2013 Outdoor Living Trends
As Spring is just around the corner, it is time to look at what is hot in the outdoor living category for 2013. Every year we at Archadeck Outdoor Living find our clients asking for different finishes or types of projects that would enhance their outdoor living spaces. The America Society of Landscape Architects, or ASLA, recently released survey results on what is hot for this year. Here are some of the highest ranked projects:
Ninety-seven percent of respondents rated fire pits or outdoor fireplaces as in demand. We’ve discussed the growing popularity in fire features over the last few years. As outdoor living spaces have evolved into true extensions of the home, we see that outdoor fireplaces are being added to include the homey feeling outdoors. Not to mention they allow homeowners to use the space well into the fall. Who doesn’t enjoy bundling up by the fire and enjoying s’mores or hot cocoa? I know I do.
Rated just under outdoor fireplaces and fire pits were grills. Grills have been popular additions to outdoor living spaces for years. When it comes to grills, and outdoor kitchens, the possibilities are endless, but they should also be planned for. We’ve all seen grills that are placed on a deck or patio but don’t really seem to have a place. Even if the grill isn’t built into the outdoor structure, make sure to tell your patio or deck builder to create a space for the grill. When it has a designated space, it increases the flow and design of the space.
Third and fourth on the list were seating and dining areas and outdoor lighting. This doesn’t surprise us at all. For an outdoor living space to be an extension of the home and to be used, it has to have purpose. No one spends time in the empty rooms of their house, why would they outside? When considering adding a deck, porch, patio, sunroom, screened porch or other outdoor structure to your property, make sure you tell the designer how you intend to use the space. You may find that you want separate areas for different purposes: one place to sit and read a book and another to dine with friends and family. And, if you want to use the space after dark, add outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting can be added to outdoor living spaces at any time in most cases, but will be more seamless if you plan to add it while the project is being built.
The trends in outdoor living spaces do change, but as Nancy Somerville, ASLA’s executive vice president and CEO explains; “In this uncertain economy, homeowners want to get more enjoyment out of their yards. They want attractive outdoor spaces that are both easy to take care of and sustainable.”
If you are interested in enhancing your outdoor living spaces, contact your local Archadeck office.
And in case you’ve forgotten, it’s not to late to enter Archadeck’s Dream Backyard Makeover Contest! The first set of finalists will be announced in just a few days. Make sure to submit a photo of your backyard and let us know why your yard deserves the $70,000 grand prize!
Patio Designs for Every Space
The common denominator to any great outdoor living space is a great design. A great design not only takes the clients wants, tastes and budget into account, but also the existing home and the property that it is being built on. When it comes to great patio designs, the opportunities are endless.
At Archadeck outdoor living, we have built over 100,000 outdoor living spaces, many of which have included a patio structure. Our designers take great pride in creating patios that are gorgeous and functional. There are several pieces to the design that they pay particular attention to:
The curved lines of this patio open it up to the backyard and provide a more casual feeling
Shape. Too many homes have the standard 5ft by 5ft concrete slab off the back of their home. What a waste! So much more can be created and built. Many of our clients want a space that has straight lines that mirror the lines of the home, while others want something different. Curving the edges of the patio is a different style that is just as nice. A softer line often creates a more fluid open feel to an outdoor space.
This patio is more natural looking with its flagstone finish
Material. A good patio design takes the existing property into account and enhances it. What the patio is made of is a key component. There are so many different styles of patio products that we are positive there is something for you. If you like a classic look, a brick or rectangular stone may work beautifully in your space. If you prefer a more natural look, there are natural stones, or products that look like natural stone that may hold up better. Stamped concrete is another popular product as it can be colored or stamped with numerous designs.
Switching up the pattern of the stone clearly defines the different areas of the patio
Layout. If an outdoor living space is going to be utilized for numerous purposes, it is important the different areas are defined. While this can be achieved with outdoor furniture, it can also be done through design. Adding multiple layers is one way to do this. One area may be used for cooking and eating that has an outdoor kitchen and dining table and two steps down there may be a living room set up with couches and chairs. Another way to define spaces is done through the installation of materials. A different finish may be used or the same product may be used but placed in the opposite direction.
I wouldn’t mind huddling around this outdoor fireplace
Lastly, a great patio design incorporates design features that are practical. Design features can take numerous forms including retaining walls, planters, benches, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and fire pits. It all depends on what the client wants. These finishing touches don’t always have to be part of the original build, but rather added later.
If you have questions about patio design, please contact your local Archadeck Outdoor Living office.
Decorating Your Outdoor Spaces for the Holidays
It’s that time of year again, Christmas time. I love to go on walks and drive around neighborhoods this time of year to see the different outdoor decorations on display. Some are traditional while some have wonderful themes. When growing up, there was a house in our town that every year had a who-ville theme from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
If you are looking for some ideas to decorate your outdoor living areas this holiday season, take a look at these:
Christmas Trees. Instead of lighting up the trees in your yard, buy a Christmas tree for your deck, porch or patio. You can get outdoor string lights and ornaments that can withstand the harsh winter elements. Doesn’t this deck in Atlanta look beautiful with the tree?
Use what you have. If you have outdoor features that mainly go unused in the winter, dress it up for the holidays! Placing greenery with berries or pinecones in a bird bath and planters or around a statue will make it stand out and it’s easy!
This is a great example from Better Homes and Gardens of how to use garland in a new way
Garland. While garland is beautiful when placed around columns, railing and doors, hanging it in unexpected places can dress up your outdoor living spaces. For example, if you have an open porch, arbor pergola or gazebo, hang garland from the roofline or in the lattice as seen in this picture from Better Homes and Gardens. You could also hang it off the back of your outdoor furniture.
Wrap it up. If you have outdoor pillows, tie a Christmas ribbon around them making them look like presents. To see what I mean, take a look at this post from Worthing Court.
Lights. Lights are obviously a key component of the holiday season. Placing lights in, above or around a space instantly dresses it up for the holidays.
Anyone else have some ideas?
Screened Porches – Perfect for Autumn
Tomorrow (Saturday) brings the official start to my favorite season: fall. I love the changing colors, the smell (yes, fall has a specific smell), football and the crisp cool air. I love to bundle up in a sweater and a blanket and sit in the fresh air in the fall months. And a cup of hot cider doesn’t hurt either.
For me, this is the best time of year for a screened porch. During the day, it’s the perfect temperature to comfortably sit outside and enjoy the outdoors without the bugs and at night, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up in the blanket and enjoy the cool air.
Screened porches are a great way to add value to our home and your outdoor living experience. In most areas of the United States screened porches can be used the majority of the year. Screened porches not only protect you from bugs, but also the harsh outdoor elements like the sun and rain (I love sitting in a screened porch when it’s raining, it’s the perfect time for a nap).
Our Archadeck Outdoor Living franchisees have designed screened porches in every shape and size. Like sunrooms, it’s important to create a usable space that doesn’t detract from the look and feel of the existing home. One of the more difficult design considerations is how it can affect the rooms it is attached to. Natural light into the existing rooms may decrease with the addition of a sunroom. To circumvent that issue, many of our screened porch designers will include skylights in the porch’s roof to keep light flowing into the home.
Ceilings in screened porches come in a wide variety of finishes. While some homeowners may want a wood finish for a rustic/outdoorsy look, others want the ceiling to match the rest of the home’s interior. Whatever your taste, it’s all doable.
Additional features that Archadeck Outdoor Living often include in their screened porches are fireplaces and fans. When designing and building any custom outdoor living space, the designer and homeowner have to consider how and when the space will be used. Ceiling fans are a great in screened porches for those hot humid days of summer when you want be outside without being too hot. On the flip side, homeowners may want to use their porch even when the weather is cool, so adding a fireplace makes perfect sense for them. They can light a fire and enjoy the cool night, and maybe some s’mores, outdoors.
If you are interested in learning more about adding a custom screened porch to your home, please contact your local Archadeck Outdoor Living office.
Sunrooms, enjoying the outdoors from the indoors
I am the proud granddaughter of the cutest 93 and 91 year old ever. They may not be young bucks anymore, but they have a routine that they love. A few weeks ago I flew up to Maine to visit them in their new apartment at an assisted living complex. My grandmother raved about the whole place and said that there was only one thing she missed from her house: the sunroom.
About 10 years ago, when Gram and Gramp were still living in the house my mother grew up in, they added a sunroom to the side of their house. It quickly became their favorite spot to sit throughout the day and the epicenter of the home.
My grandmother’s reasoning behind adding the room (because she makes all the decisions) was that she wanted a brighter, more open room to enjoy the day. She liked watching the neighborhood kids walking to and from school and my grandfather cutting the bushes in the yard. When it was originally built, I thought they would only use it in spring and summer when it wasn’t too cold (it was Maine and all), but I was wrong.
Despite the frigid air, the sunroom builders created a room for all four seasons. When it was warm out, my grandparents would open all the windows and turn on their ceiling fan if needed. In the cooler months, they used a space heater that was installed in the wall that efficiently heated the room. It turned out to be the perfect spot to curl up and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate (grandparents always have hot chocolate) while the leaves turned colors and snow began to fall.
At Archadeck Outdoor Living, we design and build custom sunrooms that transition perfectly into the client’s existing home. Transition is important when considering adding a sunroom. While in general sunrooms do add significant value to your home, it’s important to have it planned out properly. The new project shouldn’t take away from the existing architecture of the home, but instead be a flawless addition.
For our clients, sunrooms are the perfect place to enjoy their outdoor surroundings from the comfort of the indoors. Because they can be built to be used all year round, they truly add to the amount of usable space of your home. Here are some great examples of Archadeck Outdoor Living sunrooms:
This sunroom in Chester County includes a stone finish to complement the current look of the home
Kansas City sunroom by Archadeck
This second story Deck in Des Moines was converted into a sunroom.
Invite Friends and Family Outside with an Outdoor Structure
Archadeck of Augusta’s manager, Tom Leonard was recently interviewed by Columbia County Magazine. While the piece focused on gazebos, pergolas, ramadas and arbors, it was Tom’s quotes that stood out to me; “outdoor structures are a way of drawing people into the yard…they might offer people a different view of their yard or give them a reason to use a certain part of their yard.”
I couldn’t agree more with this notion. Friends of mine bought a home with a large back yard last year. They bought it in large part due to the yard’s size. They saw the potential, but when they bought it, there wasn’t much to the outdoor space. They would host get-togethers where some drinks and food would be outside, but their guests were always indoors. The reason? Besides the food there wasn’t an inviting space outdoors that you would want to sit down and relax in, just grass and dirt. Gradually, our friends have updated their outdoor living space with a large patio off the back of the house that’s perfect for al fresco dining and a fire pit further in the yard. Now when they have people over, their guests are on the patio, out towards the fire pit and everywhere in between. No one is ever inside.
At Archadeck Outdoor Living, we view decks, porches, patios and other projects as more than just structures. They are outdoor living spaces that increase your home’s useable space. When designing a space, “homeowners need to look at the function” of their outdoor living space, says Leonard. Is it a dining area, living area or just a place for you to curl up and read a book? Whatever the function, the size, structure and layout of the space has to mirror its primary use. If completed well, you will want to spend time in it.
A few years ago I visited one of Archadeck of Central Virginia’s clients. They had this beautiful porch off the back of the house which led down to a nice deck. The size of the porch was perfect. Just big enough for an outdoor couch, chairs and space to move around. Sheer curtains were added to the backside of the porch for added privacy as well. Their goal in building the space was to have a homey area outside where they could host friends and family. Trust me, if I was visiting that home, I would want to sit on that porch. And while sitting there, I could take in the beauty of the property (this particular homeowner had quite the garden).
If you are researching the best way to enhance your outdoor living space, take a look at the Archadeck Design Guide. It will ask you all the important questions for you to consider while you are in the planning and designing phase.
Outdoor Furniture- which material is right for you
To make your deck, porch, patio or other outdoor structure into an outdoor living space, patio furniture is necessary. The problem is that there are way too many options! Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right material furniture for your space, tastes and budgets.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a great outdoor furniture option for many areas of the country. Its powder-coat finish is extremely durable and doesn’t rust or fade, making it perfect for salty or wet locations. Aluminum is easy to clean with some soapy water and it’s easy to move around with its light weight. Because it is so malleable, aluminum outdoor furniture tends to come in a wide variety of styles.
Aluminum’s light weight is both a pro and a con of the material. High winds can move the furniture around so it’s good to protect it by placing it inside when particularly bad weather is expected. Additionally, aluminum does hold heat and can be hot to sit on when left out in the sun.
Plastic
Plastic is often the cheapest option when it comes to outdoor furniture. Sold at most big box stores, it is very portable and usually stackable for easy storage.
Although it’s the least expensive option, plastic is also the least durable option for outdoor furniture. It can fade when left out in the sun and break easily.
Steel
Steel is very durable and, unlike aluminum, won’t move around in hard winds. When protected appropriately it can withstand the elements well.
Steel, because of its heft, can be expensive and difficult to move around in a space. It requires a protective coating of some sort to prevent it from rusting.
Wicker
Wicker can come in both woven wood or synthetic versions (synthetic wickers holds up well in the elements, wood may need to have some type of sealant). It is both lightweight, making it easy to move around your outdoor living spaces and durable. Cleaning wicker is easy with a hose and mild soap.
Wicker outdoor furniture sets tend to be pricey and can be too bulky for a lot of smaller spaces.
Wood
Wood furniture is classic. It’s sturdy and doesn’t hold heat as much as aluminum furniture does. Cedar and Teak are two of the harder woods that are great for the outdoors. They see little effect from rain and actually have enzymes that protect against decay.
Wood furniture can be expensive and there don’t seem to be as many different styles. Softer woods, unlike cedar and teak, can absorb moisture and rot over time. Paint or sealant would be needed to keep water out.
Paver Patio in Colorado’s Front Range Makes Huge Visual Impact
We at Archadeck love to see all of the custom designed projects that our franchisees create for their clients. Like we’ve mentioned before, whether it’s a patio, porch or deck, each of our outdoor living spaces is created with the customers’ tastes, budget and lifestyle in mind. Recently, Curtis Crays, the owner of Archadeck of Front Range, created the perfect paver patio for clients who had been saving for 10 years for the backyard of their dreams.
The patio before
The before picture to the right shows the not-so-special outdoor living space they had before. There was a small area that was covered with rocks and a stone path going through it. There was nothing special or comfortable about the space that invited you to spend additional time outdoors overlooking the beautiful foothills of Golden, Colorado. The homeowners knew they wanted the perfect outdoor space and saved for years to make it happen.
When Curtis initially visited the homeowners, they had a clear idea of what they wanted in the space: a large paver patio, stucco wall, an iron gate and some kind of fire feature. And boy did they get it. Look at these after pictures! Wow!
This paver patio in the Denver area is now a place to want to spend time in
“They deserve to have the space they always wanted,” says Crays. “And we were happy to give it to them.” The Santa Fe style space includes a 160 foot long stucco wall in Valparaiso Clay that provides a clear border to the space, creating an outdoor room. Adds Crays; “that wall is such a focal point to the space. It’s visually interesting but still defines the space and provides additional privacy.”
The patio, constructed with borgert pavers, includes neutral greys to provide an even base and sporadic red pavers that complement the vibrancy of the red stucco. And with 1,000 square feet of patio, the homeowners now have the perfect place to relax or entertain friends and family.
The finishes of an outdoor living space often “make” the space and that’s the case with both the iron gate and the fireplace of this project. The iron gate, with its intricate design, is the perfect “door” to this outdoor living room. An outdoor fireplace was a must for these homeowners and it became a standout feature of this space. Adds Crays “most outdoor fireplaces are low to the ground, but we wanted to do something different. 
By raising it a few feet it becomes a piece of art on the wall and the lights on either side enhance it even more.”
Although we think this paver patio in Golden, CO is absolutely stunning; in the end it’s all about how the client reacts. In this case, the homeowner had a very clear and concise reaction to the space: “This is exactly what I dreamed of…, we absolutely love it.”
Creating Outdoor Great Rooms with Pergolas
One of the many benefits of adding an outdoor living structure to your property is that it increases the amount of livable space to your home. Outdoor rooms are becoming increasingly popular and are often used in multiples ways: a living room complete with couches, dining areas, outdoor kitchens, etc. The possibilities are endless when it comes to outdoor living spaces.
Pergolas can help define outdoor living spaces
You can define different spaces of your outdoor structures in numerous ways, but one of our favorites is the pergola. Seen here to the left, a pergola is shade structure that can be added to new or existing projects.
Pergolas make a dramatic addition to any outdoor living area, creating the feel of a true room at the fraction of the cost of a sunroom or screened porch. Pergola designs vary in size, shape and finish. 
A fan or triangle pergola may work better for your backyard than the more commonly used square or rectangle pergola. At Archadeck, we work with our clients to not only make sure their new pergola complements their home seamlessly but also that it works well with how they are going to use their space. If the space is going to be used for dining, do you need to include an overhead light? Do you need a fan to combat the summer heat? No problem, these are both easily incorporated to make your space work for you.
Some Archadeck clients are opting to include awnings or louvered roofs to their pergolas for increased shade and definition. A louvered roof gives the homeowner the ability to let sun stream into the space or close it off for a more porch-like feel if wanted. 
With numerous options to consider, pergolas offer a lot of versatility that other structures don’t.
If you’re interested in learning how a pergola or other structure can transform your yard, visit Archadeck.com for inspiration or contact your local Archadeck office.
