Life Outside

    Steps to creating the perfect outdoor room, from the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association and Darlene Weaver, president and owner of Distinctive Designs for Kitchens and Baths.

    * Determine the ideal use of the outdoor space. Note how it will be used, from entertaining to relaxing.

    * Create a wish list. Clip or print pictures from publications and put them in a notebook.

    * Review the home's style. The outdoor spaces should accentuate the home's indoor spaces.

    * Visit a specialty retailer. Take the notes and wish list to a specialty retailer that sells hearth, barbecue and patio products. A specialty retailer can help determine the materials and outdoor room products available in an area and guide the final plan and coordinate installation.

    * Research products.

    * Consider fire and food. Position the fireplace as the focal point, blend in the cooking and eating areas and then consider additional features.

    * Think foundation. Stone patios, retaining walls, fences and decks are basic foundation elements.

    * Draw a plan.

    * Build the space. Consider multiple conversation areas for enhanced functionality and interest.

    * Use landscaping as an accessory. Carefully placed trees and shrubs can add important texture and appeal to an outdoor room. Select plants that change with the season, offering different colors, blooms or scents depending on the time of year.

    * Add the furnishings.

    * Consider lighting and decorative details.

    Outdoor rooms often are created over a period of years to accommodate large wish lists on limited budgets. During the first year, install the hearth product and define the grilling and eating areas, then accessorize the next year. Finish the project with the installation of landscaping.

    In addition, people should consider that materials made for indoor use can't hold up outside in central Illinois, where temperature extremes can be brutal, Weaver said.

    "We're dealing with the freezing. We're dealing with thawing. We're dealing with extremes of heat. You name it," she said. "Any bad weather event that you can have, we love to have it in central Illinois.

    "You can't just go take materials that were made and rated for indoors and go set them outdoors. There are materials that are geared for outdoor living."

    Cabinets can be made out of marine material that can withstand the cold, heat, freeze and thaw. Ceramic tiles, which have been fired, are another good choice for outdoor durability. Crushed quartz used in countertops is a solid, nonpermeable material.

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