Help me figure out how to make the most use of our patio

amother

Teal

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 5:48 pm

We have an outdoor patio which doesn't get much use. I would like to decorate it so that we can enjoy it. now it's completely empty.

it is located under our deck which has a table and chairs. I was thinking of a fire pit, outdoor lighting (what kind), and some lounge chairs.

If you have experience or you know where *I* can get help with this, please post. I'd love to surprise Dh with a ready scene for chanuka.

I'm looking for ideas of what to put, what kind of lighting do I need, how to find out what's good quality, where to get best prices...

MagentaYenta

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 5:54 pm

Please be careful about fire pits under wooden structures. I think a table and chairs are a good starting point. It also helps to consider it another room. During the summer I live outside on my patio, I have my morning coffee, my lunch and dinner outdoors (weather permitting). After dinner I read outside rather than being indoors.

amother

Teal

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 5:57 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

All that we do on our deck. Patio is down the stairs of the deck so we end up there less often. If I make it inviting I hope we'll use it more often.

bluebird

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 6:18 pm

I like the idea of a cozy outdoor space for winter.

I'd probably just use the outdoor lights on a string that people decorate their trees with, strung up along the underside of the deck. It looks very nice at night and isn't glaring. I agree with MagentaYenta about the fire pit, but I do find the idea of having one appealing for sitting around in cooler weather while drinking some cider. Smile

Maybe a hammock to curl up in with a blanket if you can suspend it from the deck. I'd personally go with a decent set of patio chairs instead of lounge chairs, which is more something I'd use on the sunny deck.

MagentaYenta

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 6:36 pm

bluebird wrote:

There are lidded fire pits (actually above ground) available on Amazon. I know that Weber makes one too. I live small and my patio is a 14x16 slab bordered by my flower and veggie gardens. The whole area off the patio is 18x40. On warmer rainy days I can tuck in under the 5' eves and still be comfortable. I have the entire fence line strung with LED lites that are are run by solar charged batteries and they come on automatically at dark for 4 hours. Outdoor rooms keep your house uncluttered. Find a good piece of water proof storage for chair cushions, trash bags, perhaps some games, a sponge and a spray bottle of water for quick cleanups. I have a hook on my eves and a candelabra I hang out on nice nights. I use led tea lights in it that also have timers built in.

Lady Bug

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 8:13 pm

I would buy a patio set with a table that has a built in fire pit in the middle. Some nice lounge chairs that match the table. A couple of ceiling fans so that you can enjoy when it gets hot, plus some string lights around the edges.

https://www.google.com/search?.....ZM%3A

http://www.hayneedle.com/produ.....HQLHg

If you have a wide side beam, you can do a fireplace.

http://www.houzz.com/photos/26.....uston

Alternatively you can hang bench swings all around (3 in total, 1 for each open side of the patio). If you do benches I wouldn't do a table, but rather a statement fire pit. Same lighting as the other option.

http://www.hayneedle.com/produ.....n.cfm

https://www.wayfair.com/Winter.....12985

OR you can do something cool like a hanging bed swing. I would totally come hang out on your patio with one of these. No string lights, probably a set of pendants, depending on your swing choice.

http://rilane.com/outdoor/13-c.....igns/

amother

Teal

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 9:00 pm

thanks everyone! I'm already getting excited

I don't want a fire pit table though I love the look. We tend to use it to roast marshmallows and I don't want kids climbing onto the table to get their skewer into the fire. Not safe for us.

I like the idea of a hammock or swing. Probably swing better because hammock won't have any lovely views from under the deck. I have nice size property so I can put hammock elsewhere hopefully.

Solar string lights - love love the idea. But only 4 hours after dark? I can see us needing more than that on saturday nights... What other power options are there?

MagentaYenta

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 9:04 pm

The problem I've found with friends who have those gas fired tables is if you want to sit out in chilly weather they don't keep you warm. Consider some comfy but moveable seating and small tables that can be moved about if someone wants to play a quiet game of cards while others are schmoozing at another table. Start with a couple of items that you will need and then see how you are using the space. Nice string hamocks or the hanging chairs mentioned are good for reading and napping and easily stored when you want more space. Look at chairs that can stack out of the way. I have some vintage Brown Jourdan chairs and a table I got for $25 at a garage sale. I had them professionally powder coated at an auto body shop for $15 a chair. I think it cost $50 for the table. I bought the strapping and restrapped them myself. I replaced the non existent glass table top with heavy duty carbide for $100. I've seen the same set on eBay for over $1200.

amother

Teal

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 9:48 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

A hammock swing is on my list. I like the idea that chairs should be stackable and movable, even if not to have to leave them out during a snowstorm. Alas, not many garage sales around here..

challahchallah

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 11:19 pm

I agree with MagentaYenta that fire pits don't really produce enough heat to keep you warm in the colder months. I have a propane patio heater similar to this (but a different brand):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000.....?th=1

Having the heater really does make a huge difference in the amount I use the patio even in the winter.

MagentaYenta

Tue, Nov 22 2016, 11:34 pm

challahchallah wrote:

Actually that's not what I meant at all. Heat sources on tables don't warm you from the waist down. My preference has been a fire pit with a spark arrestor.

I have a chimenea that is a decorative feature in a minor flowerbed. If I want to warm the patio area I just bring that over onto the concrete and light a log in it.

challahchallah

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 12:04 am

MagentaYenta wrote:

Sorry--I didn't mean to misinterpret! I live in California, so while we get chilly evenings I definitely am not the expert on cold weather tactics. Still, I do find the propane heaters to be substantively better than the fire pits (maybe since they have a reflective top which redirects heat downwards?).

MagentaYenta

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 12:11 am

challahchallah wrote:

There is nothing wrong with a propane heater. They are effective for warming and reasonably safe. Funny thing I bought my chimenea in Tijuana in 1974 when I first got to CA, I've been schlepping it around with me since then.

amother

Teal

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 9:59 am

challahchallah wrote:

im wanting a fire pit for the fire, not only for the heat it generates. we like to roast marshamallows, potatoes, hot dogs, etc. or just sit around and watch the flames.

greenfire

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 11:09 am

a bistro table for 2 ... a wooden swing

http://www.hayneedle.com/outdo.....poHJA

you need to build your fire pit elsewhere probably 15 feet away from the deck ... the variety is endless & you could make one yourself ...

http://pioneersettler.com/fire.....igns/

or buy one & place it on a bed of river rock gravel ...

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Riv.....35014

I would put a hanging flower basket or 3 around the edge

amother

Teal

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 9:41 pm

greenfire wrote:

I have a large family. A bistro table for 2? Why?

I want the fire pit should be mobile. At times we may want to use it deep in the woodsy part of our property for a more outdoor/scoutboy type of experience. And if we DIY it ain't gonna happen so soon as history has shown us... That's why I'm so determined to make it work now, the easier the better.

I like the hanging flower basket idea. Any plant ideas of what will look good year-round, summer/winter? Or should I just hang the baskets now and figure out the plants in the spring time? Wink

MagentaYenta

Wed, Nov 23 2016, 9:48 pm

amother wrote:

Check with your local nursery about baskets. It's been so long since I've lived in CA. I remember I had a lot of hanging succulents on my porch in CA. And quite a number of Schlumbergera cultivars year round.