Gone are the days of stuffy, traditional weddings in ballrooms and hotels. Nontraditional wedding venues, including backyard weddings and outdoor weddings, are now all the rage. Outdoor wedding ceremonies increased from 39% in 2009 to 52% in 2017, and this percentage has skyrocketed more recently in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are backyard […]
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To create the perfect backyard for entertaining, you can either keep the crowds away until everything is perfect or succeed over time by trial-and-error. If you’re like most of us, the latter is probably more realistic – not to mention more fun. Outdoor seating may be the most important feature of a great backyard for […]
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There’s just something about a pond that exudes peace and tranquility. The wildlife, the sound of running water, the light reflecting off of the water… What could be more soothing? In fact, studies show that spending time close to water is associated with many physical and mental benefits, including higher levels of vitamin D, better […]
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Adding a cover over a patio is one of those magical things a homeowner can do relatively cheaply that makes a million bucks of difference. It can transform part of the great outdoors into a space that’s almost a bonafide room. There’s just something special about serving a meal or hosting a party under the […]
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An outdoor living space is a hot commodity in the real estate industry. In fact, when homeowners invest in their outdoor areas, they can make as much as a 500% return on their investment. Not only does your patio boost your home value, but it also provides additional space in your house where you can […]
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Wondering how to clean outdoor cushions? Cleaning your outdoor cushions is more important than cleaning your indoor cushions, simply because there is (usually) so much more potential in the outdoors for dust, moisture, and straight-up filth than there is inside. But how frustrating it would be to try cleaning them, do it wrong, and leave […]
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The groundhog lied! Most of the country is still in the throes of winter but spring is just around the corner, isn’t it? Sing goodbye snow and hello rainy season! Unless, of course, you live in a part of the country where it’s been raining all winter. We’ve all had more water on our patios […]
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This time of year is for packing up the delicate parts of the patio setup. It’s for other things too, but let us not get caught up in the back-to-school rush or drink so much eggnog that we forget to do that yearly chore of gathering our cushions and storing them safely until spring or, […]
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Wood was one of the first materials used by man to make furniture out of, presumably because it’s easier to cut wood than rocks. But the fact that we still use it today when stone, metal, and other materials are available to us proves that there’s something enduringly wonderful about wood. If you do it […]
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What kind of patio chairs will be best for your patio? While there is no one-size-fits-all way to answer this question, there are a few more specific questions to ask that can help. For example, what purposes will these chairs serve (dining, conversing, lounging, tanning, etc.)? That is, what features would make each type of […]
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