipment needs a safe and dry place to wait for you to use them!  A storage shed is great, but if you’re looking for a structure with a bit more aesthetic appeal, a pool house is a fantastic place to store out-of-season furniture or tools.  Plus, the optional attached porch will create a wonderful sitting area to enjoy as a bonus to your organized storage!  The other upside to using a pool house for a storeroom is versatility.  A shed can really only be used for one thing, but investing in a pool house now will free you up to use the structure as a guest house in a few years or to use as a party-station if an engagement or birthday calls for a big celebration.
5. A Fifth Room- A fifth room can literally be anything you want it to be.  An extension of your living space brought out into nature, you can create a home office, a personal hot tub spa, a meditation and exercise area, or an outdoor dining room.  A pool house will allow you to create another valued area of your home, with the solitude and convenience of being detached from the rest of the house.  There’s no reason your fifth room can’t be used for all of the above; a place to host parties, a spot for guests to stay, a private dressing area, a storeroom, plus a few more options!  Though a pool house may seem dependent on having a pool, it’s actually an incredibly versatile structure!

Tags: adirondack chairs, deep seating patio group, fifth room, modular shelving group, outdoor decor, Outdoor Furniture, patio furniture, Pool house, pool shower, porch swing, privacy screen, storage shed, towel valet and hamper