We have all heard “bringing the outside in”, but what about “bringing the inside out”? Creating an outdoor living room is a great way to extend your living space and make those summer days last long into the winter. As you consider ideas, remember that creating a relaxing, stylish outdoor living space can greatly increase your home’s value and provide you with your own private resort for friends and family to enjoy. Here are some great ideas to get you started.
Check out the decking; the concrete is stained and stamped, natural stone creates a border, and the different colors create a permanent rug.
Party time! This is definitely taking the inside out. There’s lots of seating areas here, with different types of seating.
My favorite element of this outdoor space is the built in seat and pillows/cushions. Imagine how easy it is to change this look around and/or update the look with a change in fabric or color.
A good mix of rustic and modern design with the simple iron furniture and the rough-hewn cedar columns and doors covering the TV.
The modern blue pop of mosaic tiles with the saw-cut natural stone seats shows a great rustic/modern flair!
Another outdoor room idea is to create an arch, trellis or doorway leading to your outdoor room. This structure can give guests the distinct feeling of entering a new space, and you can add interest to the design with colorful climbing plants.
Fencing is another great way to frame an outdoor room. Latticework, bamboo, weathered barn wood or even shrubs can create a stylish boundary for your outdoor living space.
To protect your outdoor room from the elements, consider adding a roof such as in an arbor or pavilion. This way, your outdoor living space will be open for enjoyment even during inclement weather.
Don’t be afraid to add stylish accents and traditional indoor furnishings to your outdoor room. Carpets, throw pillows for furniture, and other design touches will create a welcoming feel. Just make sure they’re rated for outdoor use if they’ll be exposed to the elements.
September means the start of the NFL season. If you can’t get to the first (or any) game, why not throw a tailgate party in your own backyard instead? You can capture that game day spirit at home! Here are the top 3 tips on making your party amazing!
LOCATION
Naturally the game is the main event, so decide where you’re going to watch it—inside the family room or outdoors on the patio? Check the weather and plan accordingly. Be sure and have enough seating indoors and out. You will want to visit with your friends before and after the game. Have you ever considered a built in ice chest (see left) to keep all those adult beverages nice and cold?
FOOD
When it comes to hosting your backyard tailgate, you can serve a few stadium favorites. Put that grill to good use and serve up favorites like burgers and hot dogs… and the usual nachos, chili, and wings. But since you’re at home, why not add a few new items to the tailgate party for your foodie friends?
If you want to get creative, make finger sandwiches in the shape of footballs, make football fields on cupcakes, or serve cookies with your favorite team’s logo.
CLEAN UP
When all is said and done and the party is winding down, you want to make sure it doesn’t take forever to clean up after yourselves. Remember to make sure your guests know which bathroom to use. Have an indoor and outdoor trash area easily accessible to throw your garbage in and keep it all contained in those areas. The less you have to clean up, the better.
So, it’s actually pretty easy to have the tailgate party of the SEASON with a little planning ahead.
There’s something about the elements, especially water and fire, that people find soothing or maybe…stimulating!
Most people are aware that there are different elements, right? Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. We use these things in our daily lives, but we really don’t think of them other than their practicality. For those who practice Feng Shui, these elements are very important for creating harmony. For those who don’t, they are simply a beautiful addition to your living space. So either way, take a look and enjoy!
Your outdoor living space is the perfect area to place all five of these elements in a cohesive, artful, harmonious way. With your outdoor living area, you can combine these elements into beautiful focal features that will definitely lift your well being… and possibly make your neighbors a little jealous!
At Outdoor Signature, we can create spas with fire pits in the center or fountains that stream water down the sides of fire pits. We can even place fire pits in the pool!
Whatever you have in mind, we can create. Or you can give us a few ideas and leave it to our imagination to create the vision. Trust me, however you go about it, it will be amazing!
There is so much to think about when adding a new landscape or even updating an existing one. But it could definitely be worth the time and thought because landscaping adds loads of value to your home. So if you’re considering jazzing up your yard, you can go all out or do it on a budget. Here are some things to keep in mind.
If boosting your curb appeal is your goal, something as simple as cleaning your yard can go a LONG way! And by cleaning, I’m talking really cleaning! Trees trimmed, shrubs trimmed, weeds pulled, a nice thick layer of fresh mulch, neatly cut lawn…. you get the picture. When your yard is clean and organized, your home is automatically more attractive.
If you want to go the extra mile and really boost not only the curb appeal, but the value of your home, a whole new landscape plan will work magic. A landscape designer can draw up a plan that works with your home, your land features, and your personal tastes. He/She also knows what type of plants work best in your area. Your landscape designer can make your garden an oasis with some of these ideas.
Create a pathway through the planting beds.
Incorporate a water feature.
Add interest with boulders and river rock.
Use garden art.
Create privacy with a trellis or screen.
Install a pergola for height and shade.
Use different materials for texture and visual interest.
Create a dry river bed.
Add pots or urns as permanent fixtures to the planting beds.
Whatever you decide, spending some time and money on your yard will definitely pay off; with your enjoyment and with added home value.
Imagine the warm sun on your face, the smell of sunscreen, the sound of water gently splashing. A tropical paradise, right? Wrong. you can have all of this and more in your own backyard!
Sure, we would all love a beach getaway, but sometimes that isn’t possible. Maybe there’s not enough time or money or both. So why not have a staycation?
Staycations are taking a vacation at your own home. Forget dishing out money to pay for the resort, daily meals, and souvenirs that you’ll store in the back of your closet. No travelling and accommodation costs, no waiting at airports, no kids in the backseat asking “Are we there yet?”
All you need is a private backyard. If you’ve got a swimming pool at home then you have the ultimate staycation on your own doorstep! The thing with swimming pools is that they are fun. People like to swim. People enjoy being outside. People like sunbathing. People like good food. People like to be among friends they might not get to see during the week. The pool is an incredibly versatile setting. Where else can you throw a kids’ party, relaxing spa day, and a romantic break for two?
Spa Day
Having a spa day alone or with your friends is sometimes exactly what you need to recover from a long day. Use your tanning ledge or a comfy pool chair to soak up the sun and relax. You can read or listen to some relaxing music. Or simply just enjoy the peace and quiet. Even better with a mimosa or two!
Pool Party
When you’re ready to dial it up a notch with family and friends, fire up the grill, turn up the music, and mix in a few pool games. Lounge out in a comfy pool chair with your fruity drink in hand. With the right environment, you’ll escape to the perfect getaway!
Romance
If it’s just the two of you, decorate the pool area with some flowers light some candles, enjoy a romantic meal and laze around.
Create a romantic, candlelit dinner for two at sunset. Add some hand-picked flowers from your garden to your table and fend off the mosquitoes by adding bug-repellent candles to your outdoor area. Chill a bottle of champagne or your favorite wine. Maybe have some chocolate covered strawberries nearby. Now you have what it takes for a lovely evening for two.
Of course, you can always combine a day at the pool with sports and another great American pastime – the BBQ. Invite friends over for some baseball, hot dogs and apple pie!
Or, take advantage of your outdoor kitchen during a staycation. Since dinner normally takes place indoors, having dinner poolside or at your outdoor seating area is the perfect way to appreciate the natural views in your own backyard.
These are great ideas, but the beauty of a staycation is having the ability to choose. You’re only limited by your imagination.
Your backyard is a blank canvas – spice things up or keep things mellow. Whichever you choose, enjoy everything your swimming pool has to offer by embracing the staycation.
What exactly is a poolscape you ask?
While landscaping can create numerous benefits for your backyard and your bank account while also providing visual interest, and decking surfaces provide practical hardscape, the combination along with pool features and decorative accents and placement of those accents make your poolscape. With the correct planning and effort, your poolscape can create an environment for everyone to enjoy that also reflects your personality and style.
The landscape used around your pool can turn even the most basic pool and patio into a private oasis. Most of the time, it’s not until the landscaping around the pool is installed that your pool develops the “wow” factor that you were hoping for. Here are some things to think about when creating your poolscape. But there’s a little more to it than landscape alone.
Pots
The use of potted plants can transform the most lackluster area of an outdoor space. The power of these contained beauties is that they are totally portable. Here are some tips on maintaining and positioning potted plants in pool landscaping:
Potted plant tips:
Use Planters
Unlike pots, planters are a permanent feature of your pool landscaping area. They are typically incorporated into a design as a flat open area in the pool patio, or as an elevated feature adjacent to benches or walls. Either way, planting beds and planters are a great way to bring color and texture to any poolscape. They break up the monotony of the hardscape. Not only is it an aesthetic feature, but it also reduces the square footage of the patio which lowers the cost of the overall project.
Landscaping for Privacy
What a novel idea! Privacy is a major concern for most pool owners. No one wants to feel like the neighbors are watching their every move. Planting naturally tall shrubs and trees make landscaping one of the most powerful ways to achieve privacy in a swimming pool area not only visibly, but also audibly. Now you won’t be as easily seen OR heard!
Landscape Lighting
It is absolutely amazing how light changes the way your poolscape looks. Nothing adds “class and sophistication” or “fun and quirky” to an outdoor area like the proper choice of lighting placed in the perfect spots. It really makes a difference and is well worth the money spent. Some systems are easy enough for a homeowner with a little “handy” experience. However, the placement and type of lighting may best be left to the pros.
Plant Usage
There are many lists floating around of which types of plants to use according to your region and needs. However, there are a few considerations as to what will be best around a swimming pool. You don’t want a mess in the pool or the patio due to your plant choices. Even though some of these plants/trees are beautiful, they would best be used elsewhere: AWAY from your pool!
Good Choices:
Not So Good Choices:
Boulders
If you use boulders, make sure they fit into the theme of the total design. Have you ever seen a pool where the homeowner decides to place a single boulder around a pool? They have probably seen pictures on the internet or other pools where boulders were used. The problem is, it doesn’t look natural. A single boulder, or even two, isn’t natural. A pool is designed to look like part of nature or not. If yours falls into the “not” category, please stay away from the boulder. If you would like your pool to be in the “natural” category, proper use of boulders can transform a pool area into an oasis. Boulders work best when they are placed in groups and within an abundance of pool landscaping.
Grass/Lawn
Be careful when deciding to install grass in your poolscape. Typically a pool fence either borders the pool patio or encompasses a large area of the yard. If you end up with a small space between the patio and fence, fill it with low maintenance landscaping like washed stone and simple plants. This will make maintenance so much easier. If you do need a grassy space for pets or kids, be sure it is placed BEHIND a pool fence or on another side of the yard.
So, there are lots of things to consider when creating your poolscape. You have to think about not only the pool, but the type/style/shape of hardscape, landscape plants/trees, adding planters and pots, and cut-out beds for plants and rocks/boulders. Keeping these things in mind will create a backyard oasis or your very own!
Many people would love to have a pool in their yards, but simply don’t have enough space…. Until now.
If you would like a beautiful outdoor entertaining area, a place to cool off, or simply the relaxing sound of water, but don’t have a big yard, then a “spool” might be just the thing for you.
The spool is a basically a combination of a spa and a small swimming pool created to fit in limited spaces. Spools are typically over-sized spas or a smaller version of a pool. They can be any size, but are generally around 12’ X 12’’.
A real spool actually has spa features built into a small pool that is large enough to lounge in, but easier to heat because of the size. Ideally, the spool is built to be deep enough to be nice and cool for relaxation during the summer and can be used as a heated spa during the winter. Spools can be excellent therapy for medical problems, too.
Here are a few reasons to consider a spool:
All spools are not necessarily less expensive than an average swimming pool, however they are much cheaper than a pool AND a spa. They are cheaper to run and maintain because of their size. They can be cheaper to install as far as materials and labor are concerned because they will take less time and fewer materials than a full sized pool and spa.
You may want to spend the extra money you’re saving on installation on some snazzy features to make your spool a little more exciting. To make a smaller pool just as nice as a larger one, you can add premium features like extra jets, fountains, built in table/bar, and of course, heat. These finishing touches can make your spool worth your money and your time! Your new spool could become the best investment you make to your property, so what are you waiting for?
If it weren’t so effective at keeping a swimming pool in good health, it’s safe to say nobody would want chlorine anywhere near their home. It’s hazardous to store and handle. It irritates eyes and skin, and it smells bad.
So, what other options are out there?
Salt water chlorination is by far the most popular. There are many advantages of saltwater pools over chlorine, but there are also a few disadvantages. But first, what will it feel like? Will it be as salty as the ocean? And how exactly does a salt water pool work?
Saltwater Pools are gentle on the body. Chlorine levels are generally lower with a salt generator. People who are sensitive to chlorine often report fewer irritations when using these pools.
Saltwater Pools can be safer for your family. In any form, chlorine can be dangerous to store and transport. Studies have shown that chlorinated water could be dangerous for your health.
Saltwater feels softer than chlorinated water. The addition of salt makes water feel smooth and silky to the touch. Most people prefer this to the sometimes harsh feel of chlorinated water.
Less Maintenance. Pool maintenance is easier with a salt water system, as the salt cell simply produces chlorine as needed. As with any system, however, you still have to monitor chlorine levels periodically to make sure everything is working okay.
A saltwater system is more expensive. It system requires a large initial investment, which may total $5000 or more. Of course, with the money you’re saving on chlorine, the system could pay for itself in a few short years.
The cost to convert your pool to salt water will vary depending on the size of your pool. There are salt water systems designed for every size of pool ranging from 10,000-100,000 gallons so you can be sure to find one that works for your specific pool.
It’s recommended to purchase a salt water system that is rated for pools approximately 15% larger than specified to ensure that you have enough chlorine production during summer when there is more pool usage, increased sunlight hours.
It’s recommended to purchase a salt water system that is rated for pools approximately 15% larger than specified to ensure that you have enough chlorine production during summer when there is more pool usage, increased sunlight hours.
The price for a basic unit starts around $300 and it can be installed in as little as 30 minutes by a handy pool owner. The deluxe units can cost upwards of $2,000 and include features like self-diagnostics, chemical feeders and a control panel that will automate all of your pool hardware. They are a bit more complex to install into your existing system, but for most pool owners the upfront cost is worth the very low maintenance down the road.
Salt needs to be added to your pool water whether it’s fresh water or an existing chlorine pool. The cost for pool salt is roughly $1 per pound with the average pool requiring 400 lbs. After the initial salting of your pool you will only need to add small amounts after significant splash out, heavy rain, or during initial installation of salt system
They are more complex. If you have a sanitation problem with a typical swimming pool, the answer is often to add more chlorine. With modern electronic salt water systems, any problems that crop up are more likely to require the help of an experienced technician.
The salt could potentially damage some features of the pool. There are reports of salt water systems damaging fixtures, heaters, liners, underwater lighting, and even masonry work. However, this may apply only to older equipment. Also, as with any system, a lot depends on whether it is properly installed and maintained.
So, what’s the verdict? Judging by the increase in sales, a whole lot of people find the advantages of salt water pools to outweigh the negatives. At one time, these pools were limited to luxury hotel pools, but now these systems are popping up in the backyards of average pool owners all over the world.
Did you know you had choices when installing a hot tub or spa? Check out this video and you will see what I mean.
There are a few things you will want to think about before taking the leap.
Before you begin looking for a hot tub, consider your budget. The money you will spend depends on the size and type of tub you want. Once you know your spending limits, carefully check the size of the area your spa will be placed in. A freestanding hot tub will need an electrical outlet.
When selecting a size, factor in how many people will use the unit at once. Four to six people is the most common size.
You should also determine how many jets you want the hot tub to have. The power of the jets will vary as well. Some may pulsate while others circulate the water. You can also choose from neck, shoulder, back and leg massaging jets. The more jets you have, the greater your spa experience can be.
It’s a good idea to purchase your hot tub from a company that offers installation and maintenance support. The supplier should also provide all the parts and accessories associated with your model. Discount stores often have restored units, but many of these companies do not offer long-term support.
If you’re fussy about the color, shape, and finish of your hot tub, you may want to shop with a company that provides modern selections. But don’t worry. If you want the look of a built in hot tub/spa, we can make a freestanding hot tub LOOK built in. It will blend in beautifully with your surrounding outdoor living area.!
When it comes to hot tub ownership, many people hesitate in making a move towards buying due to the maintenance involved. Skip the headache, and hours of cleaning, by investing a small amount of time towards maintaining your hot tub on a regular basis.
Check out the infographic (by Bullfrog Spas) below for some simple, yet effective, tips on what you can do to enjoy more of the hot tub experience without the endless hours of cleaning.
Don’t let the dread of hot tub maintenance keep you from enjoying the relaxing and healthy effects of hydrotherapy. Come on over and let one of our hot tub professionals answer your questions.
We are a proud distributor of Bull Frog Hot Tubs. Let us know what you think!
You are probably thinking of nothing but warm hot chocolate and cozy fireplaces right now, but thinking about installing a swimming pool could be a very good idea. There are lots of advantages to building your pool in December-February and not too many disadvantages.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
