Warm Up the Night Patio Heaters and Fire Pits

•Fall for Outdoor Entertaining This Autumn
 by: Debbie Rodgers Aaaah, autumn! It's the perfect time to entertain outdoors -- most of the bugs are gone, the sun isn't scorching even though it's warm enough to enjoy an afternoon or evening al fresco, and there's a bounty of good things to serve for an outdoor meal. Because the days are shorter in the autumn, outdoor entertaining in the fall calls for special attention to lighting and temperature. Lighting The earlier sunset will afford you an ideal opportunity to bathe your...

•Light Up the Night Quick Facts about Outdoor Lighting
 by: Debbie Rodgers When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may drive us inside from our porches, patios or decks. Don’t despair – outdoor lighting can lengthen the day and dramatically extend the potential of our outdoor living spaces. The first step, as with any project, is to plan. How do you want to use this space after dark, and what lighting will you need? Lighting can be summarized in four categories: Security lighting is needed in highly vulnerable areas of your...

•What s Underfoot A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces  by: Debbie Rodgers Patios and terraces have always been popular outdoor spaces. Whether a Parisian courtyard or a rooftop alcove, only porches and sunrooms beat out these paved (or semi-paved) retreats in a recent survey of my readers as the most ideal outside living space. Let's examine some of the wide variety of patio surfaces. Patio Stones Somteimes called flags or slabs, patio stones are flat square or rectangular blocks of pressed...

•Escape to Sunny Mexico at Home
 by: Debbie Rodgers Can't get away for a southern vacation this year? Don't despair -- plan a sunny Mexican style refresher for your patio décor and enjoy the festive atmosphere of a hacienda at home this summer. As with every other decorating style, Mexican décor has its own basic elements. Color The predominant color in the sunny Mexican look is yellow -- bright, cheery and warm. If you're lucky enough to be working with an outdoor space that abuts a stucco house exterior,...

•Luau Decorating with a Hawaiian Theme
 by: Debbie Rodgers Hawaii is a first choice travel destination with millions of people - and for good reason. Bring a little of that island feeling into your home, either indoors or in your outdoor living space. You can apply this theme to an elegant dinner party, a fun and funky luau, or anything in between. 1. First, look at the space itself, including floors, walls, roof or ceiling. Texture Think natural materials. Try bamboo matting on the floor. It's fairly inexpensive, very...

•How to Decorate your Outdoor Space without Breaking the Bank
 by: Debbie Rodgers Noted English clergyman Sydney Smith (1771-1845) is quoted as saying, Economy in the estimation of common minds means the absence of all taste and comfort. But finding thrifty ways to decorate your outdoor living space doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice either of those things. Here are some ideas to help you: Forget trying to find that perfectly matched 9-piece patio set at the first garage sale you stop at. If a matched set is what your heart truly desires then by...

•Make a Grand Entrance of Your Front Door
 by: Debbie Rodgers You may find it difficult to believe that the days will start getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere in just four short weeks. You can find yourself this time of year coming home on dreary days, or welcoming evening visitors in the dark. It's neither safe nor inviting. But good lighting at your front entrance gives a warm and secure welcome to any who enter. Mention outdoor lighting at this time of year and many people think of strings of lights. But why not go for...

•Metal Outdoor Furniture Explained
 by: Debbie Rodgers Mention metal patio furniture and you probably think of the light, fly-away aluminium loungers of your youth or that half-ton cast iron table and chair set on your neighbour's lawn. But metal outdoor furniture has come a long way. Here's a quick primer on the available types and their care. Construction Methods Metal is fashioned into furniture in one of three main ways: extrusion, casting, and welding. Extrusion forces melted metal through long pipes and forms...

•Sleeping Beauties Porches For Dreaming
 by: Debbie Rodgers There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find children giggling long past their bedtime from sheer excitement. A treat for adults and children alike, sleeping outdoors has long been a part of camping tradition, but many adults also have fond memories of childhood nights in their parents' or grandparents' sleeping porch. The...

•There are Stories to be Told Start a Family Tradition
 by: Debbie Rodgers One of the most rewarding ways to use your outdoor living space is to gather your family members for a reunion. Perhaps it's a small group that gets together annually, or a large one whose far-flung members attend every two or five or even 10 years. Whether large or small, a reunion is a wonderful opportunity to knit families closer together through shared stories. In the much-underrated 1990 film Avalon, a Russian immigrant to 1940s America relates the disintegration of...