Dear Debbie:We enjoy our backyard almost all year round.
Even when it’s cold and snowy, my husband barbecues outside. It’s a large yard in the country with beautiful views.
Do you have any ideas for innovative fireplaces or heaters that are suitable for year round outdoor life? Francie and Tom
With cooler weather coming soon, this is the perfect time to invest in a heater of some kind to take the chill off while you enjoy your outdoor space.
Propane patio heaters are a good choice. You’ll find a variety of heights and styles that are economical and practical. For example, the Fire Sense Square Flame Heater stands about seven feet tall and has wheels on its base so that you can relocate it as the need arises. It burns for 10 continuous hours on a tank of fuel. Stainless steel tabletop heaters are about three feet high and will keep you and your guests warm for those al fresco meals. woodlanddirect.com.
If your space is large and your locale allows outdoor fires, then look into the newest fire pit designs.
The ak47 shown here has a variety of magnificent tops in concrete, steel and marble. Some fire pits have grill kits so that you can barbecue over the fire.
I bought one of these fire pits for my home in Italy. It has been the highlight of many a long summer evening, and will be even more welcome as the weather cools down. Designed rather like an Oreo cookie, the logs are sandwiched between two metal plates … great for easy access. The top can be used to put snacks and drinks on since the metal does not get hot. We also grill on it nearly every night. During the day the lid goes back on and you have a huge coffee table. ak47design.com
Dear Debbie:I have low ceilings in the upper bedrooms of my house and I was wondering if there is a trick to make them appear higher.George
There are some dos and donts. Don’t paint your ceilings with any mid-tone or dark colour. It’s best to keep to white or try a pale pastel, which I love. The light shade will visually lift the ceilings. Do choose a wall pattern that will keep your eye moving up, not across. One of the ways to give the illusion of height is to decorate the walls with stripes.
Your eye follows the direction of the stripe, so vertical stripes will make the walls appear taller. The stripes should be between three inches and 14 inches wide; any narrower and the walls will be too busy, any wider and the stripes will look heavy. You can vary the width of the stripes as you please. The base coat will be one of the stripe colours.
Use a plumb line to ensure that the stripes are straight and mark them off with a pencil. Using low-tack painter’s tape, press the tape down along the outside perimeters of each stripe to be painted. Use a roller to paint the stripes.
Remove the tape immediately and wipe away any paint that has seeped under the tape with a damp paper towel.
There are dozens of alternatives for striped finishes. Shadow striping is a subtle, dramatic paint effect that is easy to achieve. Paint the base coat in a flat sheen, and use high-gloss varnish for the stripes.
Debbie Travis’s House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to [email protected]. Follow Debbie on Twitter at twitter.com/debbie_travis, and visit her website, debbietravis.com
