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Outdoor Living: Oasis in the backyard |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 24 May 2007 |
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 Imagine a room without walls — a living area where the only ceiling is the starlit sky. Now, step outside. The possibility lies in your own back yard.
And for the Galbate family, this possibility is reality. Their southeast Fort Collins home features an outdoor dining area to seat 10, a kitchen area with ample counter space, and a cozy living room complete with fireplace— and that’s just the patio.
“I think we’ve pimped it all out,” said 43-year-old Todd Galbate.
He, his wife Chris, 44, and their three children moved into their house in Fossil Lake Ranch five years ago. They spent much of the summers outside, so they figured they might as well make it nice.
Todd remembered seeing a TV show that featured celebrity back yards. A particular episode showed off Paul Sorvino’s woodfire pizza oven.
“I told my wife I would love to have one,” Todd said.
After doing some research, they discovered that the woodfire pizza ovens are made in Tuscany, imported to Napa Valley and then shipped all over.
“We started the project in the winter of 2006,” Todd said. “Pretty soon the project was moving faster than we planned.”
Chris spent time skimming magazines for ideas. They pieced together their favorite features to create a back yard of their own.
 “The most important thing is to think of features you want and make sure you have space to fit them comfortably,” Todd said. “The more toys you have, the more space you need.”
The Galbates’ $30,000 backyard renovation was completed last spring. The end result was a magnificent sitting area with ceiling fans, an oversized table for entertaining and a cooking space with a grill, extra burner, ice box, refrigerator, sink and bar.
The ceiling fans help cool hot days and also keep mosquitoes away at night, Todd said.
Around the corner is a bubbly hot tub used year round. On the other side of the patio, water trickles down a stone water feature inspired by a fountain at the Hilton.
“It’s a great place to relax,” Chris said.
Todd’s favorite thing about their outdoor living space is the pizza oven.
“I like to play with fire,” Todd said. “It’s a little boy’s dream. Pizza night here is such a great night... We’ll have friends over and everyone will make their own pizza, drink wine and listen to Frank Sinatra.”
The Galbate home is a prime example that cheap white plastic chairs no longer define patio furniture.
“It’s just endless,” said Janna Jacobs, salesperson and designer at Patio & Dining Lifestyles in Fort Collins. “It doesn’t look like typical patio furniture.”
Jacobs said Sumbrella fabrics are mildew protected and will withstand the elements.
Maka Kalai, manager at Christy Sports, said one of the bigger trends that is still growing is the bigger deep seating.
“We’re seeing outdoor sectionals and couches,” he said. “People are putting just as much attention to outdoors as they would with their actual kitchen. It’s getting to the point where people are spending as much money and time picking out outdoor furniture as they would indoor furniture.”
 People are treating the patio as an additional room. There are even outdoor rugs and artwork now.
Patios and decks are great places to enjoy dinner and appreciate the outdoor environment and beautiful gardens.
Ransom Beegles, 27, and Ryan Manning, 29, landscape architects and owners of R Design in Fort Collins, were featured on HGTV in the spring of 2006. The landscape architects created a design for a Fort Collins lake home that became an award-winning project.
“It’s such cool feeling to take the inside and bring it outside,” Beegles said.
Often the duo will use the same color pallet they find from the home when designing the landscape.
“I think people are sometimes scared of geometry,” Beegles said. “Ryan and I do a lot of clean shapes and rectangles. That way, we use all that space. Don’t fight clean lines. The more you pull the architecture into the landscape, the more you will enjoy it.”
Though designing an indoor space outdoors can be pricey, for many outdoor lovers it’s worth it.
The Galbates have already had a few parties this summer with more to come.
“We probably go out there every night,” Chris said.
Indeed, they live in their outdoor home — now that’s thinking outside the box.
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BRING THE INDOORS OUT
Here are some tips for bringing the indoors out in your own backyard.
• Don’t wait until summer to start the project. While winter weather is unpredictable, it’s also the slower season. This means, you can usually find better deals that time of year.
• If you did procrastinate, it’s not too late. Maka Kalai, manager at Christy Sports said it’s not uncommon for people to shop for furniture on a Tuesday or Wednesday for a party that weekend.
• Do your homework. Research appliances and companies before you purchase them.
• Take ownership of the project. Todd Galbate recommends taking the time to be the general contractor or the boss of the project, so it is done the way you want.
• With the intense Rocky Mountain sun, make sure there is some kind of shade, so you won’t bake.
• Check with the city before starting the project. You may need to obtain a permit for the work. There are also restrictions or ordinances you will want to be aware of. For example, open firepits are not permitted.
What’s it cost?
Patio furniture sets can start as low as $399. Many stores will include warranties and will reorder individual pieces, should they break. | Only registered users can write comments.
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| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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