By April Fulton
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Just because the weather's getting colder doesn't mean outdoor entertaining has to end.
When Julie DeVol moved into a brand-new home in Spring Valley, she and her husband, Tony, decided to start holding Christmas Eve parties in front of a roaring fire on their back patio. Seven years later, with the guest lists sometimes topping 50 friends, neighbors and family members, the couple's children won't let them stop. So DeVol hauls out holiday decorations, lights dozens of candles, finds extra chairs and lots of cozy blankets, and cranks up the copper fire pits for an evening of singing, dancing and s'mores cooked over the fire for dessert.
"We love the fresh smell [of the fire] and that crisp air in the cold," she says. "We have white lights wrapped around our pergola year-round, so it's festive."
DeVol says the experience has created great memories, such as the delight her father showed when, just months before he died, it snowed on Christmas Eve for the first time in many years. Another year, "we got a piano guy to come and he played. He brought his own piano," she says.
The key to creating an all-season outdoor space is, obviously, making it warm enough to keep guests from freezing.
"Especially in the wintertime, people have been cooped up for months," says Robert Groff, who owns Groff Landscape Design in Fairfax Station. "So when you get a sunny day, this gets rid of the whole cabin-fever thing," he says.
Outdoor heating options range from chimineas, Mexican clay ovens shaped like gourds, which cost between $100 and $200, to custom-built fireplaces, which can run $10,000 or more.
Between those two price points are tall propane heaters, such as those used by restaurants on their patios, which start at about $200 and throw heat out in an eight- to 10-foot radius. "The heat lamps allow you to have an indoor temperature while enjoying the atmosphere of the outdoors," says Tracy Morris of Tracy Morris Design in Georgetown.
Other options include large, bowl-shaped, copper or iron fire pits, which start at about $300, says Betsy Owen, the owner of Maison et Jardin, a home and garden store in Great Falls. DeVol's model burns wood; others use propane-fueled lava rocks ringed with granite. Owen's shop carries a bar-height version with a ledge just right for holding drinks and providing an elbow rest while guests converse.
Build-your-own outdoor fireplace kits can be ordered online, starting at $2,000. You and your neighbors can put one together in a day or hire a professional to install it, Groff says.
(If you do install it yourself, check with your local building inspector to make sure you meet safety requirements for chimney height and distance from the house, Groff says. "You want to make sure the smoke isn't just going to swirl on top of the patio and there are no embers to catch on your wooden shingles," he says.)
Groff and his crew recently installed one such fireplace for a D.C. couple with a typically narrow rowhouse back yard, a project that was featured this month on the DIY network show "Indoors Out."
Other elements, such as draperies, screens and thick chair cushions made from weather-resistant fabrics, have improved dramatically in recent years.
"An outdoor all-weather fabric placed on the outskirts of an outdoor room creates a feeling of intimacy that says, 'Come sit down in this space and get cozy,' " Morris says. "Also, drapes will absorb some of the noise in your outdoor space. This I am sure all of your neighbors will appreciate."
Sturdier vinyl-resin woven materials are replacing traditional rattan and wicker for outdoor furniture, says Jerry Pugrant, who owns Pugrant Associates, a D.C. firm that caters to designers, architects and embassies.
Also, teak furniture, sold at Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware and other stores, requires little to no maintenance, doesn't freeze and weathers to a silvery gray when left untreated.
"We had iron [outdoor furniture] in two of our houses before this one," DeVol says. "It was too hot in summer and too cold in winter."
When designing your all-weather space, you want to think of its relation to the rest of the house, experts say.
"You normally want to mimic the style inside," says Groff, who notes that outdoor flat-screen TVs are becoming popular with sports buffs. They can run several thousand dollars and work best in covered areas, he says. Waterproof and glare-proof TVs, from brands such as SunBriteTV, can be ordered online or through a designer.
There are cheaper ways to perk up an outdoor area. "I'm a huge fan of candles," Morris says. She suggests using old soap molds as candle stands for a rustic look conveying warmth and creating an elegant mood.
Lighting is an essential element of cool-weather entertaining. Also, hosts want to ensure the safety of their guests and show off their space.
Solar-powered lights that stick into the ground on spikes are a good choice because you can move them around, designers say. They are available in sets online and at many retail and garden stores starting at about $50. But don't line the perimeter of your walkway with them. "That looks like an airport runway," Groff says. Lights in front of the plantings surrounding your gathering area and along the walkway aimed up at plants look best, he says, and provide enough light to see your path.
Making outdoor spaces attractive and functional all year long is increasing in popularity, particularly in the current economy, Pugrant says. "People are traveling less and spending more time at home. They want to expand [home] to the pool area," he says.
Of course, you don't have to wait until Christmas Eve to host an outdoor party. Buy candles, hay bales and colorful napkins to coordinate with your chiminea and the cushions on your chairs, and throw a dinner party, a Halloween party or even Thanksgiving dinner outdoors. Just don't forget the extra blankets to make guests comfortable when it's really cold out, DeVol says. Have a backup plan in case it rains or snows.
Even takeout food can seem special if you bring it outside for a spontaneous picnic, says Owen, of Maison et Jardin. "I have a set of stainless steel silverware in a carrier ready to go with napkins and a lighter stick," she says. "I just pick it up and go."
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