From the Archives: Prepping the Deck
Summer is here! ...
In the garden: harvest your efforts
With sunshine and warm temperatures in our Vancouver forecast, who isn't itching to spend more time outdoors or on a great patio? Wouldn't it be a dream to skip produce shopping and instead opt to grab fresh flowers, veggies, and herbs from your own garden? With some mellow summer music and sangria in hand, harvesting your garden can feel more like a mini vacation than another chore. Depending on what you planted you may not be ready to start harvesting your goods for...
In the garden: A pre-planting pep talk
The calendar said it was spring over a month ago...
Summer Fresh In A Jar: DIY Bug Repellent Luminaries
Summer Fresh In A Jar: DIY Bug Repellent LuminariesSummer time is bug time. Instead of using citronella oil, this all natural recipe, from A Little Claireification, uses fresh rosemary and citrus in a mason jar with essential oils. No chemicals in these luminaries! Thanks Claire for this recipe!We love that these can help to ward off the bugs and they are just so beautiful as well!So here is what you need to do to make these gorgeous, beautiful smelling designer table luminaries.Supplies you will need:3 or 4 Mason...
Placemaking For Your Backyard BBQs
Placemaking For Your Backyard BBQsSo often our backyard BBQ placement is an afterthought. We put money and energy into designing our interior space and even our garden, but summer comes along and we then remember the BBQ. So what can you do to make your outdoor BBQ more of a feature and a more useful space than just putting a freestanding BBQ on your back deck or patio?This image below is a perfect example of a very thought out...
Inspirations for Backyard Heating
Backyard HeatingSo far we have discussed backyard entertaining, so today we thought we would talk about backyard heating. As dusk settles in in Vancouver it can tend to get a little chilly. So what are our options if we want to extend our hours of outdoor entertaining? Patio or deck heaters used to be just for restaurants but now they are found in residential use. You can find ones that are portable and are run by propane but there are...
Create An Oasis With Water Features
Create An Oasis With Water FeaturesWater features are a great way to make your backyard into an oasis. In our city environments, traffic and urban noises can be masked by the sound of running water. There are so many variations-from a very simple container fountain to something much more complex.Check out these images to give you some inspiration!Vancouver Zen Garden by Joost Bakker Architect.Contemporary Patio by Berkeley Architects & Building Designers WA Design ArchitectsContemporary Landscape by Newport Beach Landscape...
Outdoor Furniture
Outdoor FurnitureToday we are going to talk about outdoor furniture. Where does one buy it? How do you know which product to buy? The questions go on and on. Hopefully we will be able to answer some of those questions today. Outdoor living has now taken on a new identity. We used to just pull our old plastic furniture out of the garage and hose it off. Now we have outdoor fireplaces and built in BBQs and fire pits. We...
It’s Canada Day!
It's Canada Day! So it's that time of year again where we like to host our guests in our backyards or on our decks, enjoying the longer summer evenings and warmer temperatures. Whether you are hosting a large event or just having a few friends over for a last minute get together there are a few things to consider to make sure it goes off without a hitch.Contemporary Patio by Hermosa Beach Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers JDS OUTDOOR DESIGNSHaving...
Outdoor Living: Prepping Your Deck
Outdoor Living: Prepping Your Deck Whether you have a wood or concrete deck or patio it does take a little preparation and elbow grease to get it all ready for summer. The winter inevitably leaves its mark with algae and moss and we need to get rid of it in order to enjoy our time outdoors to the fullest AND to prolong the life of our deck.Contemporary Deck by Los Angeles Architects & Building Designers Hsu McCulloughContemporary Deck by Other...