Ah, the delights of patio life. Uniting your favorite creature comforts with the beauty of open sky and fresh breeze is simply the best thing you can do for yourself as the temperatures edge up and the evenings lengthen. Your patio or deck is a place to indulge your fantasies of what the perfect chill space looks like. Before you even start making it your own, spend some time in the space. Grab a cushion or a folding chair and “set a spell,” as our grandparents might’ve put it. Sample the view from various angles. Close your eyes and listen. Feel the breeze on your face. Let your imagination run wild.
Your patio or deck is a place to indulge your fantasies of what the perfect chill space looks like.
The first choice you’ll need to make is your surface. Local contractors can advise you about the comparative virtues of wood, stone, and gravel, and the possibilities of combining them. Water features add serenity, whether we’re talking about a nearby koi pond or creek, or a hot tub, pool, or fountain, and make a spectacular focal point. If you have nearby traffic noise, running or bubbling water can serve as a white noise machine to soothe the aural environment. Reflected light on water is great medicine for the psyche; keep that in mind when you’re making complementary lighting choices.
Water features add serenity, whether we’re talking about a nearby koi pond or creek, or a hot tub, pool, or fountain, and make a spectacular focal point.
Speaking of light, it comes in so many glorious forms. Solar LEDs come in an almost infinite variety of shapes, colors, and configurations. Get inspired and try them different ways. Drape a graceful tree branch. Outline a structure. Place lights so that they sway and sparkle in the breeze. Firelight is known for making evening magic easy. Just as solar lights do, firepits now come in all kinds of design-forward styles these days; grab your favorite from a store, or use their inventory as inspiration. You can DIY a beautiful firepit from simple materials like a cut-down burn barrel or a collection of native stones. Don’t forget: Cooking tasty snacks over your firepit can be as simple as peeling a few sturdy green branches and impaling some marshmallows or hot dogs.
Of course, outdoor cooking can also be a gourmet extravaganza. A sturdy table beside a grill and a cooler for ingredients and drinks, and you’re well on your way to memorable feasting. You can always go farther and commission a stone mason to craft a stunning outdoor kitchen that you may come to love more than your indoor one.
Native plants, whether in containers or planted beside your patio surface, can serve as focal points, a privacy screen, or both.
Native plants, whether in containers or planted beside your patio surface, can serve as focal points, a privacy screen, or both. What else? Wind chimes? Gazing ball? Gravel pathway to the edge of the woods for evening walks? Music? A telescope? Besides comfy, furnishings should be easy to clean and either portable or so sturdy and permanent that they can withstand anything Mother Nature can dish out.
You’ll find plenty of local furniture merchants and builders who can hook you up with anything from a simple table and chairs to a custom sectional that will fit the need.
Time and energy invested in crafting yourself the ideal outdoor haven this spring will reap rich dividends in the long, gentle evenings of summertime. So let yourself be inspired now, and you’ll be enjoying the enchanted results by swimming season.
To get help making your dreams reality, reach out to the local businesses that advertise with us. tell them VORTEX sent you!
