Summertime and the living is easy

This time of year always reminds me of being a kid. Remember being kicked outside after dinner and told to be home when the street lights came on? Street hockey. Kick the can. Life was good.

Kids are able to get out and enjoy outdoor play from spring through fall because they rev up their little built-in furnaces, throwing their jackets off on the neighbour’s lawn as they run to their buddy’s house.

As adults, we need a little more help if we want to celebrate the outdoors over three-seasons – especially in Calgary where the mountain air tends to settle in for cooler summer nights.

So at this time of year, my phone starts ringing with clients asking how I can help them create the perfect outdoor oasis. And as you can imagine, with Calgary’s early spring this year, my phone began ringing early.

There is huge enjoyment to be had if we’re able to enhance our outdoor living spaces and develop them so they can be used not only in the summer months but well into the spring and fall. But the first thing I tell my clients is let’s build smart.

It’s ideal if we can build an outdoor room to flow right from the inside of the house to the outside seamlessly. But, we can make it work just about anywhere there’s outdoor space available. The goal is always to create a cozy warmth that you want to settle into at the end of a long day.

We often start by talking about what form the space will take. A roof or a trellis overhead, with walls or partial walls on two or possibly three sides? How do we best build in wind breaks? What about bug screens? Or if you have a west facing back yard, sometimes you need a little UV protection for hot summer days.

Once the size and space is scoped out, it’s time to think of what we need for comfort. For heating, gas or electric work, but ideally you want to choose infrared heaters as they warm the furniture and bodies in the space, not the air. We might also want to install an overhead fan to keep the air moving.

From there we think ambiance. Do you prefer a gas fire-pit or an outdoor fireplace? Need a bar fridge? How about a complete outdoor kitchen? And comfortable outdoor furniture is a must. Maybe outdoor speakers and even a television for summer movie nights?

And of course, we can’t forget about showcasing nature. Whether it’s pots or perennials, we encourage clients to think through what colours and smells make them happy. What reminds you of those endless summer nights as a kid on the prowl? Grandma’s lilacs? The smell of honeysuckle drifting from the neighbours? Big fat peonies crawling with ants?

Finally, including landscape lighting throughout the yard adds a touch of magic to your space and will make you smile when you pop inside for a moment and look out at your beautiful creation.

When you imagine your outdoor oasis, what are you dreaming of? Give us a call, we can help make those dreams come true.