Creating an outdoor living room

(ARA) - For leisurely entertaining this summer, take full advantage of the great outdoors and extend your living space by creating an outdoor room. Why not have an outdoor living room with comfortable seating for all or your friends, or a space where you could fire up the grill and dine out under the stars?  Adding a level, low maintenance surface, like a patio, will give you not only the pleasure of living in your outdoor space, but of loving it too.



A great way to create this space is by installing pavers, bricks, or stone to create beautiful patios and paths. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, it can be as easy as installing a winding path to connect your home to your garden or creating a space for a cozy bench to watch the birds splashing in the bird bath.



Pavers come in many different shapes, sizes and colors, offering you ways to customize your ideas to match your house and landscaping. Once you have your patio or walkways installed, you can make your backyard inviting and appealing all summer long. Here are a couple of fun, easy tips:



*Find sturdy, comfortable seating that will withstand the elements for years to come.  Try wrought iron, wood, or even resin (often made from post-consumer bottle waste such as milk containers) for low-maintenance options. These are readily available in your local garden or specialty stores.



*Seating is even more comfortable with the quick addition of colorful cushions and throw pillows.  Swap these out for a change of scenery and store pillows in a clean, dry space (like a garage or storage bench) when not in use to extend their lives.



*Plant flowers, herbs, and vegetables in containers to add a pop of color to your outdoor living spaces.  Keep these lush and lively all summer by planting seedlings in a good quality potting mix like Miracle-Gro Potting Mix with Moisture Control.



*Keep unwanted grass and weeds from popping up between the pavers by using Ortho GroundClear. This weed control can be used early in the season between the pavers to kill the weeds you see popping up, and will keep new weeds from growing for up to one year. What a great way to spend less time working and more time enjoying your yard!



* Use an edger to trim the grass around the walkways and the edge of your patio for a more finished appearance.



*String some twinkle lights for a festive party atmosphere and use inexpensive, solar powered yard lights to illuminate your outdoor spaces.  These usually require little or no installation; just stake in the ground along paths or in pots for added interest.



With the addition of patios or paths and a trimmed, designer look in your backyard, you'll be able to enjoy spending time in your outdoor living space, and not have to worry about a lot of maintenance to keep it looking beautiful.  Start living in the outdoors and loving it.



Courtesy of ARAcontent

Adding deck lights a simple way to enhance outdoor living

(ARA) - As summer rolls in and guests show up, the benefit of having outdoor living space for relaxing and entertaining becomes readily apparent. Homeowners love having extra space where they can hang out, and outdoor environments are a huge plus for those trying to sell or rent out a home.



Overall home improvement project budgets are shrinking in 2009, while low-cost improvements are growing in popularity with both residential homeowners and landlords who want to give their properties a little added boost, according to the National Association of Home Builders.



Outdoor lighting is a popular improvement. In addition to traditional landscape lighting, deck lights, post lights and recessed path lights extend the livability of outdoor decks and patios, and offer a low-cost update with the benefit of improving the usability of outdoor spaces.



"Today it seems that the more practical the upgrade, the better. And lighting is an easy upgrade that adds instant function, ambiance and value," says Jay Savignac of Aurora Deck Lighting.



"In a down economy, people stay home more. They entertain at home more. This makes usable spaces more important than ever, and outdoor living areas remain one of the top areas for home improvement," Savignac says.



Taking your backyard deck or patio from daytime roost to night time entertainment space is easy. In fact, there have never been more product options available to homeowners for lighting up their deck or fence, and creating an inviting and usable outdoor area for night time enjoyment.



Savignac says homeowners can easily install outdoor lighting in just one weekend, or even less time if they opt for lights that don't require wiring, such as solar options.



Best of all, outdoor lighting products can be installed without the aid of an electrician and, in most communities, no permits are required. Homeowners have a variety of options to consider:



* Post lights are easy to install on the tops of deck posts and fence posts. They can be positioned directly on top of posts or mounted on the rails using special mounting brackets. Their distinctive "lantern look" offers an elegant finish to decks, and post lights are available in a variety of styles, sizes and colors that work with all sizes of posts on both decks and fences. Matching post caps are also available.



* Post lamps mount vertically on deck or fence posts and offer spot lighting, which can add security and safety in dark areas or near stairs. Post lamps on fences are a popular addition that fence builders say add value and security, as well as dramatic effect.



* Special "stair lights," like the Pyxis from Aurora, mount easily into the vertical riser on a stair to provide downlighting for safety and sure footing.



* Recessed deck lighting, like the Aurelle from Aurora, is a new product that can install under seating, in deck floor boards, or even overhead inside patio covers to add lighting using the same concept as recessed lighting indoors.



Outdoor lighting projects are easy to complete. Homeowners can choose from solar options that have no wiring requirements, or low-voltage lighting that works off a transformer and operates from a standard 110 volt power source. Outdoor lights can run off a timer or can be wired into light switches in the home for maximum control.



Your own outdoor lighting plan can be as simple or as complex as you desire. Aurora has transformers that can handle up to 50 lights, although accent lighting using as few as four or five lights can make all the difference in creating an outdoor living space that can be readily enjoyed at night.



Best of all, you can create a custom look that works for you, adding light in cooking areas, near stairs or gates, or along bench seating where guests congregate.







Courtesy of ARAcontent