With Memorial Day Weekend upon us, the time for outdoor living and entertainment is here. Many Real Log Homes clients have focused a great deal of their attention on creating the perfect outdoor space for their needs. Whether you value your screened porch or long for the days that you can lounge by the pool, a REAL Log Home is the perfect accompaniment to outdoor living. Here are a few ideas for enhancing your outdoor space to make it an even more special place to spend time this summer.
Work With Your Site
Whether your home site is sloped or level, working with the site you have is the best way to make your outdoor space act as a seamless extension of your home. On a level site, a stone patio provides an outdoor space that blends gracefully between the home and nature, while a slightly-elevated deck provides more contrast between the home and lot. If you have a sloped lot, then consider terraces to bridge between the home and an outdoor retreat. The terraces can be used for wonderful garden plants, while creating a cozy outdoor space that is separated yet connected to the home.
Add an Outdoor Fireplace
While the days may be getting quite warm, this time of year can see nighttime temperatures that are cold enough to send you back indoors. If you wish to lengthen your outdoor time, consider installing an outdoor fireplace. A sreenporch is a perfect place to install a more ornate fireplace, while a patio can host a fire pit or freestanding fireplace. Such an addition greatly adds to the visual appeal and usability of your outdoor space, and will also come in handy on chilly fall nights.
Install Outdoor Speakers
With ubiquitous wireless networks in homes these days, whole house audio systems are very popular and inexpensive to install. If you don’t want to confine your parties to the indoors, consider extending your sound system outside. This will allow you to have the same music playing inside and out, but make sure that your outdoor audio components can handle the weather.
Extend Your Home’s Aesthetic Outdoors
If your home uses massive Swedish Cope logs, consider using large, round posts for your deck railing and banisters as well. Or, if your home uses a squarer log profile, you can choose a square railing to match your house. This will make your outdoor living space feel like an extension of your home, inviting you to spend just as much of your time outdoors as in.
If you’d like to learn more about any of the homes featured in this post or would like to learn about designing a log home of your own (complete with outdoor living spaces), please call Real Log Homes today or fill out the form below for more information. And keep in mind that even if you don’t own a log home, but you love the look, Real Log Homes can design outdoor spaces like gazebos, picnic shelters and outbuildings to bring that real log style to your property.
