Extend your outdoor living
Q. We enjoy our backyard almost all year round. Even when it’s cold and snowy, my husband barbecues outside. It’s a large yard in the country with beautiful views. Do you have any ideas for innovative fireplaces or heaters that are suitable for year-round outdoor life? Thanks. – Francie and Tom
A. With the cooler weather coming soon, this is the perfect time to invest in heaters of some kind to take the chill off while you enjoy your outdoor living. Propane patio heaters are a good choice. You’ll find a variety of heights and styles that are economical and practical. For example, the Fire Sense Square Flame Heater stands about 7 feet tall and has wheels on its base so you can relocate it as the need arises. It burns for 10 continuous hours on a tank of fuel. Stainless-steel tabletop heaters are about 3 feet high and will keep you and your guests warm for those al fresco meals. Check them out at www.woodlanddirect.com.
If your space is large and your locale allows outdoor fires, then look into the newest fire pit designs. The Ak47 shown here has a variety of magnificent tops in concrete, steel and marble. Some fire pits have grill kits so you can barbecue over an open fire. I bought one of these fire pits for my home in Italy. Check them out at www.ak47design.com. It has been the highlight of the long summer evenings, and will be even more welcome as the weather cools down. Designed rather like an Oreo cookie, the logs are sandwiched between two metal plates … great for easy access. The top can be used to put nibblies and drinks on as the metal does not get hot. We also grill on the barbeque nearly every night. During the day the lid goes back on, and you have a huge coffee table.
Q. I have low ceilings in the upper bedrooms of my house and was wondering if there is a trick to make them appear higher. Thanks. – George
A. There are some do’s and don’ts. Don’t paint your ceilings with any mid-tone or dark color. It’s best to keep to white or try a pale pastel, which I love. The light shade will visually lift the ceilings. Do choose a wall pattern that will keep your eye moving up, not across. One of the ways to give the illusion of height is to decorate the walls with stripes. Your eye follows the direction of the stripe, so vertical stripes will make the walls appear taller. The stripes should be between 3 inches and 14 inches wide; any narrower and the walls will be too busy, any wider and the stripes will look heavy. You can vary the width of the stripes as you please. The base coat will be one of the stripe colors. Use a plumb line to ensure that the stripes are straight, and mark off the stripes with a pencil. Using low-tack painter’s tape, press the tape down along the outside perimeters of each stripe to be painted. Use a roller to paint the stripes. Remove the tape immediately and wipe away any paint that has seeped under the tape with a damp paper towel.
There are dozens of alternatives for striped finishes. Shadow striping is a subtle, dramatic paint effect that is easy to achieve. Paint the base coat in a flat sheen, and use high-gloss varnish for the stripes.
Email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.