Patio Anyone?

We were quoted and featured in IN LA Magazine last week. In case you missed it, here is the advice we gave to three readers on their patios.

Angelenos regularly enjoy some of the world’s finest weather. So what are you doing inside? This summer, dream about tanning in your own back yard and sipping cocktails with your buddies. With your own deck or patio, your dreams could become a reality. You can transform that tiny yard from a bland patch of sod to an outdoor living area perfect for your lifestyle. We enlisted fabulous gay design duo Scott Thomas and Brian Somero—of Thomas Somero Design—to consult with three of our readers on how to transform their living spaces to rockin’ patios for sizzling summer soirees.

John
Party Animal
Forty is the new 20 as far as John is concerned. He loves having friends over for cocktails at his Hollywood Hills home. John lives in what Scott calls a theme home—it looks a little like something you might see in Maine. The living area is on the second level, so John wants to build a deck where he can serve food and drinks to friends in swimsuits.

Scott: He has a traditional house, but that doesn’t mean [it] has to be hard-lined traditional. He could go more contemporary as long as it looks like it’s supposed to be there. If the place has a Cape Cod feel, he could give his deck a picket fence sort of look—all in white. It could also be done in a redwood, as long as it doesn’t look like you’re walking onto another planet. I would recommend big traditional comfortable furniture—especially since he has lots of friends over. There are lots of small-scale, outdoor sofas on the market—they can get rained on and everything. He needs to think of the deck as an outdoor room. [Depending on space,] I would recommend a Jacuzzi too. After all the cocktails, everyone can jump in there.

Brian: From a construction standpoint, we’re looking at something that could hold all these people. I would suggest a wraparound deck which connects to the back of the home as well as the sides. Because he regularly has friends and family over, he could do a bar with running water and a refrigerator. He could also consider putting in a retractable awning, maybe some misters or mood lighting.

Sandy and Jess
Loving Parents
They just moved into a beautiful home in Pasadena with their little boy, Franklin, who is just starting preschool this year. They want a patio or deck where they can relax, entertain a few guests and be out in the sun with Franklin and their two dogs, Pugsy and Blaze.

Scott: The ladies’ house has a craftsman sort of look to it. We want to maintain the look as much as possible. Because they have a small child, I would suggest we build a deck that’s low to the ground. I’m thinking plastic glasses and plates and simple, comfortable furniture.

Brian: As far as decking material goes, we want to stay away from wood because of splinters and [the dogs] potentially chewing on it. The latest thing on the market is called “composite decking”—it’s made from a combination of wood [waste] and recycled plastic. It’s very “green,” and the plastic protects the wood so it doesn’t rot or splinter. It comes in all sorts of colors and looks just like wood. The other option is the standard vinyl decking. It looks like wood and comes in white. With either option, you don’t have to worry about staining, which typically has to be done [to wood] every year. I’d choose composite decking.

Drew
Fledgling Homeowner
It’s not much, but it’s all his. It’s bigger than the guest house he used to live in but still quite modest in size. All he needs now is a place to sip mango mimosas with his close friends and look out at the sexy singles walking their dogs just over his fence.

Brian: Those bar-height [chairs] could help you see over the fence. Other than that, some mood lighting would greatly enhance the space without breaking the bank.

Scott: For this patio, I would suggest a simple concrete slab with some sort of design or stamp in it. If I had a budget like this guy, I would spend most of my money on furniture. Brian had the idea of bar-height chairs and tables, bistro sets, an outdoor sofa. I wouldn’t go into getting bars—we don’t recommend those temporary bars. Those are tacky. Bring the drinks out on a tray. Make it a very comfortable outdoor living space.