Are these exterior trends that will go away?
1. Pergolas – they look good. IMO, they don’t function well. If it raining, even a very light rain, you get wet. If it is sunny, unless the sun is right angle you are sitting in the sun & uv rays. Personally, I’d rather put my money into a covered patio. With well established vines I can see the beauty of a pergola. Pergolas seem to be cropping up around restaurants to expand their space yet the wet stuff and sunshine drive the customers back inside.
2. Fire Pits – these belong at the lake, imo. Unless you have a very, very large yard or acreage, you will have a smoky house and so will your neighbours. Even at the lake, I’m not keen on smelling like smoke. I really don’t want it second hand from an neighbour. There are also the issues of particulate matter, sparks that could cause an fire in a dry area, and the carcinogenic concerns from the smoke.
3. Metal/iron café sets. Those have got to burn your butt and back when it’s hot. All those hard pieces would stick into you leaving a design pattern. Not comfy to sit on. And the table isn’t much better if you put your drink down wrong.
Comment Guidelines
We welcome your feedback on Houseandhome.com. H&H reserves the right to remove any unsuitable personal remarks made about the bloggers, hosts, homeowners and/or guests we feature. Please keep your comments focused on decorating, design, cooking and other lifestyle topics. Adopt a tone you would be willing to use in person and do not make slanderous remarks or use denigrating language. If you see a comment that you believe violates any of the guidelines outlined above, please click “Alert a Moderator.” Thank you.
I do really like the pergolas. I don't see them useful as a substitute for a sheltered outdoor room, but instead as added interest for the garden. Maybe it's because of my recent interest in growing 'upward' with climbing plants. Some of these provide a place to hang outdoor art as well, and I like that too.
Another thing I rather like is oudoor drapes, or fabric that is rigged up with grommets on all sides. As much as I am not big on the maintenance of outdoor fabrics and having to store/protect them (cushions can take up a lot of room!) I could handle a few fabric panels outdoors.
Lastly, I really like outdoor rugs. Unfortunately they don't work in my yard, but I wish they did. I bought a cheapy one from Canadian Tire that is more like a small tarp and that's about the best I can do-easy to hose off the bird poop! (turns out our deck is a real target for that!)
Firepits or chimineas have all been banned in our city. You can still buy them in stores, but not allowed to use them. Although I guess your neighbours would have to report you. Mind you, based on all the smoke and near-fires that you guys mention, I suppose most neighbours might call the cops on you. I'm intrigued by the stainless steel propane heaters that you see. I'm wondering though if they'd cost a fortune in propane to operate?
You don't see many pergolas in our neighbourhood, but I do like the look of some of them. What is very common here are the fabric gazebos, mainly because it's a pretty new development & there aren't many tall trees around, so people need a little bit of shade in their yard!
I wish firepits would go away. In my first house I had one that was used a couple of times until someone nearly started a fire outside the pit (bad combo is fire pit and alcohol yet that is what you see). That was it, I filled it in and planted a rose bush in it. This house also has one which the realtor seemed to think was a feature while I'm looking at it thinking 'that has to go'.
In the new house I lived in, nearly every yard had a fire pit and it was just awful. Smoke everywhere till all hours so you couldn't have windows open, noise, sparks flying and once a week it seemed like a firetruck somewhere in the neighbourhood. Calgary ended up trying to put some bans on them but ended up with restricted hours as they as so popular.
Pergolas are pretty much a classic as are metal garden sets so I don't see those going anywhere. I like the look of them although, yes, metal chairs probably aren't the most comfortable.
I've noticed a lot of patio sets that have really high chairs, like bar stools. I'm 5'1" and have trouble getting into those chairs at the best of times in a bar - I can't understand the need for a set like that in the garden!
We had a chiminea for a few years, and we did use it occasionally when it was cooler at night. But I wasn't that keen on it - I could see that it had its uses, but if you sat near it, you roasted. My husband loved it though, so I was surprised when he said he didn't want to use it this year. I think it's because we bought new outdoor furniture that's wood (teak look) - he's maybe afraid that it will burn down? Anyway, he's moved it to the back of the garden and it's more decorative now than practical.
Our old patio furniture was the metal grid type stuff, and I actually liked it. We used cushions on it and it was very practical and easy to care for.
We do have a small metal table & chairs on our deck. It's not the metal grid type, more like slats. It's perfect for the 2 of us.
We've had a pergola for a long time, and it's totally covered with vines. It's not for us to sit under, but it frames the gate to the parking in the lane. We needed it to support the vines. It looks really good.
One trend that I find a little odd is the use of all white cushions, etc. I admit they look good, but I can't imagine caring for them. Too much work for me.
Personally, I'm not into the fire pits. When those started gaining interest a few years ago in my area, I couldn't see the point of them. I still don't really get it!
Over a year ago my sister told me that there was a fire caused by a firepit at a home near hers. She said the homeowner was a member of the fire department. A nearby hedge caught fire, and I think a toolshed as well.
I do like the look of some of the outdoor fireplaces I've seen in magazine photos-the kind that 's shown with the wonderful 'outdoor room' furniture.