UncategorizedTo Cover or Not to Cover March 20, 2013The gorgeous and warm weather over this past weekend made me start thinking of spring. And outdoor living. We love eating, entertaining, and hanging out outside and have been so excited about an outdoor living space in this house. In our last home, we had a huge deck, but it was on the second story and kind of on display for the entire neighborhood. So we never used it. When I shared the Before and After floorplans of this house, I mentioned that we will have a large covered porch. That is still in the plan, at some point, but the cost of adding a roof to it is a bit much and we may need to wait on covering it. We will have a patio, though, and are deciding whether or not we will cover it in the future. So excited that we will have an outdoor living space starting this summer!!! But I need advice… We’ve been going back and forth on whether or not we will cover it and I really can’t decide. Obviously, cost is a huge concern. We will be adding the roof ourselves, if we do it, but we’re still talking a lot of money. But beyond that, I can’t decide which I would rather have. I’ve been going back through my Pinterest board, Take it Outside, to try and make my decision (how many times have I said I’ve gone back to Pinterest?!). And surprisingly, I like the rooms without roofs best. {via} I love the open air look and feel. {via} I picture many summer and into fall dinner parties like this… {via} …out under the stars by candlelight… {via} …and gorgeous bulb lights drifting in the breeze overhead. {via} I use the term “magic” a lot when talking about outdoor living with candles and twinkle lights. And I love that enchanted feel! For some reason, covered porches don’t have as much of the magic quality to me. I know they could be totally AWESOME, but something about being out under the stars holds a bit more enchantment for me. It feels like a fairytale, which I love. Can’t you just picture a gorgeous chandy hanging above from a nearby tree like this? {via} Or this amazing outdoor living area with the chandelier and the fireplace complete with mantel decoration! {via} We’re contemplating building an outdoor fireplace, which would be very much down the road, but how cool would it be just out in the open like this? Now, that’s magic and unexpected and brings me some serious joy and inspiration! But then I think about what I would put on our patio. I’m completely inspired by this outdoor patio by Emily Henderson. {via} This is exactly like what I picture: an outdoor room. But the practical side of me (which usually doesn’t win out) keeps imagining the reality of this. Outdoor pillows and rugs just in open air. With rain, and weather, and sun damage. Those things aren’t cheap, so I know I would want to bring them in often when we weren’t using them. The normal me would be like: “I don’t care if I have to lug ten sectional cushions, fifteen throw pillows, two rugs, and a poof in and out every time I want to use the patio. It’s magical, darn it!” But then I see outdoor rooms like this with roofs overhead… {via} …and think of the low-maintenance. {via} Pillows, furniture, rugs, poofs, everything could just stay put and pretty in place and last much, much longer. And we could sit out in rooms like this and eat or lounge if it was too hot or blaring sun to be out on a patio or if it was pouring rain. {via} A final factor in this decision is that I’ve always pictured an outdoor dining and sitting area. So a long table and chairs and for the sitting area, we have really wanted to built a sectional for the sitting area. {via} They are becoming so popular now! But while building a sectional would mean tons of pretty seating, it also means the need for a lot, I mean A LOT, of cushions. This adds major cost and maintenance…tons to carry inside! Now I’m wondering if I could be happy with more of a haphazard seating arrangement like I posted above with different benches and furniture combined. I wouldn’t need nearly as many “soft” things that would need to be put away often. I think I could make do with just some pretty throw pillows and not as many cushions. So, I’m in a quandry. Do we go with a lot more money up front and put on a roof and have less maintenance in the log run? {via} Or, do we go with the magical, cheaper version and have an outdoor open air room where we can see the stars? Oh, and carry in and out pillows all the time 🙂 {via} I need help! Which direction would y’all go?
Kristina says March 20, 2013 at 12:46 pm What if you do both? And it doesn’t have to be expensive! There are two options: -Cover half of your patio (that’s what we’re doing this summer!). Then you have someplace to sit when the weather’s lame (because sitting on covered patios and porches in the summer rain is The. Best. Ever.), but also have a nice open area. -OR, you can have a covered patio and then have a nice manicured/landscaped area under one of your trees where you can put your table. So, sectional on the covered patio, table and chairs under the tree. If you make the table and buy the chairs at garage sales, that wouldn’t be a whole lot of money. But I’d suggest buying a really nice cover for the table and putting the chairs away when not in use. Why shouldn’t you be able to have both of your cakes and eat both of them too?? 🙂 Reply
Lindsay says March 20, 2013 at 3:08 pm Y’all are adding a covered porch??? Exciting! It’s starting to look like the roof will be postponed no matter what we decide due to cost. So, we’ll have a patio for a while and then decide! Reply
Kristina says March 21, 2013 at 10:34 pm Yep! Dog run and back patio are our two projects this year. We were going to finally seed the back yard, but Lincoln won’t be walking by the end of summer, and we really really really need to buy a new hot water heater, so next year. I’m so excited about the patio. Reply
christine aldinger says March 20, 2013 at 3:15 pm you can have both…..also i have found i miss my screen in porch our deck area gets so hot that we started buying awings last few yrs to even enjoy some time on deck…i couldn’t even have plants out do to the heat bousing off deck now i have oddles and oddles of potted plants and love it. Reply
Lindsay says March 20, 2013 at 3:37 pm Thanks, Christine! I hadn’t really thought about the plant factor. Definitely something to consider! Reply
Lauri McIntosh says March 20, 2013 at 11:26 pm Whenever I have a dilemma like this, I think of those commercials where they pour ice cold beer in a frosty glass and it flows over the edge and looks so refreshing but when it happens at home and it spills all over the counter, all you can say is ‘darn it!’ or worse. It’s a good thing you’re putting lots of thought into it.. You’ll come up with something you’ll love. Good luck. Reply
Lindsay says March 21, 2013 at 3:45 pm Lauri, this made me laugh! Thanks for the analogy. Such a good one! Reply