Interesting ideas for using water features in outdoor living space

Sitting outdoors in your beautiful garden and listening to the gentle trickling water sounds in the background can be extremely relaxing and enjoyable after a long hectic day. By adding water features to your outdoor living space, you can transform your mundane space in to an extra ordinary place of warmth and charm. 

You can add water features in your garden or backyard depending on the effects that you wish to create. If you have a small garden, you may add a few water plants or may be a small water fountain to enjoy your garden during the summers.

Water fountains can be used for decorating larger gardens and outdoor living areas as well. They are available in various sizes and shapes so you can easily create a theme around them. You may choose a fountain that is a replica of a statue from the Ancient Greek or Roman era. Or you may look for something fun and interesting like an animal shaped fountain or a fountain themed on a cartoon character. Kids love such fountains.

If you have a swimming pool in your backyard you could also create a small pond and add some fishes and aquatic plants to it. You may plant small flowers around the pool and add beautiful lighting to add a magical touch to your outdoor living space.

There is so much that you can do to make your outdoor living space more beautiful and inviting. Hire experts for using the water features and achieving the perfect effect in your outdoor space.

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Tips to help you add outdoor kitchen to your home

The trend of outdoor kitchen is on the rise nowadays. Outdoor kitchens serve as the ultimate place for social gatherings, making special occasions all the more vibrant and entertaining. A lot of homeowners also use the outdoor kitchens for enjoying family meals amidst the beautiful, natural surroundings of their garden or pool.

If you wish to add an outdoor kitchen to your home, use the tips shared below:

• Choose proximity. Locate your BBQ or grill in direct connection with your kitchen. It would ensure smooth access and easy flow of traffic between the spaces.

• Look out for the right grill for your outdoor kitchen. If you plan to build a complete outdoor kitchen with countertops, you may install a high quality built-in grill. You may also choose portable, grillers on wheels in case you don’t want to spend much on construction of the kitchen in the outdoor living space.

• Do buy a small refrigerator for your outdoor kitchen. You would need the refrigerator to keep vegetables, meat, and drinks cold and fresh. Depending on your budget, you may buy a small refrigerator or the one that comes on wheels and functions as a mobile bar and a refrigerator.

• Some other things that you may add to your outdoor kitchen are kitchen cabinets, liquor cabinets, wine racks, and a bar. A bar is a fun addition to an outdoor kitchen and is of great use when holding outdoor parties and get togethers.

• Last but the most important; do add comfortable and stylish furniture to your outdoor space. Invest in high quality, beautiful and comfortable dining tables and chairs, lounge seats, sofas, ottomans, or love seats. Make sure that the furniture can withstand the outdoor weather conditions and is low on maintenance.

• To add warmth and charm to your outdoor living space, you may also add a beautiful outdoor fire pit.

Enjoy your outdoor kitchen.

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Suggestions for planning the perfect outdoor living space

Nowadays, the outdoor space is considered as an extension of the interiors of the home. There is a growing trend of creating beautiful and comfortable outdoor space for relaxing and enjoying with one’s friends and family.

Here are some suggestions to help you create the perfect outdoor living space.

• Aim to create a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor space. When planning your outdoor space, make sure that it blends with your home’s interior design. If, for instance, there are natural stone countertops or tiles inside your home, you may use the same for decorating the outdoor space. 
  
  
  

• Decide how you are going to use the outdoor living space-eating, lounging, relaxing, entertaining and then design and furnish the space accordingly. If you plan to use the outdoor space for entertainment, you must add the right furniture and lights to create the right ambience for entertainment.

• Be creative when designing your outdoor living space. Think of different elements and ways that can add loads to the overall look and feel of your backyard or pool area. Add fragrant flowers, herbs, lights, candles, throws, cushions, and chimes or fountains to make your outdoor space warm and attractive.

• Though there are endless options for decorating outdoor space, you must be realistic. If you have kids or elderly at home or you have a pet, you will have to first ensure their safety. Also, you must keep your budget as well as space availability in mind when planning your outdoor living space.

For getting the perfect outdoor living space, you may take help of professionals. They can give shape to all your ideas.

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Top 10 Awesome Pools In The World

Best example of creativity of the swimming pool builders imagination. Here you will find the list of 10 awesome swimming pools in the world. 

1. Shaw House, Vancouver

2. Ubud Hanging Gardens Resort, Bali
3. Tangga House, Singapore
4. Nemo 33, Belgium
5. Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Singapore
6. Joule Hotel, Dallas
7. Main Pool at Seagaia Ocean Dome, Japan
8. 232 West 15th Street, New York
9. Aquarium Pool at the Golden Nugget, Las Vegas
10. San Alfonso del Mar Seawater Pool, Chile

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5914228/the-10-most-awesome-pools-in-the-world

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Important considerations for building a custom swimming pool

A swimming pool can be a fun addition to your home. 

However,if you want to build the swimming pool of your dream, you have to consider a lot of things. The most important of them are given below -

Where do you want to build the swimming pool? Choose a secluded place that is out of the way of roads or footpaths so that you can enjoy complete privacy.

Next you must decide the size of the pool. The size of the pool would depend on the space available, the number of people who would be using the pool at a given point of time, and your budget.

Swimming pools can be made in almost any shape. Depending on your individual preference, you may get your custom pool build in square shape, in rectangular shape, oval shape, or in the shape of a guitar or that of a heart.

You would need to decide upon the style of the swimming pool as well. Make sure that the style of the pool complements the rest of your house. Choose the materials and colours that blend with the overall theme of your outdoor space for getting the best possible results.

Whether you want to add special features to your pool will depend on how you are planning to use your pool and on your budget. If you want your pool to be the focal point of your outdoor space and want to convert your outdoor space into a luxurious place perfect for entertainment and recreation, add special features like jets, adjoining hot tub, or a separate kid’s pool. You may also make use of lights to enhance the appeal of your pool.

For building custom swimming pool, avail the service of professionals. They can turn all your dreams in to a reality and can give you awe-inspiring swimming pool.

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Outdoor fireplace design tips

Outdoor fireplaces are quite in-vogue these days. The trend is catching up quite fast amongst homeowners who want to lend a luxurious touch to their outdoor living space. Outdoor fireplaces are beautiful structures. They create amazing room for people to relax and spend their time, especially during winters. 

If you are considering building an outdoor fireplace, here are some useful design tips -

• At the outset, decide where you would like the fireplace to be. Patio, pool area, and backyard are ideal places for having an outdoor fireplace. Just make sure that the place is neat and clean.

• Next, choose the material for constructing the fireplace. For outdoor fireplace, stone and brick are the commonly used materials as they are durable and non-inflammable. You can also use aluminium or cast iron for building the fireplace.

• Depending on your individual taste, and of course the way you want your outdoor space to look like, you may choose bricks, stones, and rocks to create beautiful outdoor fireplace. You may choose to co-ordinate the fireplace with the existing patio or pool or go for an entirely different décor theme. You can in fact initiate a new colour scheme and décor theme with your fireplace and can then do the rest of the outdoor space accordingly.

• For an out-of-the-world feel, combine your fireplace with water features. By using water features along with the outdoor fireplace, you can create a stunning interplay of water and flame.

For ideas on creating beautiful outdoor fireplace, you can search the web to procure the services of a reputable company that specializes in creating outdoor fireplace. They will help you transform your outdoor space with a beautiful and well designed outdoor fireplace.

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7 tips to help you keep your pool clean

It is definitely fun to swim in your private pool during summers. A private pool in your backyard gives you a lot of flexibility and lets you have hours of non-stop fun, swimming and enjoying water sports with your friends or kids.

Here are 7 tips to help you keep your pool clean and healthy -

1. If you notice any debris in your pool, just skim them off. If too much of debris is allowed to build inside the pool, it can interfere with your pool’s filtration system. You can install an automatic cleaner in your pool for effectively removing the small particles in the water. Make use of a net for removing the leaves and twigs that may have fallen inside the pool.

2. Vacuum your pool on a regular basis. Empty your pool once a month and try to clean the pool manually. Take a brush to remove any dirt and dust that may have got deposited on the walls of the pool and then use the vacuum for better results.

3. To ensure that your pool is safe and enjoyable to use, you have to keep a close watch on the water quality. Use the right chemicals to keep the pool water clean and free of contaminants.

4. Chlorine is very important for your pool. It helps kill the micro organisms like bacteria and disinfects the pool thoroughly. Buy chlorine based products and try to add them after sun set when chlorine works more effectively.

5. Test the pH level of your pool water. A pH level that is between 7.4 and 7.6 pH is desirable in swimming pools. Having a pH level above 8 or below 7 can cause problems to the swimmers and can also affect the quality of the water.

6. Stale water can lead to the growth of algae and bacteria in your swimming pool. Make sure that you change the water frequently to prevent algae and bacteria from setting in and making your pool green and unhealthy.

7. Apart from regularly changing your pool water, you can make use of algaecides. They help get rid off algae and prevent their growth.

If you find that swimming pool maintenance is time consuming and exhaustive, hire experts to do the job for you. But do not ignore regular pool maintenance.

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