The Great Outdoors: Creating an Entertainment Space
By Janice Finnell
If your idea of a great patio includes elements such as a poured concrete patio, plastic outdoor furniture, or a simple charcoal grill, it’s time to upgrade. The modern backyard is defined by inviting, comfortable living spaces that extend from the back door, to the hot tub and pool, to the back gate. All-natural stone flooring, custom gourmet kitchens, electronics, cooling and heating systems, and colorful, long-lasting fabrics are the order of the day. Here’s a sampler of top trends; let it be a guide as you master your outdoor domain.
Decks and Patios
“The thought of bringing the indoors outdoors is extremely popular,” says Joe Vassallo, president of Paragon Pools in Las Vegas. Vassallo encourages homeowners to make the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces seamless. Create an outdoor area on the same elevation as the home, then bring those two spaces together by incorporating the same materials and introducing wider doorways to open up the inside of your home.
Outdoor seating areas today emphasize style and comfort. Elegant furniture usually found indoors has moved under the stars, and with it, state-of-the-art electronics typically reserved for media rooms. Music systems with built-in speakers and wall-mounted HDTVs, complete with weather-resistant stainless steel shells and antiglare glass, are becoming staples to great outdoor rooms.
Underfoot, all-natural stones like granite, quartz, and limestone are in demand. “If someone’s in love with their stone or tile inside, it can be replicated outside, as long as it’s slip-proof,” says John Romano of All American Custom Pools and Spas in Connecticut. To achieve a unified look, Romano extends the same material beyond the patio to the pool and spa surrounds, passageways, and even built-in planters.
What good is a great living space if you can only enjoy it a few months out of the year? To beat the heat, climate control units are gaining in popularity almost as quickly as their technology improves. Outdoor air conditioners, which promise to cool down the temperature in a designated area by up to 35 degrees, and misting systems, which can be incorporated into ceiling fans and spray a fine mist that can cool the air up to 25 degrees, extend the outdoor season in warmer climates. In cooler areas, more people turn to outdoor space heaters—now smaller, more efficient, and available in improved finishes like copper—to extend their outdoor living season into the fall. Automatic insect-repellent misting systems are increasingly replacing netting in all climates to keep pesky mosquitoes away during peak pest season.
Outdoor Kitchens
Today’s outdoor kitchens would do Wolfgang Puck proud. No longer just a cleared-out corner where Dad flips burgers on a kettle grill, the latest trend is toward large, centrally located custom spaces with granite counters and enough stainless steel appliances—grills, gas burners, chillers, roasters, refrigerators, sinks, smokers, dishwashers—to rival the best indoor kitchens. Pizza ovens, heavy-duty barbecues, and stovetops (now available with more burners to feed a bigger crowd) are also finding their way outside.
The grill is still the centerpiece, but it, too, has been updated with many innovations. Today’s top-of-the-line models feature advanced control tools, including grill-surface temperature readers indicating when to flip and serve, hoods with built-in lighting, and built-in grilling plates for fish.
Beyond new features, the biggest advancement in the outdoor kitchen is its newfound prominence in the entertaining area layout. People now showcase their outdoor kitchens as the centerpiece and social hub of the backyard: “The chef is not standing off somewhere with a huge fire going,” Vassallo says. “The whole family can get involved in helping out with the cooking and food prep. It becomes an outdoor event.”
Outdoor Furniture
The line between indoor and outdoor furniture has become so blurred it’s almost impossible to tell where to put that new chair you bought. Casual contemporary and a soft adaptation of modern lines dominate the latest design trends, with comfort being the biggest priority. All-weather fabrics like solution-dyed acrylic (often sold under the Sunbrella brand name) are de rigueur, as they retain the furniture’s good looks amid the elements. To make this durable, color-fast fabric, the latest technology is used. Pigment is added to acrylic fibers during manufacturing, making the fabric machine-washable and resistant to UV rays, moisture, mildew, and staining. It feels as soft-to-the-touch as indoor cotton fabric and comes in almost as many styles and colors. Earthtones with splashes of bold color remain popular, but bolder color schemes are also catching on.
Around the Water
Many people augment their pools and spas with elegant water features, fun slides for the kids, or stunning pool houses. Though each is tied directly to one specific element of the backyard, each adds to the overall aesthetic of the space.
Today’s pool houses, for instance, often mimic the architecture of the main dwelling, creating a sense of connection and balance. Some are large enough to house separate living quarters, while others are simple changing and shower areas. Regardless of size, the trend is to echo major design elements found elsewhere on the property.
Like pool houses, water features and slides draw the eyes. Fountains, sprays, and spillways all add elegance to the backyard, making it a perfect space for entertaining. Slides of yesterday have been replaced by extravagant water chutes that seem to be carved out of the landscape. Foliage and rock (sometimes faux rock) help hide the structures and blend them with the surrounding area.
5 Things to Know Before You Buy
Plan Your Space. Even if do everything at once, plan ahead for outdoor areas you want to improve in the future.
Read. Pore over magazines (like ours) to get a sense of trends and selection. Don’t be afraid to tear out pages that include ideas you like.
Define Outdoor Living. Ask yourself the following questions before planning an outdoor space: How many people do you want to accommodate? Do you plan to throw large parties, or do you want a cozier atmosphere? Your answers will go a long way in determining the backyard that’s right for you.
Map Your Property. Find out where your setback, septic tank, and well are, and check your local building codes and restrictions before moving forward. Also consider ways to maximize sun, shade, and views of your house and pool.
Know your Builders. Before hiring professionals, check their credentials with APSP (American Pool & Spa Professionals), the Better Business Bureau, and other respected organizations. Just in case, consider buying insurance for the project.
Photo courtesy of Joe Vasallo.