April 28, 2008
If you're thinking of installing a residential tennis court in your backyard, then you'll be pleased to know you can get the design done online.
Rhino Sports has a Create-a-Court wizard that lets you pick the size of your sports court as well as the colors (if tennis isn't your game, you can choose basketball and multi-sport courts as well--or even use the design wizard to build a golf putting green).
Go ahead, play with it and see if you can come up with wackier colors than I did. It's not like you had something more important to do today, right?
April 17, 2008
Patio stones make a simple yet elegant outdoor living space, and installing them is a home improvement project you can do yourself if you've got a free weekend. When choosing your stones, don't think you're limited to squares and rectangles either. When you get away from natural stone and consider concrete, you can find all sorts of shapes to work with, since concrete can be molded into virtually any shape.
These interlinking patio stones fit together like puzzle pieces to make an exotic space. Crafted by Stockholm design studio Oldsjö Hultgren Design, the irregular concrete pieces are available in white, black, and gray. This allows you to put together a pattern that nobody else has and that uniquely fits your yard.
So when you're thinking of building a new patio, don't be afraid to think beyond the square.
Oldsjö Hultgren Design
January 19, 2008
If you're dreaming of a backyard with a swimming pool, chances are you're dreaming of an in-ground model. But in-ground pools are expensive to install and maintain, so above-ground pools can be an alternative.
Now you may be thinking of inflatable pools or those plastic-looking ones that are eye sores, but in truth you can indeed make an above ground pool look good. The one shown here has wood siding, and that alone goes quite a ways in making it more appealing than plastic, inflatable pools.
Also, if you're planning for your pool to be a semi-permanent structure, you can even build an elevated deck around it, giving the illusion that it's an in-ground (or at least "in deck") swimming pool.
In the picture below, you probably didn't even think the pool was an above ground model, at least not at first glance. So, yes folks, it's possible to have an above-ground pool that looks classy (and you can have it installed a lot more quickly and economically than in-ground models).
December 14, 2007
I remember helping my dad put up a wooden fence all around our backyard as a kid. We went board by board by booooard, and it seemed to take forever (of course, everything adults want you to help with takes forever when you're 10). I wish we'd had something like these fencing panels from Elegant Gardens.
Not only do the panels look like they'd turn into a fence around the backyard a lot sooner, they come in a lot of decorative styles that look more interesting than straight old wood planks.
I particularly like the Nottingham, which is shown here. It's one of several decorative panel styles available from the company, and they say their fences are eco-friendly and maintenance free. The FSC certified pine panels come from managed forests, and they are put through a ŒPressure Impregnation process, which "makes them resistant to damage from rain and insect attacks hence, they last much longer and need no maintenance."
From Elegant Gardens
September 8, 2007
Floating fountains are cool. If you've got a pond, and you don't have a fountain out there, you're missing out.
Aside from the "cool" factor, fountains can be beneficial to fish too. If you get one that acts as an aerator, such as the one shown here, it will work to keep your pond water sparkling clean, and it will provide an oxygen rich environment for your koi or other fish.
The floating fountain here is one of several available from Scott Aerator Co. Their fountain systems are made from high-density polyurethane and stainless steel, so they should last for many years of pond enjoyment.
http://www.scottaerator.com/
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