Outdoor Living

**monkeywrangler71** · 06-03-2010, 08:01 PM

(Not actually living outside, but extending your home's living space to include the outdoors)

How do you utilize your outside space? Do you have furniture outside? Do you live in an area where you can have actual real furniture outdoors or do you have patio furniture? Sometimes I watch those shows where people are looking for homes in the Mediterranean, and they have all these massive patios with sitting areas and dining areas, and they basically double their living area by moving it outdoors.

We barbeque year round, but I almost never eat outside. We have a small patio table and chairs, but if it isn't cold or raining then you are being attacked by flies and wasps. We don't do much of anything in the yard (except hang clothes and cut grass).

I would love to have a screened in porch, with seating for just relaxing with a drink or reading, without being bothered by insects or rain. I would also love to have a firepit and seating area where we can hang out on summer evenings. My next home I'm going to put a lot more effort into actually utilizing and enjoying our outdoor space (here's hoping it's a lot bigger and more than 10ft from the neighbours

)

**krbshappy71** · 06-03-2010, 08:06 PM

My dogs will eat anything left outside so we use camping chairs. They are quick to grab and unfold. We keep them in the front coat closet and stick them back in when coming back indoors. I have a pond in the backyard (put it in myself) and four dogs that bring me a ball to play fetch. Oh and this year again we have baby birds so its entertaining to watch mommy and daddy bird swooping around our yard.

There's a chimnea out there as well if we want to watch some flickering of fire flames. I like it best for roasting marshmallows.

The indoor stereo is wired to outdoor speakers with an outdoor controller for volume. So, I sort of bring the indoors out. As much as I can with destructive mutts.

**craftypam** · 06-03-2010, 08:26 PM

We had stamped cement put in 5 years ago. We bought a gazebo; having trouble with the weather ruining the top; I'm goingh to try to spray it with this uv protectant this year. I have a swing and a table and chairs. Since the ds's are not home anymore I'd love to get the loveseat, rocker, chair and coffee table. Not this year. Love to spend this time of year in my yard. Gardening; swimming or just hanging out on the patio. We have actually taken a small tv outside (before we had to have the boxes) to watch a show or 2.

**monkeywrangler71** · 06-03-2010, 08:29 PM

What is stamped cement? Do you have pictures?

**craftypam** · 06-03-2010, 09:16 PM

I'm not sure how to post pictures just yet. So I'll explain it. You pick a color and they mix it with the cement and after they lay the cement they take these big rubber mats, kind of like the ones you put by your door. They have patterns on one side and while the cement is still wet they lay them down. My patio is gray (darker than cement) and it looks like large stones. If I can figure out how to post a pic, I will.

**gapeach** · 06-03-2010, 09:20 PM

We have 3 outdoor living areas at our home. We have a rather large deck off the upstairs dining room that has the grill, glider and a table with 4 chairs. I also have a small end tables on each side of the glider. I also have deck planters on the rail ledge. We have a screened porch off the family room that has a table with 6 chairs, 2 gliders and end tables, a bakers rack, 2 nice patio chairs with matching cocktail table and a plant stand with lots of plants. Our third area is a patio that runs most of the length of the house. I just have some patio chairs on it. We use all 3 areas year round weather permitting. I love to sit on the screened porch while it's raining.

**craftypam** · 06-03-2010, 09:22 PM

Oh, I told you about my furniture; but I forgot about my plants. I have carrots, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers and alot of flowers; I love flowers and it is one of the things I'm not very frugal about.

gapeach;

I would LOVE to have a screened in porch.

**krbshappy71** · 06-03-2010, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by craftypam

Oh, I told you about my furniture; but I forgot about my plants. I have carrots, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers and alot of flowers; I love flowers and it is one of the things I'm not very frugal about.

gapeach;

I would LOVE to have a screened in porch.

My dogs eat my plants too. I lost 2 rosebushes and 2 raspberry bushes. Seriously, who eats things with spikes on them?!

In my next chapter of life I'm having one TRAINED dog and a huge garden of both food and flowers.

**Liane** · 06-03-2010, 09:42 PM

Wow. I am inspired. My backyard is a work in progress. When you step out my back door you take one step down and there is a 8 by 20 ish patio. I would love to extend this all the way across the back of the house. Right next to the patio is a tree that started out as a twig from school. It is so big that now it has to be moved. Just beyond the tree is our garden. It is a decent size. I have potatoes in buckets and a grow bag this year too. Next to the garden is the compost area. Above that are two trees and a hill that runs all the way across the back of the yard. We have two canopies that you can set up and take down that we use on the patio for parties. Just got a picnic table with benches from Home Depot-$98.00. Good deal and solid wood. We have a 15 ft around pool kind of in the middle of the yard. Then there is more grass and a shed. We also have a grape vine along the fence by the shed. Right now furniture wise I have plastic chairs and two round plastic tables. We have about 10 wooden chairs that we put outside for parties and bring in after. I drool over the real sofa looking sets at SAMS. They are so comfy. Just can not justify having nicer outside furniture than the inside furniture-lol. I love the idea of a fire pit but my golden would probably set her tail on fire. Dream yard would have comfy sturdy furniture. My cousin got some patio chairs from a closing hotel. I would love to get in on the next closing one. The chairs she got are practically indistructable. I would also have a fire pit-after dog. Would keep the pool and add better steps for the entrance to it, the ladder right now is awkward and steep. I want to get rid of as much grass as possible. We are allergic and my dd cuts it now and some day that will end. I love chickens and want to see if I can have them here. Of course my sweet baby dog will have to be gone or there would be problems. She chases anything that moves. If I had my way I would tier the hill and have more gardens. We'll see. Some trees out of the way for more sun would work too.

**craftypam** · 06-04-2010, 05:27 AM

krbs;
I agree with you about dog eating the rosebush. My mil has those small rosebushes and the bunnies are eating those and felt the same way you do. Aren't the thorns cutting up their mouths and doesn't that hurt? You think that would stop them.
Pam

**Libby** · 06-05-2010, 12:08 PM

My backyard is grass in the centre with raised garden beds all around and a shed in one corner. We have a closed in back porch - but no screen windows

So we either sit on whats left of the deck or out on the stoned area thats close to the house where the BBQ is. I am going to try to spend more time outback this year but the bugs are awful

We usually do family bbq's at my sisters since she has the bigger table, screened in gazeebo complete with sunshade if needed and a finished backyard - all deck, no grass. It looks like a pic out of a magazine...its just missing flowers to soften the modern look.

**JerryG** · 06-06-2010, 08:29 PM

I have a covered patio w/ furniture and we use it a lot. It has comfy chairs, some trees and bushes but I'll be damned if I can grow something edible out there.

SO has a covered carport but expanded the backyard w/ pavers (brick) so we have seating area that has a grill and a smoker and it's lined w/ flower beds. He hoses his off regularly as we cook a lot out there in the summer. It's not grand but we've hosted parties w/ 20+ people.

We live in AZ and we don't have a lot of bugs but there are skeeters.

**Ali Lee** · 06-07-2010, 07:46 PM

I have a beautiful screened in porch, built by hubby. I have an outdoor table set on one side. Better to visit @ than eat.The chairs lean back too far from the table, but we still eat @ it. The other side has 2 rockers from Cracker Barrel, settee, & some little tables from DG. I've got plenty of wind chimes, baskets, & angels. I love it. The room increases my living space + my house looks bigger. I've had many compliments on it. The ceiling is knotty pine & hubby made the chair railing lower, so you can see out-just fine. Such a smart man....

**lisaflex** · 06-07-2010, 08:09 PM

we LOVE outside! have a few different outside living areas.

deck w/ bench and 2 swivel smith an dhawken chairs, a planter and 2 tables.

large teak table w/ 8 chairs and an umbrella for everyday eating

a fenced in pool area w/ loungers, smith and hawken "couch" and chair and lots of tables and a rod iron table w/ 4 chairs for snack eating

around the swingset area we have some random plastic adnorandacks

near the pool area, we have a fire pit w/ wooden adnorandacks and some really cute tables

we have music out in the yard also which makes the "right" atmospehere...

we LOVE to be outside.....