Is Your Patio Ready For Summer?

I know that interior design is the name of the game, but as we approach warmer weather for an extended period, I think it is important (and I think many would agree with me) that you have to think of your patio as another room in your home. Our family home has this great screened porch. My mother talked about it for years, her dream of having a screened porch on the back of the house. Well, she got her wish about 7 years ago. Now, when our family gathers there. If it is over 50 degrees, we are on the porch. And I have to say, we love it. But what makes it so great?

Here are a few porch attributes which I think add to the value of your outdoor environment:

Lounging around AND dining. Having a great lounge chair to catch some rays is crucial, in my opinion, to a successful patio. However, you need to combine that with separate pieces that work for dining. It can be really hard to eat corn on the cob and lounge at the same time!

The vitality of shade. When thinking about all the members of your family, you need to provide some shade. I am not saying every porch should be built to the expense of being screened in, but a good adjustable umbrella is a great investment. Just be sure to put the money into a good one that will last. If you buy a cheaply made one, you may be investing in one every year. So just lay down the cash the first time around and you should get many seasons use out of it.

Rugs may sound odd, but they work! If you have a roof or awning that covers your outdoor space, consider an outdoor rug. I think this can really take an outdoor living space from Plain Jane to a high-use critical space for your home. There is some type of psychological effect that completes the space when you think from the ground up. Also, the softness makes the space feel more like a living room or even a family room. You can just add the patio to your vacuum routine. Just be sure that if you plan on leaving the rug outside that you purchase something indoor/outdoor ready. Or, just use an old area rug from inside that you have replaced.

I love summer, and I love porch time! So, what are your plans for outdoor living this season?

The Debate Between Low Voltage, Solar, and Decorative Outdoor Lights

Low voltage lighting is a type of landscape lighting that uses 12 volt electrical instead of the 120 volts delivered by regular household current. These 12-volt systems do not require an electrician to install, which makes them safe and easy to work with, and thus popular with homeowners.

Another benefit is that light fixtures can be added and adjusted while the system is plugged in and turned on. Low voltage landscape lighting kits are generally affordable and available in most hardware and building centers. That said, professionally installed and designed low voltage systems using higher grade components will give you lasting satisfaction that stands the test of time.

Solar lighting is a relative newcomer to the outdoor lighting market but has captured homeowners’ fancy with a vast selection of fixture styles and dead-easy installation and upkeep. Like landscape lighting, solar lights can be used to illuminate steps, paths, and pools. However, instead of an electric power source, solar lights use a photocell that charges a NiCad battery during the day and then powers the light at night.

With virtually no wiring to speak of, solar lighting kits have become very popular and if you are not careful, very ugly! I can’t stand some of these little sticks with lights attached that you find at CVS, or your local drug store. People are going way, way, way overboard! There is nothing worse than seeing a neighboring home use twenty or thirty of these ugly lights to line their path to their home! What did you do a few years ago to “light the way”? I am sure that people will be able to find your house without them!

When I think of patio lights, I immediately recall plastic owls and plastic bee hives that my grandparents hung at their lake house back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. VERY TACKY! Yet so lovely! Now, strings of brightly colored party paper lanterns come to mind which can be tastefully done for PARTIES only! Please take these down when you are not celebrating a birthday or having a garden party. There is nothing worse than a backyard that is full of party gear all summer long. You wouldn’t keep streamers up in your house so don’t do it outside either. String patio lights are perfect for temporarily dressing up patio seating areas or entertaining spaces.

Lanterns may be low tech, but nothing beats the charm and versatility these provide. You can find garden lanterns in a huge array of styles, from Chinese to Victorian. Let go of the bamboo tiki torch. Unless you are having a luau or live on a tropical island, these should not become part of your normal backyard décor.

If you are fond of the torch style lighting, select something that is more stable like wrought iron or copper. Styles range from classic Art deco to metallic finish oil fueled torches and wall torches. It is a simple way to add a glow without having to run wiring for electrical ambiance.

Explore your options before you buy, and think of how you will be using your summer space. What kind of lights do you have hanging in your backyard? Do you agree with me about the tackiness of some lighting options?

Exterior and Interior Home Maintenance Check Points for Spring

Along with warm weather comes the eyesore of winter wear and tear on your home. Before it is time to plant your flowers and trim your shrubs, take a closer look at the exterior elements of your home. Tuck pointing – or the lack there of – is something that I noticed this season on my own home. When it comes to expansion and contraction, cement feels all the pain. Think of pothole season.

This spring I am working on an exterior home checklist. It may help those of you who don’t know quite how to deal with handyman issues. If you are not capable of doing these things yourself, hire a professional to help. Ask a neighbor for a recommendation. There is nothing worse than feeling used and abused by a handyman!

Hopefully this checklist will assist you in when you are hiring help:

• Check cement for cracks. Temperature changes can implement cracks. Simple cement caulk can mend smaller cracks.
• Use sealants to protect decks, porches, railings and fences from the blistering sun and heat. This also improves their appearance.
• Install ceiling fans to circulate cooler air and help reduce air conditioning costs.
• Clear outdoor drains of debris.
• Clean fireplaces and chimneys using a professional chimney sweep.
• Inspect the roof for wear and tear.
• Service AC unit – coolant levels should be checked.
• Inspect basement and crawlspaces for water damage.
• Check and maintain indoor/outdoor plumbing. Extreme temperatures can cause leaks.
• Evaluate insulation within your home and replace if necessary.
• Clean clothes dryer exhaust duct, damper, and the space under the dryer.
• Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Change batteries in smoke detectors.
• Clean lights and glass fixtures, especially on outdoor lights. Keeping these clean will ensure optimum light output.

The good news is that although you may have “Spring Fever” now, if you follow a few steps on the list above I can assure you that you will have a happier, longer and more relaxing summer!

What are your Spring cleaning tips? Is there anything I missed that you feel is vital to check and keep up on?

Issues When Relighting History

When working on historic projects, there are many considerations for a designer. Lighting design for exterior work in historic areas is complicated by new laws that talk about light trespassing. Light trespassing means that if you live in an apartment or loft over a store, the lighting for the sidewalks or the store entrance is not to “trespass” into your loft. In years past, homes near a car lot might have trouble telling the difference between day and night because of the amount of light that would “trespass” beyond the lot and into the homes and yards.

When working in Regensburg, Germany, the concerns were the same. They wanted to keep their historical fixtures that had been present since the medieval days, but they wanted to be able to control the light so it did not “trespass” into the spaces above the fixtures. Though the existing lamps (Mercury Vapor) were efficient, there were issues and the designers wanted to replace the lamps with LED lighting, which would improve energy efficiency.

There was also the issue that mercury vapor globes were used in the street lights. Mercury vapor has numerous potential issues. First, there is mercury in the lamp so when they burn out, they must go to a hazardous waste site. The larger problem is that to create light, mercury vapor lamps also create ultraviolet radiation. These lamps are encased in an outer envelope that filters out the wavelength containing the ultraviolet radiation, but if the outer envelope is broken, so is the protection. The mercury vapor lamps also do not give the same color quality as LED’s because they cast light in the blue/green spectrum.

The designers had Germany’s national electrical codes, which stated that in retrofitting existing lighting fixtures you cannot use the original socket in the fixture. Everything had to be rewired . Using a great deal of creativity, they put the ballasts in the roof of the fixture. They had the wires hidden in the metal brackets holding the fixture. 48 LED’s were used, allowing for great control of the light distribution pattern. 4-6 LED’s were used for the street lighting, creating a soft ambient light. The LED’s were lensed, non-lensed, dimmed or used at 100% to light the building’s facades and architectural details.

In addition to creating a beautiful streetscape, the LED lighting increased efficiency so each fixture uses 40W less of power. By careful positioning of the LED’s there is no light trespassing into the spaces above the street level.

Outdoor Living Decor Can Transform Your Backyard

Over the last several years designers have been eager to push the concept of outdoor furnishings. There is a whole new look; structure and style that has taken place in the trend of spending time outdoors.

We have seen some evolution in the form-following function concept and the movement of indoor style taking on shape in our outdoor settings. There are familiar shapes, classics that were once for our living rooms that have been recreated in concrete, stone and teak, allowing them to exist outdoors without the fear of mother nature taking its toll on them.

Take, for example, designer Maya Lin, who has designed gorgeous painted “stones” for Knoll and the 60th anniversary celebration. These stones can be used both indoors and out and are a wonderful conversation piece! There are low elliptical table with a slightly convex top and elliptical stools in two sizes, each with a slightly concave seat. Stones are available in a range of colors and materials, including cast stone and molded polyethylene, with 100% recycled versions. Quoted from Maya Lin about her design:

“At the heart of this furniture collection for Knoll is my love for the land, which can be traced back to my childhood in the rolling hills of southeastern Ohio. It goes back to a childhood fascination we all have—that moment when you discover that the earth is round…and you walk around trying to see that curve.”

There has been a great attempt to experiment with new manufactured goods, like an ultra hardy fiber or mesh mixed with steel brass and woven metals. Design Within Reach has crossed the bridge in what they offer to consumers in innovated and creative designs, like the bubble sofa designed by Phillip Stark.

The chunky yet lightweight forms of the Bubble Club Sofa and Armchair remind us of classic Chesterfield styling in colorful, weatherproof, UV-resistant, roto-molded polypropylene. Rotational molding allows the polypropylene to have consistent wall thickness, stress-free corners and a lightweight, durable build.

On a much more cost competitive scale, these designs have been replicated and can be found at a variety of other stores. It is becoming that time of year again, and I recommend exploring your options for outdoor furniture. Consider the “funk” to be timeless. The origin of the designs are all based on the former knowledge of our indoor use now improved for outdoor living. Enjoy!

Exterior Design Ambience and Safety

As I have worked on commercial projects, the focus has shifted from glass facades to concerns for the safety of the occupants inside of a space. For the storefronts on busy corners in major downtown areas, there are concerns with speeding cars losing control or high speed car cashes and the results of a vehicle coming through the glass facades. Many of the retail owners have talked about people pulling up to the curbs and, because of texting or calls, have not realized their cars are not in park and jumping the parking curbs. Many of the government buildings are taking security measures to safe guards the inhabitants of their buildings by applying security.

None of us are interested in driving by or walking into locations that are not aesthetically pleasing. Many stores are utilizing both landscaping and lighting ballards to create aesthetically pleasing spaces.

Lighting ballards have been used for years as a means of lighting a walk way and as a way-finding technique to lead you to the entrance. They are now created in decorative forms to still provide light and way-finding, but they can also be hydraulically, pneumatically or manually operated for the allowance to be lowered for deliveries or moving of larger objects into and out of the building. They are also crash rated by the US department of State and Department of Defense to stop vehicles moving at speeds up to 50 mph.

A local restaurant created an outdoor dining niche by surrounding the space with a fenced wall filled with trees and seasonal planting. Lighting was strategically placed in the plantings and twinkle lights in the trees to create a lovely summer evening ambience for those eating outside and a decorative protection for their clientele. They have created an oasis of beauty and safety for their patrons.

Have you noticed exterior designs that have gone up to protect patrons in your area?