Living Lavishly Outdoors with 2018 Trends

(Family Features) As many families prepare to ramp up their time spent outside, it can be helpful to keep the latest trends in mind while planning for outdoor living spaces.

According to research from the International Casual Furnishings Association, many people use outdoor rooms for things they can do indoors – from using cellphones for calls and games to working on computers, watching TV, eating, exercising and, of course, relaxing.

Since 70 percent of survey respondents said they enjoy spending time in an outdoor living space more than inside, it’s fitting that the 2018 furnishing trends address the outdoor lifestyle experience.

“Whether enclosed or open-air, outdoor spaces have come into their own as legitimate rooms in American homes,” said Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance and executive director of its outdoor division, the International Casual Furnishings Association. “Today’s outdoor rooms have it all – somewhere to dine, to relax and be entertained – with furnishings that function like they would for any room in the home and with style and flair that distinctly fits outdoors.”

Dining tables and chairs top many people’s outdoor shopping lists this year, followed by lounge chairs, lighting, fire pits, umbrellas and sofas. Leading the list of trends in the dynamic dining category is ultra-comfortable seating and a wide variety of table options.

Extra-large dining tables are popular for entertaining groups and al fresco dining. Yet manufacturers understand not everyone has a large outdoor space, so they also offer selections for small spaces, including dining sets suitable for apartment- and condo-size balconies, as well as sizes in-between.

The research also shows 68 percent of people use outdoor spaces several times a week in seasonally appropriate weather. Comfort, spaciousness and style were the most important factors in encouraging people to spend more time outdoors, which is why deep-seated chairs with high backs for relaxed comfort rank high on wish lists.

Often accompanying these group seating options are fire tables or pits, which continue to increase in popularity, according to the survey.

“We are seeing that fire of some sort for outdoors is topping many consumers’ wish lists again this year,” Hirschhaut said. “You just can’t beat a fire element for creating ambience.”

Much like spaces indoors, outdoor rooms are leaning more toward mixing rather than matching, both in individual pieces and in groups of pieces. To help meet this trend, try looking for pieces that incorporate several different elements such as aluminum, wicker and teak, as well as groups that pair, for example, wicker seating with iron or wood tables.

On the color spectrum, the survey found that after years of brown as a dominant color, shades of gray are increasingly peeking through as a more popular finish.

For more tips and information about creating a stylish outdoor living space, visit icfanet.org.

Photo courtesy of O.W. Lee

Create Inviting Outdoor Spaces

(Family Features) The arrival of milder temperatures means dining al fresco, hosting neighborhood cookouts and enjoying intimate cocktail parties under the stars. When creating a backyard oasis, make your space both inviting and able to withstand the wear and tear of warm-weather fun.

The outdoor living experts at Trex, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing, suggest the following tips:

Check your deck
Nothing spoils a deck party like a nasty splinter or a trip over an uneven board. If your deck needs a “face lift,” consider replacing old, rotting or warping boards with wood-alternative decking that combines superior durability and low-maintenance with long-lasting good looks.

Unlike wood, high-performance composites resist fading, staining, scratching and mold – and won’t rot, warp, crack or splinter. Upkeep is hassle-free with no sanding, staining or painting required and food and drink spills wash off easily with soap and water.

“Who wants an outdoor space that they have to spend more time maintaining than enjoying? For me, composite decking is a no-brainer,” said celebrity deck designer Paul Lafrance of HGTV’s acclaimed “Decked Out” series. “It delivers all the beauty and aesthetics of wood without the back-breaking and time-consuming upkeep.”

Create zones
Maximize the flow of your outdoor living space by creating different entertainment and comfort “zones.” Establish separate areas for cooking, eating and socializing, just as you have inside your home. Structures like pergolas, trellises, or even tall potted plants, can help separate and define different settings.

Food and drink stations – arguably the most crucial element of a party – should be prominent and accessible to guests. And don’t forget a kid-friendly zone with games, such as corn hole, badminton and ladder ball, and other activities to help keep children entertained.

Frame your space
While railings provide an obvious and necessary safety function, they also serve an important aesthetic role by creating a decorative frame for outdoor spaces. Additionally, the right railing can maximize scenic views or enhance the privacy of an outdoor setting. To help simplify the selection process, Trex offers a Decking and Railing Duos online tool, which delivers customized couplings based on consumer preferences and proven, designer-selected pairings. The tool even allows users to download complete ordering guides and materials lists.

Let there be light
The right lighting can take any outdoor space from invisible to inviting. Adding dimmable LED lighting to railings and stairs not only adds atmosphere, but also enhances security and extends the time you can spend enjoying your outdoor living space. For maximum ambiance and safety, focus on illuminating entryways, paths, steps, railings and specific task areas, such as an outdoor kitchen or bar.

Stock up on storage
Make entertaining a breeze with built-in storage to keep supplies organized and at-hand. The Trex Outdoor Storage collection offers ingenious storage solutions such as a hidden ice drawer that chills drinks and snacks so hosts can spend time enjoying the festivities rather than running inside to replenish what’s needed outside.

Don’t forget the finishing touches
Customize your outdoor living space to make guests feel truly welcome. Infuse charm and personal style with accessories such as vibrant weather- and stain-resistant throw pillows and cushions. Opt for elegant outdoor tableware over flimsy paper and plastic, and integrate artistic accents and accessories to give the space the look and feel of an outdoor great room.

“Thanks to advances in all-weather materials, furnishings and accessories, you can outfit an outdoor living space in much the same way that you would any room in the home,” Lafrance said.

For more outdoor living ideas and inspiration, visit Trex.com.

Designing Stylish and Functional Outdoor Kitchens

(Family Features) Just like the inside of a home, aesthetics are often the first thing you notice when stepping outside.  

An outdoor living space can be modern, traditional, rustic, coastal or even country farmhouse – the possibilities are endless. The look and feel it exudes is important, so figuring out a design that reflects your own personal style is a top priority in the planning stages.

However, it’s not the only priority. You’ll also need to determine how to use the space. Some homeowners discover that one of the best ways to do so is with an outdoor kitchen.   

“We have seen designers and homeowners taking a more thoughtful and sophisticated design approach over time,” said Russ Faulk, chief designer and head of product for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, producer of premium culinary products for residential outdoor kitchens. “The result is a fully realized space with all of the parts working together – much more than a collection of furniture and cooking equipment.”

To get the most out of your outdoor kitchen, these products should work harmoniously. Get started with the basics of outdoor kitchen functional zones from Faulk.

Zoning Out
Planning for each functional zone is necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the outdoor space for cooking and entertaining activities. Similar to the indoor kitchen, outdoor kitchens consist of functional zones, which include hot zones, cold zones, wet zones and dry zones.

Hot zones include all cooking spaces, such as the grill, pizza oven and cooktops. Cold zones are made up of refrigeration and freezers. Wet zones are comprised of sinks and adjacent workspace. Dry zones are prep counters and storage.

A truly effective outdoor kitchen involves all four zones working together. Planning ahead can make prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning go more smoothly.

For example, the cold zone should be located next to the wet zone. This can make moving food from the refrigerator to the sink to wash much easier before going to the grill.    
 
Landing Space
When you’re cooking, you need space at each workstation to set things down. One of the most frequent outdoor kitchen design shortcomings is insufficient counter space.

Ideally, you should have open countertop space to each side of a sink, grill, cooktop and every other workstation. These open spaces are called landing zones.

Outside the Lines
As homeowners want to spend more time in their outdoor kitchens, storage space is becoming increasingly important. At the very least, they will want to store cooking items like wood chips, charcoal, grilling gloves and brushes in outdoor cabinets for the season.

Many homeowners want a fully functional outdoor kitchen that operates independently from the indoor kitchen, which requires even more storage space to keep pots, pans, utensils and cutting boards outside.

Outdoor cabinetry needs to be ready to withstand the elements. To handle rain and keep items dry, weather-tight options are available.

In addition to high durability, outdoor cabinetry options have become increasingly design-focused with various finishes that make an aesthetic statement. For example, Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Cabinetry Series comes in oiled ipe wood or powder-coated stainless steel panels available in more than 200 colors.

Whether your space is big or small, the design principles of a well-functioning outdoor kitchen remain the same. Do it right and your kitchen will not only look stylish, but it’ll function smoothly and may become your new favorite part of your home for years to come. Find more information at KalamazooGourmet.com.

8 Steps to a Better Deck

(Family Features) The season of backyard barbecues and outdoor entertaining is here, but for thousands of homeowners with worn out wooden decks, the return of warmer weather means one thing: deck repair and maintenance.

The time and energy required to strip, sand and stain a wood deck could instead be used to replace those old boards with new ones made of high-performance, low-maintenance composite material. Wood-alternative decking, like Trex, is resistant to fading, staining, scratching and mold and, unlike wood, requires no sanding, staining or painting. Just an occasional soap-and-water cleaning is all that is needed to retain a “like-new” appearance and durability for decades.

Where designing and building a new deck from scratch can take months, resurfacing an existing deck is a doable DIY project that can be completed over the course of a weekend. If your deck is more trouble than its worth, recruit a few friends and follow these eight steps to a new deck that you can spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying.

For more details, watch this step-by-step video covering the deck resurfacing process. When you’re ready to begin, take advantage of Trex’s online sample program to see firsthand how different colors and textures work with your home’s architecture and decor, and learn more about the full range of high-performance, low-maintenance outdoor living products at trex.com.

Step 1: Examine the Substructure

Before removing any boards, check your deck’s joists and the overall condition of the framing to ensure the substructure is sound before proceeding. If the foundation and deck framing system are sound, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2: Remove Old Deck Boards

After obtaining any necessary building permits, carefully remove and discard the old decking and railing, leaving the substructure and framing in place.

Step 3: Follow Your Guides

Inspect all framing and framing hardware for code compliance, structural integrity and compliance with your chosen decking material. Consult the decking manufacturer’s installation guide for specifics.

Step 4: Level It Out

To ensure a level surface for the new deck boards, make sure that the joists are level and even with each other. You may need to shave the joists to achieve this.

Step 5: Install New Deck Boards

Begin laying new deck boards. Closely follow the instructions for spacing from the manufacturer’s installation guide. Consult the installation guide regularly, and if you have any questions along the way, contact the professionals before proceeding.

Step 6: Add Posts

Attach pressure-treated structural rail posts to framing as required by code and the installation guide.

Step 7: Complete with Railing

Slide sleeves over the railing posts and assemble railing and balusters per the installation guide. Finish off by adding your choice of decorative elements, such as post caps or top rail caps.

Step 8: Enjoy for Years to Come

Your deck makeover is complete, but your enjoyment is just beginning. With a 25-year Limited Fade and Stain Warranty, a Trex deck will look great for years to come.