The Hot Place to be this Summer

Summer is here, and that means it’s time for outdoor parties once again. We have some quick and easy tips to turn your bland deck into a comfortable and stylish space for outdoor entertaining.

summer deck diningMAKE IT POP

Brightly colored table linens, fresh flowers, and paper lanterns can make any outdoor living space more inviting. Try some do-it-yourself flower arrangements. Take some inexpensive store-bought glass bottles and fill them with seasonal wildflowers and herbs. Tie the arrangement together with a bow and you have a simple and casual centerpiece.

MOVE THE INDOORS OUTDOORS

Instead of using patio furniture, why not move the dining table outside? Plan a special outdoor dinner for family or friends complete with linens, silverware, and china. To avoid pesky bugs, you can cover your serving dishes with glass domes. Nothing affects the mood quite like your choice of lighting. Try running strings of holiday lights or hanging paper lanterns instead of illuminating the evening with your everyday landscape bulbs.

ADD A TWIST

Another way you can add to the festivities is by serving fruit-filled ice cubes. Just fill an ice cube tray and drop in fresh raspberries, and slices of lemons, limes, and oranges. After they’ve frozen, the colorful cubes are perfect for adding a delicious twist to any glass of water or tea.

dreamstime_s_21109033MAKE DINING FUN

For more casual dining, you can set up a temporary buffet table. Place a thick piece of plywood or hollow-core door evenly over two sawhorses and cover it with a decorative fabric; a fast and easy setup that can be just as quickly dismantled and stored away when the party is over. For an added touch of fun, forgo the coolers and fill large brightly colored vinyl buckets with ice and beverages. Place them at the ends of your buffet and replenish as needed.

Build a Deck Meant for Entertaining!

trexleafdesigndeck

A deck adds value to your home; a custom-built deck can be an even bigger draw. If you plan to spend time outdoors at your home, a deck built to perfectly suit your needs is a good investment. Your outdoor space is an extension of your home and should be given just as much careful thought when planning.

With such variety in styles and designs these days, the options are endless! The addition of composite decking materials, like Trex, gives even more options than traditional wood decks with the use of color and curved decking! Let your imagination run wild as you dream of your perfect outdoor space.

entertainingdeckinVAA majority of homeowners imagine inviting over their friends and family to enjoy the outdoors, whether they are grilling, star gazing, or having a pool party. If you count yourself as one of these people, it is best to keep this in mind when designing your deck. Make sure to have plenty of space for seating areas. The seating can even be built in! Perhaps you should consider an extra-wide railing top to serve as a place for guests to set their drinks, or a place to set out food. During the summers here in Virginia, the sun can get hot in the heat of the afternoon, so consider having a covered area on your deck. It could be as simple as a patio umbrella, but you can do even more with a gazebo addition or even a pergola to your deck in Virginia. Consider installing outdoor speakers so that your gatherings will always have the right mood music.

The key to a perfect entertaining space is having a focal point, whether it be the pool, the grill, the fire pit, the seating area, or the view!

May Flowers on Your Deck

My wife loves flowers.  She may be a little out of control with the April showers bring May flowers thing.  But, in her defense her birthday is in May.  So I guess some flexibility should be put forth on my part when she decides to decorate the entire house in flowers for May.  I mean it, inside and out.

flowerdeckShe is even more excited because we just put a new Trex Deck on the back of our home giving her yet another thing to decorate on our home.  But you know what they say – happy wife, happy life.  I am just making jokes, it really does make me happy to see her do something she loves to do.

I should give thanks to our Trex Deck Pro that installed our deck.  He suggested to her to design some flower pots into the rails and deck so it would be easy for her to plant and maintain. It didn’t even really change the budget we had either, which was a huge plus.  She has even stated to me that she is going to do seasonal plants and flowers all year long.

Ok, I will admit she worked really hard for a long time, and now that the flowers are blooming the deck looks amazing.  Plus the Trex Deck can handle any water seepage or potting soil spills no problem, so maintenance will never be an issue.  So, thank you Trex Decks for making my wife happy and giving me an easy going spring.

Enjoy Your Deck During April Showers

As spring nears, I can only sit and dream about getting outside and enjoying my deck during the nice weather.  The funny thing is I get sad when I can’t use my deck during the bad weather.  I mean my Trex Deck Pro did such an amazing job building the deck of my dreams, all I want to do is be on it every time the temperature allows me to.

aprilshowersThen it hit me, like a lightning bolt (no pun intended).  I should just put a roof over part of my deck, that way when it rains I can still enjoy being outside!  Well, my first question was if my Trex composite decking would be strong enough to hold a roof.  My Trex Pro assured me that it would hold a roof and then some.  So the next step for me was to choose a design.  There were a lot more styles than I thought there would be, so I picked one that would give me the most options as far as amenities I could add under the roof.

So, my Trex Pro and I decided on a plan and budget, and surprisingly we finished in record time.  So my next step was to decorate my shaded area appropriately.  Naturally, I went out, bought some super comfortable stylish deck furniture, and placed it under the roof.  The next step was contacting my cable provider to run another hook up to the roof, that’s right -FLAT SCREEN OUTSIDE BABY!  You can’t expect me to have this kind of set-up without entertainment can you?

Of course, I ran new speakers for outdoor tunes as well hanging under the roof, so my new covered area of my deck is now complete.  So come on Mother Nature, bring on those April Showers. I am ready!