4 Ways to Extend the Amount of Time You Spend on Your Pleasant Valley, NY Patio
Making the most of your patio means enjoying it in the cooler months as well as the summer. Instead of looking longingly at your patio once the temperatures start to dip, here are 4 ways to extend the amount of time you spend on your Pleasant Valley, NY patio.
Related: The Many Benefits of Adding an Outdoor Kitchen to a Patio Project in Poughkeepsie, NY
1. A Fire Feature
While daytime temperatures remain comfortable in early fall, the nights take on a chill. Instead of moving the party indoors on a gorgeous fall evening when the bugs are gone and the skies are crystal clear, why not warm up beside an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or fire table? Unlike temporary patio heaters, a masonry fire feature adds elegance to your patio no matter the season.
An outdoor fireplace could be as cozy or majestic as you like. This dramatic focal point automatically draws people together for warmth and conversation. Depending on its placement, it could be used to warm up several spaces such as a lounge area as well as your outdoor kitchen; it can be tucked away in a quiet corner; or it could be part of an outdoor living room under the shelter of a pavilion.
A fire pit gives your backyard a classic campfire feel. A round fire pit is shaped to allow a large number of people to gather at the same time, and gives everyone equal access to the warmth. A more formal square fire pit could echo the shapes of a modern linear patio design. A fire pit is ideal if you entertain large groups.
A fire table is the ultimate in entertaining. This fire feature (which could be coffee-table height, dining table height, or bar height) uses propane or natural gas to avoid the inconvenience of smoke in the eyes. The flame serves as a stunning centerpiece and the generous ledge offers plenty of space for dinnerware. If you entertain small groups often, this could be the perfect solution for keeping the party outside.
2. Shelter
As the weather turns cold, you’ll want a place to get out of the weather - a place that holds in the heat and shelters you from rain or even snow. A pavilion is an open-sided, solid-roofed structure that is designed to be installed on a patio. Its close cousin, a gazebo, includes a built-in floor which allows this shelter structure to be placed anywhere, such as an overlook or beside a pond. Adding a fire feature to your shelter structure is the ultimate in cold-weather comfort. Both pavilions and gazebos can be further winter-proofed using heavy outdoor curtains or a simple lattice screen (which can support climbing vines in warmer weather).
3. Inviting Lighting
As the days get shorter, you’ll want good lighting on your patio to create an inviting after-dark outdoor experience. Low voltage LED light fixtures can be creatively placed for maximum aesthetic effect. Use LED fixtures to create distinct lighting and activity zones on your patio, and to create a layered effect in the landscape so that the landscape beyond the patio isn’t pitch-black while the patio is overly bright.
4. Pizza!
If you find that outdoor cooking is a bit hard in the colder months, let a wood-fired pizza oven do the work for you, and warm up the space at the same time. No matter how chilly the air may be, nobody can resist the aroma of a fresh homemade pizza!
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