Creating a comfortable space outdoors
Merging indoors and outdoors has become increasingly popular over the past few years as residents of the Chicago area seek to spend as much time as possible enjoying their outdoor spaces when the weather cooperates. Dining areas, comfortable seating areas and kitchens are all being replicated outdoors.
“We are encouraging homeowners to make the transition from indoors to outdoors as seamless as possible by continuing the same color scheme from your adjoining rooms outside in your use of custom fabrics, pillows and even rugs,” said Andrea Odishoo, interior decorator/design consultant for Steinhafels Furniture in Vernon Hills.
“Today's selections allow homeowners to continue the style they use inside to the outside, as well,” she said. “So if they have a traditional home, they can now purchase traditional-style outdoor furniture and if they have a contemporary home, they can have a contemporary patio or deck.
“I encourage homeowners to start with an outdoor, polypropylene rug, which defines the space, color palette and style, covers ills like worn areas on a deck and feels comfortable underfoot, especially when it is very hot,” Odishoo said. “These rugs can be easily hosed off if there is a spill and they dry quickly after a rainstorm.”
Lighting is also key and often overlooked. You can do something as simple as wrapping strings of lights around the railings of your deck, she explained, or if you have a roof over your deck or patio, you can hang a chandelier. Wall sconces are also popular to light outdoor spaces.
When furnishing the outdoor space, Odishoo counsels clients to create a visual connection between the indoors and outdoors by carrying a bit of the indoor style — particularly a color — from the inside to the outside through a decorative table accessory or throw pillows. If your inside room uses a lot of blues, for instance, put a matching blue pot in the middle of your dining table or purchase blue throw pillows for your outdoor sofa or sectional so that your outdoor space remains harmonious with the interior of your home.
Furniture upholstered with Sunbrella fabric receives Odishoo's vote because it is washable and it is dyed all the way through instead of just on the surface, thus it does not fade and the colors remain crisp.
“I often use the analogy of a carrot versus a radish,” she said. “A carrot is orange all the way through while a radish is only red on the outside. The interior is white.”
The structure of the furniture should be either wicker (in a brown or gray with a UV inhibitor to prevent fading) or heavy aluminum, which doesn't rust or blow away in the wind. Heavy recycled marine-quality plastic furniture is also quite popular, especially for dining tables and Adirondack-style chairs. It looks like painted wood but will not fade either because, like the Sunbrella fabric, the color is consistent all the way through the material. It also won't splinter like wood can.
When creating a seating space, most homeowners use side tables and ottomans, but the focal point is often a fire table that doubles as a coffee table. A glass top can usually be placed over the fire portion of the table so that it can be used for casual dining, hors d'oeuvres and drinks. And when night falls, the warmth and ambience of the propane-fueled fire tables cannot be beat.
“Outdoor dining tables are still our most popular outdoor furniture since Americans are accustomed to dining outdoors and most love to do that when they can,” Odishoo said.
Huge, cantilevered umbrellas that stand wherever you need them and can shelter both dining and seating areas from the sun are another “must,” unless you have an awning or some other sun shield over your outdoor space. They are now massive and very sturdy, Odishoo said.
Entire kitchens can also be replicated outdoors by those who are so inclined. Usually those who choose to do so entertain often and thoroughly enjoy the whole outdoor lifestyle.
“Homeowners are creating outdoor kitchens equipped with sinks, refrigerators, cabinets and drawers, bars, pizza ovens, grills and smokers,” said Dan Mayer, owner of Northwest Metalcraft in Arlington Heights.
“We sell those outdoor kitchen supplies to landscaping contractors who use brick and block to permanently build them into an outdoor space. But we also sell less expensive versions that are free-standing and can be moved to a new home if the family decides to relocate,” he added.
The outdoor cabinets are weatherproof and generally made of aluminum. The countertops can be aluminum or granite, depending on the homeowners' wishes. In addition, they can be as large or as small as you wish because they are custom made. Such kitchens usually take about six weeks to arrive after they are ordered, Mayer said.
“You can fuel the grills with natural gas from the home or with propane. But pellet grills also need electricity, as do rotisseries. Most homeowners choose to run a natural gas line outdoors and, depending on how many cooking devices they choose to include in their outdoor kitchen, they often need a pretty large gas line and must plan ahead,” Mayer said.
Outdoor electric or propane heaters are also necessary if you want to extend your outdoor season well into the spring and fall.
Steinhafels now offers a new five-year extended warranty on the outdoor furniture it sells. It covers damage to glass tops and furniture frames, as well as stains on fabric from food, drinks, pool chlorine, bleach, etc. If you don't make any claims during the five-year period, you get the money you paid for the extended warranty back in a Steinhafels store voucher.