3-Season Rooms: Fire Warms a Pergola-Covered Pennsylvania Patio
http://www.decor-ideas.org 09/19/2013 07:40 Decor Ideas
“There was an awful acrylic hot tub here and a big retaining wall, and that was about it," says Robert Nonemaker, landscape designer and owner of The Outerspaces Group. To make better use of the space for this family of four, he created a new patio that extends their living space outdoors. Thanks to a new outdoor fireplace, they now have a living room and dining room that they can use until the temperatures dip below freezing. Local materials such as bluestone from the nearby Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania, plus mica and wood milled by the Amish help the patio meld with its surroundings.
Patio at a Glance
Location: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (in Philadelphia's Main Line region)
Size: About 14 feet by 16 feet (area covered by pergola)
Bryn Mawr is quite dense with housing, and yards are tight, so making the most of one's yard is paramount. The new bluestone patio is located just off the kitchen, and the retaining wall on the left was existing. Cushy outdoor furniture from Restoration Hardware makes it a very comfortable lounge space.
Nonemaker matched the new fireplace's stone to the existing retaining wall, using indigenous Pennsylvania mica, a stone with a mix of grays, tans and silver flecks.
The thermal bluestone hearth extends to create built-in seating, with room for logs underneath.
The mantel matches the pergola over the outdoor living room, made from hemlock from an Amish sawmill, treated to ward off bugs. "We're lucky; you're not going to find this kind of lumber at Home Depot," Nonemaker says.
Because of a lack of deer in the area, they were able to plant hostas, climbing hydrangeas, ferns and other plants that thrive in the patio's shade. The family uses the space the most in fall, with the fireplace keeping them warm in the crisp air.
Your turn: We're on the hunt for cozy three-season patios. Please share a photo in the Comments below!
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