Deck Decoration

Written by Elizabeth Holly


On my blog, I once wrote about life onrepparttar Veranda - a favorite Southern, summer pastime.

Picture a Charleston side-porch house, facingrepparttar 146111 obligatory magnolia tree, refreshing gin and tonics orrepparttar 146112 standard mint julep.

But Veranda living is more than just a sense of "place". What really makes it memorable isrepparttar 146113 company of friends and neighbors, sparkling conversation, or a languid repose with a loved one.

A deck may not technically be a Veranda, but it can, nevertheless, berepparttar 146114 perfect gathering spot where memories are made.

The key, however, to great deck entertaining is to have a great deck. Many people don’t believe in decorating their decks but having good seating and some type of a theme can help make your deckrepparttar 146115 most beloved part of your home.

A favorite theme for a deck is "Outdoor Barbeque." Though not really an official title, a version of "Outdoor Barbeque" encompasses a nice deck, with a classy set of chairs and a table and a grilling area where your husband and his friends can show their talent onrepparttar 146116 grill. Sharing hamburgers and margaritas with your friends while you wait forrepparttar 146117 homemade ice cream to finish running - now that is my idea of putting a deck to good use.

Onrepparttar 146118 other hand, a fun theme is great if you have kids. For example,repparttar 146119 Beach theme is ever popular for decks. Beach and lounge chairs coverrepparttar 146120 deck with a table and chairs inrepparttar 146121 center covered in bright blue and white striped fabric. You can even use ropes, sails, nets, and lifeguard floats to hang fromrepparttar 146122 sides of your fun deck and post flags from different Caribbean or Mediterranean countries onrepparttar 146123 corners ofrepparttar 146124 deck.

What does it take to design and build your own fire pit?

Written by Nicole Martins


There are many alternatives to creating a fire pit other than buying a firepit model that is ready-made and requires some simple assembly. If you are a do-it-yourselfer looking to design and build your own fire pit you don't need a fancy set of blueprints, just a vision ofrepparttar type of pit you are looking to create. What does it take these days to build fire pits for outdoor campfires and barbequing? The answer is not a lot. In terms of cost, building a wood burning pit can cost next to nothing and require no more than a few hours of physical labor (especially if you have materials such as rock or brick on hand) to seerepparttar 146026 fireplace complete. First pick a safe area for your fire pit, away from any structures that can catch fire and definitely out ofrepparttar 146027 way of backyard traffic. Be sure to check with you local fire department for information and codes. You need to know whatrepparttar 146028 rules are before getting started. Getting going will entail quarrying up some fieldstones or brick to linerepparttar 146029 inside dirt walls ofrepparttar 146030 pit once you've dugrepparttar 146031 hole. Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but you will need a good old shovel and some back strength to excavate soil. Position your fieldstone or brick aroundrepparttar 146032 holes perimeter and extend these materials above ground. The purpose of installing these materials is to keep wind down andrepparttar 146033 soil away fromrepparttar 146034 fire.

You can also build a stucco pit above ground or think of other creative ways of building your pit; magazines orrepparttar 146035 internet are a great source for tips and ideas. When considering a design you’ll want to keep withrepparttar 146036 look of your home and other existing structures. If you don’t have time to dream up design ideas or if you had something more complex in mind, you can order a set of plans online complete with material list, for only a small fee.

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