Ideas for a Patio: How About a Rough and Rustic Patio With a Fireplace?

If you want your backyard transformed into a plushy extension of your house, try building a patio. A patio can be paved, enclosed, outdoor space, garden backyard and seating areas. It can be your ideal sanctuary to relax, cook, enjoy, have fun and entertain. Patios have become very popular in this century because of the growing number of the senior members of society who adore these outdoor living spaces. Its growth is phenomenal that it is rapidly becoming the trend and may eventually be a standard feature to home design and architecture. What is beautiful about patios is the added value it gives to the property.

If your idea of a patio is an enclosed type, the patio's roof is attached to an adjacent home structure. You can have it with a screened opening. It is fully functional with wall framing, siding, interior wall coverings, windows and doors complete with amenities like coffee tables and chairs or if it is big enough to fit a dining. You can have built-in grills or BBQ grills, countertops, gas supply lines, sinks, plumbing, fireplaces, stoves and other appliances. Designing a patio to blend with your home is not difficult. There are so many design ideas you can get from the net and architectural books and magazines.

Depending on the architectural motif of your house and garden, you can blend it with the type of patio you can construct. If you want a natural look, how about a stone patio laid with mortar compound. Stone can be a blue or flagstone. For a classic and traditional look, your idea for a patio can be a brick style which is easy to install because of its standard size and shape. If you want something unique, the idea of a tile patio can appeal to you like the terra cotta tile and quarry tiles. The most cost effective type of patio is the concrete being the less expensive. You can create an authentic looking stone, cobblestone, brick or natural materials dyed and stamped with colored concrete mixture.

Basically, there are various styles, designs and layout for patios. When it comes to patio flooring, you can do it with concrete slabs and pavers or molded bricks. They come in many colors, textures, patterns and shapes. If you want a rough and rustic look, natural materials of fieldstone and weather woods can create that unique aesthetic look. The flooring sets the tone for the patio. Natural dyes can create a vivid and brilliant color of your choice be it faded hues, sun-washed blues, soft greens for a subtle background paving.

Play up whatever style of patio you choose with amenities that will blend to give it a touch of sophistication, elegance, simplicity and attractiveness. Your choice of antique or modern look will determine the kind of furnishings and fixtures. For accents, it can include arches, gazebos, twining grapevines, lamps, lighting effects, bar stools, baskets with flowers and whatever decors to create the mood and environment you desire. An outdoor fireplace is one idea for a patio that can make it your enjoyable and favorite outdoor space throughout the year and for years to come!

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Caring Tips for Patio Furniture

Summer and spring time is when most people get their patio furniture and grills out of the dust so that they can put them to good use. patio furniture is now available in many forms and types, but most people have plastic and wood based furnishings. No matter the material, patio furnishings can be easily ruined if they are not properly taken care of. Knowing exactly how to care for your patio furniture is very important, since most models can easily, especially after exposed to more extreme weather. Keep reading and go through the basic steps on how to extend the life of your patio furniture!

Due to the nature of the material, wood furniture requires caring a bit more frequently than other types. The good thing is that the caring process only takes a couple of minutes and it is often times very rewarding in the end. Firstly, start by ensuring that the sealant is weather proof, you surely don't want the wood to soak up any water. Weather conditions are probably the dangerous enemies of patio furnishings! Cleaning your furniture is also extremely important and it should be done right before every season.

Start by looking for rough or damaged spots, sand them out and apply sealant again. This is a simple process and you can easily make use of fine sand paper to sand these spots and make them a lot smoother. Sanding is extremely important because it prepares the area for the sealant while it also protects the sitters by keeping the splinters off. You can easily tear your clothes if you sit on rough spots, especially when splinters are on. How you store your patio furniture is also very important since the winter season can really damage it.

Be sure to store your furniture inside a warm place if you don't want the wood to crack and break down. Properly storing your furnishings can also save you money since the sealant will last a lot longer. Resealing the furniture should be done every three years, while spot resealing should be done whenever required. Also, be sure to take the furniture inside every time it rains. Sometimes, applying sealant to wooden patio furniture that was made using logs might become difficult and require you to put covers over it instead. Simply follow these tips and your patio furniture will surely last for a good number of years!

A Touch of Georgian Elegance For Your Patio

Imagine lazy Sunday afternoons soaking up the sun on your Georgian style enclosed patio. Looking out on your perfect, manicured lawn dotted with tupelo and black walnut trees, listening to the soft breezes rustling their leaves. Bees buzzing lazily amongst the honeysuckle flowers that drape over the fence, and on the other side an expanse of green pasture with horses grazing peacefully.

A Georgian patio like this is a modern day twist on the classic old wrap-around southern porch, such as you could see gracing historic American homes. The screens which would have surrounded the patio then have now given way to tempered glass, so you can have air conditioning, and your view isn't marred by fly screens. If you have an older home, still with some or all of its original patio roof, it can be retro-fitted, or you can choose to remove the roofing and have a green house effect instead. You can choose to remodel just one side of the house, or even remodel the whole circumference.

Your Georgian style enclosed patio is suited to any decorating taste. It is quite common for them to be furnished with rattan or wicker furniture and patterned, bright colored cushions, however maple or walnut furniture of fine quality also looks good. You might also wish to refinish the siding of the existing house to give a rough hewn look to the backdrop of your elegant patio. If your grounds are heavily treed, you might want to choose lighter colors for the walls and soft furnishings, and warm wood tones such as oak or walnut for the wooden frames of your furniture. As the patio is enclosed there's no danger of weather damage, so for comfort and Georgian style big fluffy pillows and overstuffed cushions are excellent.

If the wooden flooring of the original patio is suitable for restoration, you may do so. Area rugs in a heavy fiber are great, which you can group furniture around, and achieve a balanced look. Visual interest can be supplied by choosing intricate patterns and light colors. These durable rugs are especially suitable for high traffic areas. Indoor-outdoor rugs don't have to be ugly, and you can find lots of beautiful natural fiber rugs made from materials such as sisal or bamboo.

To bring the garden inside, you could have macrame hangers inside the patio as well as outside, with flowering begonias, which provide a lovely counterpoint to the walls and furniture with their intense colors. Lots of little pots of African violets clustered in a window which faces east is another idea for adding interest. Tall indoor palms or philodendrons are also well suited to a patio with a glass ceiling. Being tall they draw people's eyes upwards and add an extra sense of intimacy.

For intimate evening light, consider recessed lighting, which won't interfere with the natural light of daytime. If the sun is too much in the day, add slatted wooden blinds, light curtains or cloth blinds in a suitably coordinated color. These should cut down the sun but not cut it out altogether. Valances are suitable as well for your Georgian styling.

Wall hangings should be chosen to complement your color scheme but also to add a little contrast. The best idea is to choose decorations which have two or three tones complementing the décor and a few splashes added of vibrant color. Another touch of contrast in color can be added by figurines or vases, sparingly used.

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Patio Furniture Cushions Are a Great Way to Remodel Your Outdoor Living Space

New cushions for your patio furniture are a fantastic way to do an outdoor remodel on the cheap. There are lots and lots of colors, styles and textures to choose so bring a new look to your patio has never been easier.

A boring pillow just won't do. You need pillows that capture the feeling of your home. It needs to tell your guests where they are and almost become a part of your identity. Now before you say I'm exaggerating, let me say this. Your outdoor furniture is only as good as its cushions allow it to be!

There really isn't any excuse for not upgrading your cushions. They are not that expensive and they come in so many different styles, colors and textures that you are sure to find the right combination to totally deck out your living area. It is easy to find a large selection at your local outdoor store and even more choices are available online.

Key things to consider when looking for new cushions and you should start with how well they fit on the chair or bench. If they don't fit well, then you will be constantly fighting them and they won't provide the comfort that you deserve. Measurements are usually straight forward and can be done by anyone.

Secondly the colour is crucial. Make sure your cushions compliment the colour of the frame of the chairs as well as the walls and surroundings. Matching is not overly important but colour schemes should always be adhered to unless you're part of the new age arty revolution. White or light colours are not always a good idea, especially if you have kids or plan to eat or drink near these couches.

Then there is bounce. You want a cushion that is comfortable to sit on. If your bum gets numb after a while, the pillow is probably too soft. Too hard and you may as well not have a pillow. Make sure the cushion sticks to high standards of comfort.

Lastly is shape and texture. The materials your cushions are made from are actually a very high priority. You need a material that won't rip like cheap plastic. You don't want the cushion to be too slippery to sit on. There's nothing worse than sliding off the seat all the time. Suede cushions are not always a good idea as dust picks up pretty easily and could lead to deterioration. And watch out for rough edges and trimmings. Buy cushions you can be proud of that won't deteriorate.

Shirley Patterson writes about patio cushions and many other other patio decorating ideas. You can see more of Shirley's writing at Best Patio Cushions.

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Patio Torches: Know the Basic Facts About These Tiki Torches

Lighted patio torches commonly grace the lawns of homeowners who are having night parties. You can see these torches along patios, passageways, pools or gardens as decorative lighting. These torches originated in the Tropics. In some five-star hotels, when they hold monthly Hawaiian or Caribbean themed parties, bamboo patio torches are used to enhance the landscape setting. torches made of bamboo poles exude a touch of exotic ambiance. Hotel guests truly enjoy their stay in a tropical atmosphere where they can have fun and relax in peace.

To give you an idea of how these bamboo torches look, they are made of bamboo stalk of about 1.5 meters high. It is hollow inside. A patio torch is commonly known as tiki torch. On top of the pole is a wick, small container for the fuel and cap. The cap is necessary for the protection of the wick from moisture and for putting out the flame. LPG gas or Propane and Citronella oil are used as fuel to ignite the bamboo patio torch. Nice thing about propane is you can adjust the flame height.

Patio torches have also evolved through the years. Modern technology enters the scene with solar lighted and metal type of patio torches. Solar patio torches provide eco-friendly lighting. They give out a subtle and radiant glow without the use of electricity or fuel. Solar powered torches are cost efficient and come in various shapes, sizes, colors and designs. It is powered by LED lights and has some features which are beneficial in this "love your environment" age. You can order a solar Hawaiian bamboo look tiki torch with a ground stake, 2 flicker amber LED bulbs, frosted lens and rechargeable NiCad batteries. In effect, the island atmosphere of fire flame powered torches is eliminated when you use solar lighted torches. If you still want to retain the tropical ambiance, the solution is to light up your festivities with a mix of bamboo oil or gas torch and the bamboo look solar lighted torches.

Recently, arising from the creativity and imagination of industry stakeholders, they came up with metal torches like the copper, aluminum, nickel and brass tiki torches. These torches come in different standing and wall mounted designs in unique shapes and sizes. One model is the beautiful long leaf copper patio torch with spiral wall bracket and torch lantern. You can choose the shiny brushed finish or the rough, rustic antique finish. Metal torches need special polishing to prevent tarnishing.

Safety at all times should be your priority. Proper maintenance should be done when you store these torches together with the fuels and other accessories. Regular periodic check up should be made to make sure these torches are in proper condition. Don't forget also to check up and maintain your fire safety and protection equipments. These equipments should always be ready for use whenever your patio torches are lighted up particularly the gas and oil kinds.

Patio Design and Effects of Color

The four qualities of form, texture, tone and color interact, allowing us to see and enjoy the world around us. It is not really possible to separate one from the other, so looking at how to select color - something your landscape contractor will have had much experience in doing - means considering the other qualities too. This is especially important in a small space like a patio, where every element has to be effective to make it an attractive outdoor space that you will want to make use of frequently.

The materials of which your patio is made will have a color and texture of their own. Stone or concrete, old bricks or wood are rich in textural variety and can vary in color from dull greys and greens through rich earthy reds and browns. If your patio is tiled, you have a rainbow of tiling colors from which to choose. Remember that strongly contrasting textures will reduce the effects of contrasting colors - and the most beautiful bright colors can be overwhelming if they are in a large group. So if your patio has a rough texture, brick or stone perhaps, that will subdue the effect of any colors that may seem too bright in any other small space - those orange-red zinnias perhaps. If, however, the patio is covered in glossy-surfaced tiles it will lend intensity and depth to other colors, so it may be necessary to opt for quieter colors like the soft pink of carnations, or just many-hued green foliage alone.

Distance usually softens colors, giving them a gray appearance when they are far away. A patio, by its nature, keeps colored plants very close to the viewer, where they will appear very clear and hard-edged. If you plant a blue-grey colored shrub - something like a small juniper, Juniperus conferta perhaps (an evergreen with long needles and low, spreading branches that grows happily in sun or part shade) at one end of your patio it will have a "distancing" effect, making the patio seem longer than it really is - a useful trick for a small area.

If you want your patio to have a light, bright look you need to take care that you do not mix too many colors. Real brightness requires that you use a bright color sparingly. On your patio this might mean having furniture a neutral color, stained, or painted white, possibly; as much green as you can with shrubs or vines around the area and just one or two colored items as highlights (red geraniums are traditionally used in this way on many European terraces or in window boxes).

And while you can achieve a lot with flowering annuals, don't overlook the colors in fall leaves, or stark winter grays and blacks, which have a beauty of their own.

Article from Steve Boulden, creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers ideas for patio design, courtyards, landscaping, and garden design. For more design ideas visit http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/patio.

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