Tag Archives: outdoor living spaces

outdoor decks living spaces

All the Comforts of Home – Outside

outdoor decks living spaces

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

“Summertime… and the living is easy,” or so the song so aptly goes. The summer is indeed, a great time to get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather especially if you can bring all the comforts of inside with you. Here are a few suggestions for creating an outside room that has all the comforts of home and making this transition possible: 

  • Use Comfortable Furniture – Face it. Most outdoor furniture is uncomfortable. Break the mold and find some that keeps your backside at ease.
  • Add Colorful Rugs – Richly colored rugs create conversational spaces and add a splash of excitement.
  • Decorate with Aplomb – Anything goes; art, potted plants, lanterns and even gold fish ponds. Treat this outdoor space like a room and decorate it.
  • Create a Focal Point – Build the space around one singular item like a fire pit or objets d’art and you will naturally generate a meeting for family and guests.

If you need more information on outdoor living rooms and kitchens, contact the professionals at Outdoor Environments, Inc. Our designers and staff are experts at expanding the interior comforts of your home into your outdoor spaces.

Ideas for an Outdoor Building to Enhance Your Home

The days are getting longer and it is time to consider exterior remodeling ideas to increase the value of your Kansas City area home.

This may be the year to create a sun room on your front porch or deck. Add screening or windows to allow fresh air and sunlight to enter while keeping out pesky bugs. This gives your house friendly curb appeal.

You can still enjoy your garden while you modernize your yard. A rebuilt and extended back patio or wood deck can offer additional room for plants, hanging pots and bird feeders.

A built-in brick or stone barbecue with a food preparation area or a copper cooking pit can add a new dimension to your patio by turning it into an outdoor kitchen.  This can be a natural extension of your dinning room or family room with the addition of a pass-through window or sliding door.

Think about adding an attractive, garden tool shed to your backyard or side yard. You may even have room for a romantic gazebo or a hot tub enclosure suitable for use all year.

No matter what plans you have for styling and designing your home’s back yard, Outdoor Environments are the experts in the Kansas City area, so contact us today if you want a perfectly-designed backyard experience

Ideas for an Outdoor Building to Enhance Your Home

outdoor living spaces

Image via Houzz

The days are getting longer and it is time to consider exterior remodeling ideas to increase the value of your Kansas City area home.

This may be the year to create a sun room on your front porch or deck. Add screening or windows to allow fresh air and sunlight to enter while keeping out pesky bugs. This gives your house friendly curb appeal.

You can still enjoy your garden while you modernize your yard. A rebuilt and extended back patio or wood deck can offer additional room for plants, hanging pots and bird feeders.

A built-in brick or stone barbecue with a food preparation area or a copper cooking pit can add a new dimension to your patio by turning it into an outdoor kitchen.  This can be a natural extension of your dinning room or family room with the addition of a pass-through window or sliding door.

Think about adding an attractive, garden tool shed to your backyard or side yard. You may even have room for a romantic gazebo or a hot tub enclosure suitable for use all year.

No matter what plans you have for styling and designing your home’s back yard, Outdoor Environments are the experts in the Kansas City area, so contact us today if you want a perfectly-designed backyard experience

 

Bring Peace to Your Landscape with Water Features

outdoor living space design

Image via Houzz

When you are searching for exterior remodeling ideas, peace can be attained with water features added to your landscape. Water ideas are abundant, and these ideas can depend on both the size and shape of your landscape area. You may consider a small pond with turtles, frogs and fish. Plants lining your new pond will give you the sense of being in the middle of a nature reserve, even if you reside in a major city.

Some other great ideas are waterfalls of many types, using rocks or glass as a backdrop. You may want to have a beautiful fountain in your landscape. We have even dug and formed amazing creek beds running down the midst of your yard and falling into a small pond.

Whatever water feature that you may desire for your landscape, here at Outdoor Environments we can assist you in getting that peaceful landscape. Give us a call at 913-897-2706. We do landscapes that will make the neighbors jealous.

Beautify Your Deck – and Your Diet! – with Container Herb Gardens

garden design tips

Image via stock.xchng

Those who are lucky enough to have decks in Kansas City are also able to create natural beauty and enhance their diet by growing their favorite herbs on their deck. Many herbs and veggies grow best when they are placed in containers as opposed to being placed in the ground.

Consider growing garlic, parsley, sage and even tomatoes on your deck. You will be able to move the containers around so that the plants are able to get the proper amount of sunlight or shade that they need. Container gardens are a great way to spruce of the decks in Kansas City with color and detail.

Growing herb gardens on your deck is the perfect solution if you have limited backyard space in which to grow you plant in the ground. You may find that it also makes caring for the plants easier on you when you have them on your deck.

All of the decks in Kansas CIty can be filled with everyone’s favorite herbs and vegetable that they want to enjoy freshly picked right there out their own door. You’ll love the benefits of gardening on your deck. So contact Outdoor Environments today if you want to have the most beautiful deck on your block.

The Art of Building a Shade Arbor

outdoor design

Image via Pinterest

When you are searching for exterior remodeling ideas to add interest to your home, you might want to consider the addition of a shade arbor. Shade arbors can give you both the feeling of being enclosed while staying open to nature.

You can use your shade arbor in a variety of ways.  They are a wonderful opportunity to grow plants that will vine around the exterior of the shade arbor, giving it a natural, cottage garden-style appearance. Your shade arbor could have nice benches underneath it for a relaxing spot to sit and have comfortable conversation in your yard.  You could even add a hot tub underneath it for a luxurious outdoor space.

Shade arbors can be somewhat complicated to build. Concrete footings need to be poured to hold your main posts. You will want to use a wood that resists rot and insects. The cuts on the boards need to be accurate. It is recommended to use a professional to build your shade arbor.

We at Outdoor Environments would be happy to help build a custom shade arbor for your home in Kansas City.  In addition to building shade arbors, we also build decks, gazebos, and room additions.  Contact us by calling 913-897-2706 to get your outdoor area looking the way you want it.

 

Make a Small Yard Cozy, Not Cramped, with Smart Exterior Design

outdoor home design

Image via Pinterest

If you have a small yard surrounding your Kansas City home, it is important that the area becomes cozy and not cramped. While it can be challenging to make a small yard feel comfortable, there are some tricks to make the most of the small space. The following are a few exterior remodeling ideas to get your creative juices flowing and to help you design an outdoor area that works.

  • Use Warmth and Light – A fire pit adds instant coziness to an outdoor area, and good outdoor lighting can really open up the space.
  • Use Layers – Create layers in your area, such as a concrete patio layer that leads to a brick walkway layer, which leads to a green area. Use different levels and steps to make the spaces feel more expansive.
  • Double Duty – Some features can have more than one function. For example, use a small wall to divide the space as well as to provide a shelf for plants or seating for guests.
  • Create Curving Paths – Curving paths that connect different areas of your yard are not only functional, but their meandering nature can make the space feel larger as you stroll along them.

For more information about creating a cozy outdoor area for your home, contact Outdoor Environments at 913-897-2706.  We’ll be happy to help you make a small yard into a dream destination!

Creative Ways to Incorporate a Hot Tub in Your Exterior Living Space

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

If you’re contemplating the thought of introducing an element of luxury to your outdoor living space, what better way to do that then to add a hot tub? The following are a few exterior remodeling ideas that you can use to incorporate a hot tub into your outdoor design.

  • Open Hot Tub – Keep the hot tub open to its surroundings in order to give it a more natural and airy feel. Be sure to add a variety of plant life in the nearby vicinity to give it a pleasant, outdoorsy atmosphere.
  • Elegant Hot Tub – Go for luxury by building a pergola over the hot tub. You can hang outdoor curtains from the top in order to introduce a feeling of privacy.
  • Enclosed Hot Tub – Build your hot tub so that it sits under the roof of your house, yet remains open to the outside. This gives it a feeling of being part of the home as well as the outdoors.

These are a few ideas worth thinking about when planning to integrate a hot tub in your exterior design. Outdoor Environments can help you design and build an enclosure for your hot tub.  Contact us at 913-897-2706 for more information.

Give Your Pergola Romantic Appeal with Lights

pergola

Pergola by Outdoor Environments

Making proper use of your pergola space is important. Adding custom lights to your pergola can give it a romantic feeling that’s hard to match. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so if you’ll be spending any time outdoors, this idea is probably right up your alley!

As outdoor remodeling trends continue to grow more sophisticated, people are continually looking for ways to transform their plain Jane pergola into a warm, romantic haven, and a well-planned lighting scheme is the perfect way to accomplish this.

Good lighting schemes add an ambiance of warmth and coziness to your pergola, not to mention a romantic touch. Imagine a romantic resort vacation. Now imagine it in your own backyard. Whatever type of feel you’re looking to accomplish, there is a lighting scheme that will fit the bill. Some lights can even be left out for use all year round.

And generally there’s no need to worry about whether or not they will scorch your greenery, because outdoor lights for structures are designed not to get too hot. The options truly are limitless as you can choose from normal string lights, colored lights, LED lights and many more.

If your Kansas City outdoor space isn’t yet equipped with a pergola, why not have us add one for you? Visit the Outdoor Environments Facebook page to see examples of our work all over the city!

 

image via Outdoor Environments

Outdoor Remodeling Ideas for Kid-Friendly Yards

outdoor room

This outdoor room is perfect for children to curl up in and read

Exterior remodeling is often planned for the purpose of adding function and value to a home. But have you ever thought about how changes can enhance playtime for your kids or grand kids?

The design of the outside of your home can completely affect the way that kids enjoy their time once spring arrives. It doesn’t hurt to think about how upcoming projects can benefit them too!

For example, a gazebo can make a perfect playhouse or reading room. And if the structure is a short distance from the house, which they usually are, it can give children a sense of privacy while you can rest assured that they are still close to home.

Another idea that kids might enjoy is a small sunroom addition to prevent that cooped up feeling that lots of children experience when they’re at home.

Whatever your desire, we here at Outdoor Environments can help you explore exterior remodeling ideas. Our staff can consult you and help you with any project, large or small, from start to finish.

 

image via Outdoor Environments