Patios and Outdoor Livingspaces
When enjoying the out of doors in the warmer months ahead, what do you need?
Well of course you need an occasion, a theme perhaps, and you need food and your favorite method of cooking.
Wok, Waffle Iron or Blow Torch...
Cooking and entertaining; whether its a oil drum grill or a Big Green Egg,
you want to have some accessories...
Fan, lights, music and running water.
A small prep area for those final cuts, tools and knife storage trays.
Maybe a small fridge for the marinades and BBQ Sauces and a frosty cold beverage or two.
Bug spray.
In short you want a real deal kitchen out in the back yard or by the pool so you can entertain your friends, family and who knows maybe each other.
The fan is a dependable source of cool comfort in an outdoor environment. Keeps smoke out of your eyes and maybe blows the gnats off too. I like the occilating model wall mounted to a post above head high and blowing down and out over the grilling area to keep smoke swept out from under the roofing material.
Lights are great when its dark. Can't stress that enough...
nice indirect lighting that enhances your hardscape
and makes seeing at night easy without shining in your eyes.
Also a clear and bright lightfixture that illuminates the grill area completely gets big marks with me...and having a switch in easy reach to check the meat and then turn off the bright lights is priceless.
Music is a great mood setting tool. Designing a surround system of speakers is easy with wireless components, but hey, you can always go ghetto and rock out a boom box on your shoulder. Musical selections are also important for your evenings' festivities. Nothing too "speed-metal-thrash" unless it's the theme for that evening.
Running water is so nice.
Chop some lemons and onions and then a clove or two of garlic. Rosemary leaves about 2 handfulls of the fresh herb. Add together with a cup of olive oil and some coarse ground sea salt. After making this marinade you will want to wash your knife, cutting boards and then your hands. After the chicken is washed and cut up the boards go back to wash as well as the knives. A steel double sink, a cast concrete sink built into a concrete countertop, and any of a thousand variations on this theme are possible. Add a firepit to this setting and increase your usage later into the fall and earlier in the spring. Next think about comfortable seating and a place to eat this feast.
Think of your outdoor living areas as just another room in your house.
It's a special place really though. A place to share food and reconnect with the ones you love.
Stare into a dancing fire and lose yourself in the warmth of it.
Show a youngster how to properly "char-roast" a marshmallow.
Or admire the eternal optimism of the Fireflies.
Well of course you need an occasion, a theme perhaps, and you need food and your favorite method of cooking.
Wok, Waffle Iron or Blow Torch...
Cooking and entertaining; whether its a oil drum grill or a Big Green Egg,
you want to have some accessories...
Fan, lights, music and running water.
A small prep area for those final cuts, tools and knife storage trays.
Maybe a small fridge for the marinades and BBQ Sauces and a frosty cold beverage or two.
Bug spray.
In short you want a real deal kitchen out in the back yard or by the pool so you can entertain your friends, family and who knows maybe each other.
The fan is a dependable source of cool comfort in an outdoor environment. Keeps smoke out of your eyes and maybe blows the gnats off too. I like the occilating model wall mounted to a post above head high and blowing down and out over the grilling area to keep smoke swept out from under the roofing material.
Lights are great when its dark. Can't stress that enough...
nice indirect lighting that enhances your hardscape
and makes seeing at night easy without shining in your eyes.
Also a clear and bright lightfixture that illuminates the grill area completely gets big marks with me...and having a switch in easy reach to check the meat and then turn off the bright lights is priceless.
Music is a great mood setting tool. Designing a surround system of speakers is easy with wireless components, but hey, you can always go ghetto and rock out a boom box on your shoulder. Musical selections are also important for your evenings' festivities. Nothing too "speed-metal-thrash" unless it's the theme for that evening.
Running water is so nice.
Chop some lemons and onions and then a clove or two of garlic. Rosemary leaves about 2 handfulls of the fresh herb. Add together with a cup of olive oil and some coarse ground sea salt. After making this marinade you will want to wash your knife, cutting boards and then your hands. After the chicken is washed and cut up the boards go back to wash as well as the knives. A steel double sink, a cast concrete sink built into a concrete countertop, and any of a thousand variations on this theme are possible. Add a firepit to this setting and increase your usage later into the fall and earlier in the spring. Next think about comfortable seating and a place to eat this feast.
Think of your outdoor living areas as just another room in your house.
It's a special place really though. A place to share food and reconnect with the ones you love.
Stare into a dancing fire and lose yourself in the warmth of it.
Show a youngster how to properly "char-roast" a marshmallow.
Or admire the eternal optimism of the Fireflies.
Posted by David Gordon at 7/20/2011 8:00 AM 
Categories: Outdoor Spaces
Tags: patio outdoor kitchens outdoor space water features
Categories: Outdoor Spaces
Tags: patio outdoor kitchens outdoor space water features
Patios and Outdoor Livingspaces are the most fun place in the warmer months and do not forget to focus on decorative concrete for outdoor living spaces.
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