Don’t Abandon Outdoor Patios Just Yet!!

With the evenings cooling and the days getting shorter many retreat to the indoors and call it the end of a season with regard to outdoor living. However, from a portable clay fireplace or chimenia, to a full scaled fireplace, fire pits and portable gas heaters (and even installed surface-mounted heaters or radiant panels), the possibilities for warming that cool air and moderating the temperature around your patios are many!
This handsome stucco, stone and tile fireplace was completed last week – and only took a little over a week from design through sturdy masonry construction to finished product – ready to burn baby! We designed it to coordinate with the architecture and accent finishes that we had previously designed for the home. The travertine tile on the surround was also used on the floor of the patios and continues inside throughout the entire home. Stone ledges add texture and linear detailing and surfaces for candles at night while the glass and granite accent tiles incorporated into the travertine face are derived from other locations in the home to create an abstraction of color and texture.
The grand under-cover patio of this second photo illustrates how expansive and extensive your outdoor living space really can be. Located in the higher elevations near Santa Fe, this patio has an even more limited season for moderate temperatures. Yet the generous fireplace and flanking bancos piled high with down pillows covered in weather resistant yet exciting acrylic fabrics is a great place to gather on cool nights.
So enjoy this Indian Summer and gather round the campfire – or shall we say patio pit – or whatever…