As the season changes from summer to autumn, thoughts may turn to the warmth and comfort of a roaring fire, especially if an evening chill sends you inside sooner than you’d like!

You can comfortably extend your outdoor living deep into fall and early winter if there is a heat source. This is why fire pits, fireplaces and chimneas are a popular deck or patio accessory. The added benefit is a place to cook (from simply roasting marshmallows to baking pizza) and a comforting light source that lends romanticism to any occasion.

A simple solution for outdoor warmth and light is a tabletop fire pit, which typically lights with a clean-burning gel fuel.

To cover a much larger area, you have portable options such as a chimnea (above) or fire bowl (below). The chimnea is reminiscent of a potbelly stove, and allows a fire to light quickly and burn longer than a traditional fireplace while keeping smoke out of your eyes. The design also protects against rain extinguishing the flame.

Fire bowls come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, so are easily adaptable to most outdoor situations. Add a grate over the top and it can be used for cooking; select a model with wheels and it can be moved to wherever the party is; outfit it with a mesh screen cover to reduce pops and sparks.

It is important to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use and place your fire pit. For instance, placing a fire pit near buildings, trees or overhanging rooflines should be avoided. So please read the directions and observe the same safety precautions you would for an open campfire.

A fire pit can also be designed and built as a permanent fixture of your patio area. They can be constructed of stone, brick or concrete and can serve both warmth and cooking functions.

A traditional fireplace with chimney is the grand option for outdoor entertaining all year long, but there need not be anything traditional about the way it looks or functions. For structural integrity and adherence to safety codes, installing an outdoor fireplace is best done by licensed designers and builders, who can help you with endless options, like:

• Wood or gas burning – or both?
• Stone, concrete, brick – or a little of each?
• For cooking, baking, warmth – or all that?

With a portable fire pit or fire bowl, you can purchase one today and be ready for the first cold night. If you’re desiring something more permanent or elaborate, you can turn to the design and construction team at Mosby Building Arts for all the help you need. Click for a portfolio of their outdoor living projects in Metropolitan St. Louis. To begin enjoying the great outdoors through the fall and winter, call Mosby at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Your home is much larger than you think.  We typically measure the square footage within the exterior walls of our house and consider only the interior as our livable space.  But when you look beyond the walls and consider the usable land your home sits on, the size of your home practically doubles in size.

A home is a place for your family, and the function of each room is determined by how the family uses the room.  For instance, the kitchen is for everyone of every age that lives in or visits your home, while your bedroom has specific functions for a limited number of people.  The family room is for varied levels of constant interaction, while a bathroom is for solitary retreat.  It is the number of people and how they use a space that creates the identity of a room.

Rethinking Your Backyard

Think of a typical backyard deck and how it is used.  Decks tend to be accessed by public spaces from inside the home and serve as an informal entertainment area for family and guests.  The deck has flexibility of use; yesterday it was a dining room for an intimate dinner for two, today it hosts a child’s birthday party and tomorrow it will let you relax and read a book on a lazy afternoon.  In essence, your deck is an outdoor extension of your family room, and a room addition without walls.

A patio may just be a slab of concrete in your backyard, but when you add a table and chairs, lighting and a grill it becomes the second kitchen of your home.  And just like your indoor kitchen, the patio is where everyone will gather, so furnish it the way you would a kitchen and you’ve just added another room to your house.

Endless Summer?

Outdoor living in, say, Southern California makes sense because of its year-round temperate weather, but why would you invest in creating outdoor rooms that can’t be used during Midwest winters?

Let’s observe that we in Metro St. Louis have a solid 4 months of cold weather that can preclude using a deck or sunporch, which leaves 8 months when our outdoor living spaces can be a part of daily life.

But even when the temperature is chillier than you’d like, patio designs can include fireplace accessories like a fire pit or fire ring to create warmth and cozy light for cold-weather get-togethers.  Another deck design option is various sizes of heaters powered by the same type of natural gas or propane tanks used for outdoor grills.

A 4-season room is essentially a screened porch with storm windows, insulation and a heat source for colder months, and when the weather changes, it converts back to an open-air room for enjoying nature in your outdoor room.  So, for those who thrive in the great outdoors, there are endless options for an endless summer all year long.

The designers and architects at Mosby Building Arts excel at creating unique outdoor living spaces perfectly tailored to your personality and lifestyle.  We work with you to craft a master plan of desires, needs and practical solutions that will transform your yard into an extension of your home, all year long.  To explore the possibilities of outdoor living, call our office at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

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