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This the Season

Earlier in the week we showed you one of our favorite ways to get the exterior of your home ready for the holidays. Today we wanted to share some other festive holiday outdoor décor ideas to get you and your family in the holiday spirit.

Breaking out the holiday décor at Thanksgiving gives us just the right amount of time to enjoy the holiday season as well as the lights. We also love to see a well decorated mailbox. Don’t you think the pinecones and mistletoe shown below is picture perfect?

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

This below photo, also from Better Homes and Gardens, features a line up of “simple shepherd’s hooks with oversize red jingle bells.”

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

We love how this homeowner decorated their outdoor fire pit, very festive.

Courtesy of My Homes Ideas

What are some ways you decorate your outdoor living space during the holidays?

How to Spruce Up your Outdoor Living Space this Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is right around the corner so we wanted to give you some pointers on how to spruce up your outdoor living space before the guests arrive. Your home’s exterior is the first thing your Thanksgiving guests will see when they arrive for the big feast so let’s begin with a little holiday front door makeover.

The front door is always a great place to start. And a beautiful wreath with orange and brown accents will look great on any front door.

Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

This simple gold cedar wreath from Martha Stewart Living will brighten up any dark winter night.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

The next wreath is one of my favorites, the long spruce pinecones, moss and snow will get any home ready for the holiday season. We get our fair share of snow here in Kansas, but if you live in a more temperate climate you could always use fake snow.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Check back later in the week for more holiday ideas for your outdoor living space.

Outdoor Environments is featured in Kansas City Homes and Gardens

Outdoor Environments’ own Dick DeVuyst was recently interviewed for the November issue of Kansas City Homes and Gardens’ article titled All Aglow. In it Dick talks about extending the outdoor living season well into fall by creating a fire element. Whether you decide to use a chiminea, outdoor fireplace, fire pit or outdoor kitchen a fire can help keep you warm on those cold Kansas City nights.

Dick tells KCH&G that “Fire and human beings are attracted to each other. It automatically gets people out of the house.” Let Outdoor Environments help you spend more time outdoors this holiday season by “adding the warm glow of a fire.”

For more information please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

Outdoor Environments

A special thank you to Veronica Toney with Kansas City Homes and Gardens.

Do you like our new layout?

As you can see we have made some changes to the look of our blog. And we want to know what you think. The new layout allows us to engage more with our readers and lets you see more of our posts on the home page.

Some of the changes include:

1. A new flash box at the top of our blog that previews our featured posts.

2. We have provided you with an excerpt of each post so that we can feature more content on our home page.

3. Easier social networking buttons for Facebook “like” and Twitter “tweet”.

Leave us a comment and let us know if you “like” the changes.

The Benefits of a Four-Season Room by Outdoor Environments

With the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) on Sunday, November 7th, 2010 at 2 a.m. comes two things– an extra hour of sleep and it gets dark a lot earlier. The first thing is a definite bonus, the second not so much. With the shorter daylight hours comes the desire to spend more time indoors. At Outdoor Environments we want to help you spend more time outdoors all year round. With our four-season additions we can help you enjoy nature from the comfort of an enclosed space. Whether you are looking to build a sunroom, conservatory or a screened in porch a four-season room can add value to your home.

Below are four-season rooms that we have created for our clients.

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

Outdoor Environments Four-Season Room

For more information on ways to extend your time outdoors this season sign up to receive our posts in your email. Just enter your email address to the right of this post.

Why use cedar for your deck

Here at Outdoor Environments we use a number of building materials from composite to wood when building decks. One of our favorite materials is natural cedar, which has long been praised for its durability, strength and beauty.  Cedar is resistant to decay and insect damage and ages gracefully. Its beautiful texture and color complement any architectural style and is a great return on your investment.  We also love its sustainability. Cedar doesn’t require treatment with toxic chemicals since it is naturally resistant to the elements. Its own natural preservatives allow the wood to be protected even in the harshest of winters. Wood is also a great option for those in the warmer climate since it is a natural insulator keeping the surface cool.

Outdoor Environments

To find out more about cedar decking please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

4 Ways to Care for Your Outdoor Furniture

Extend the life of your outdoor furniture this season by properly caring for it. Below are 4 tips on how to care for your outdoor furniture.

  1. Properly clean your outdoor furniture several times each year. If you have wood outdoor furniture than you should buy specific cleaner so you don’t ruin the finish.
  2. Make sure you protect your outdoor furniture with waterproof covers during the winter months. The covers will not only protect your furniture from the elements, but will prevent sun damage.
  3. Re-stain, paint and seal your furniture when needed.
  4. Check all the hardware on the furniture to make sure there aren’t any loose bolts or missing pieces.

Like anything you own, the better care you take of an item, the longer it will last. We’d love to hear any tips you might have for caring for your outdoor furniture, please leave your comments below.

3 Tips to keep Trick or Treaters safe this Halloween

Last week we highlighted some of our favorite outdoor décor ideas for Halloween, but with little ones getting ready to invade your home turf on Sunday night we wanted to help you prepare your exterior for the onslaught of visitors. Below are some tips for making sure your Halloween night is a safe one.

  1. Make sure your home is well lit. Turn on your floodlights and porch lights to make navigating the dark night a little easier.
  2. Do not use open flame candles in your jack-o-lanterns. Flashlights and battery operated lights are much safer and do not pose a fire hazard.
  3. Make sure your driveway and walkway is free of any debris.

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween this year and for more tips on how to keep your children safe this Halloween please visit The Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Time to Decorate Your Outdoors for Halloween

Halloween is ten days away and we wanted to help you get your outdoor living environment ready for the big night! From the sophisticated to the spooky the front entry is where all the action happens on Halloween night. See some of our favorite outdoor décor ideas to make your Halloween a memorable one.

From My Home Ideas

We love how the homeowners numbered the pumpkins to display their address.

From Better Homes and Gardens

Go ahead and hang a Halloween inspired wreath on your front door. This orange wreath from My Home Ideas is not only perfect for Halloween, but will look great for the rest of the fall season.

From My Home Ideas

Wheel out the pumpkins and gourds this Halloween.

From Better Homes and Gardens

This cutout of a witch stirring her witches’ brew will create some fright in your front yard.

From My Home Ideas

How do you decorate your outdoors for Halloween?

Time to Light Your Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

The weather here in Kansas has definitely turned colder. The evenings are producing temperatures right around 50 degrees so go ahead and light your outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Nothing is better than a warm, inviting fire on a crisp fall evening while you lounge beneath the stars.

If you are looking to purchase an outdoor fireplace or fire pit than let Outdoor Environments help find you the perfect match. We can take a look at your current outdoor living space and see which would work best for your home. There are many things to consider when purchasing an outdoor fire pit or fireplace. You’ll first need to check your local codes and laws regarding outdoor air quality. Some areas prohibit wood-burning fireplaces.

For more information call Outdoor Environments at 913-897-2706.