Outdoor living spaces extend use
The summer months have arrived, and county homeowners may be noticing a trend in neighbors revamping their patios and other outdoor spaces.
“Our seasons have changed in Western Pennsylvania and that's really contributed to how people design their outdoor spaces,” said Megan Murphy, vice president at Hearth & Home Furnishings, a fireplace and patio furniture store in Zelienople.
Instead of a typical patio table and chairs, she said people are starting to opt for deep seating, giving outdoor spaces the feel of being just another room in the house — complete with cooking elements, such as a grill, and heating elements — for example, a fire pit.
“Outdoor rooms are a trend that's really evolving in our area,” said Adam Martin of Martin Sales & Service, a fireplace, furniture and grill specialty store in Butler. “I can light a fire and stay warm while cooking and entertaining.”
Both Murphy and Martin praised the Big Green Egg, an organic charcoal grill that has what Murphy called a cultlike following. The grill is so popular that Hearth & Home held a cooking class for it Saturday.The Big Green Egg is a kamado-style cooker that originated in Japan. While it has been around for more than 50 years, Murphy said it has only gotten popular in the past five to 10 years.“People buy it because of its versatility,” she said.While you can use the Big Green Egg as a regular grill, you can also smoke food on it or use it as a conventional oven. Murphy likes to make beer-brined chicken with herbs.Martin said that using a grill with organic charcoal, such as the Big Green Egg, is also safer than using regular charcoal because it's made from natural ingredients and is less toxic. The charcoal can also be reused, so it's not as messy.He said that alongside organic charcoal grills, American-made gas grills are also still a popular product.
At Hearth & Home, customers can customize their own fire pit. Murphy said that crushed glass — rather than traditional logs — is popular when it comes to fire pits because it adds a pop of color and reflects in the sun. A gas tank underneath the fire pit keeps the fire going at a steady pace, rather than the back and forth of fires over logs.Martin Sales & Service's big sellers for its outdoor fire products are fire tables. Martin said the coffee table-looking fire pits are lit by a gas tank underneath and require very little construction. He also said they are very efficient.The store allows people to design their own, only providing the internal gas mechanism for the fire.Fire pits and fire tables make outdoor living spaces more comfortable, he said, because the heat allows you to use the space for up to eight months of the year, rather than just the three summer months.
Martin said when it comes to outdoor furniture, poly lumber has become popular. A heavy-duty plastic similar to outdoor decking, poly lumber is highly durable — it's resistant to sun, ice and snow, and just needs to be wiped down with soap and water.“You can leave it out all year long,” Martin said.Because of this, owning poly lumber furniture can free up storage space in the colder months.Hearth & Home is a boutique for patio furniture. Murphy said they sell customizable materials and fabrics that can withstand the elements. She also said that deep seating has been much more popular in recent years — think a comfortable chair with cushions.
While redoing an outdoor living space can be expensive, Murphy said there are inexpensive ways to make smaller improvements.“Choose one element that you want to be more comfortable and build from there,” she said.She said elements of fire and water are desirable right now — fountains and lanterns are two budget-friendly upgrades she recommended.But whatever improvement you choose this summer, she said that “people just want places where they can get the family together.”
