Outdoor Living, Fire Features, Amenities & Lighting

How to Frame a Beautiful View
While homeowners with views almost always want to make the most of their settings, many don’t fully understand how best to go about it, explains Scott Cohen. Capturing a beautiful vista does not always mean leaving it undressed and undisrupted. Here he describes how framing and even partially concealing a scene can lend context, function and beauty. ...
Bedazzled by Bamboo
Bamboo, a member of the grass family Poaceae, is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. Its rapid growth, diverse varieties, remarkable carbon dioxide absorption, and oxygen release capabilities make it an environmental and landscape design champion. And it just looks cool. ...
Snowing on Demand
The ability to make snow on demand effectively transforms the winter-recreation industry in areas where snowfall is scarce, inconsistent or even non-existent. Simple in concept, spraying atomized water under the right conditions can transform a barren slope into a skier's paradise. ...
RicoRock Offers New Temple Stone Firepit
Rico Rock has announced its newest addition to the Temple Stone series. The new firepit is made of attractive and safe pre-cast lightweight concrete that matches the latest in outdoor living décor. Roughly 18” high, 76” long and 23” wide, the Temple Stone firepit makes it easy to create a gathering space in any backyard.  Hooks up to standard propane tanks.  (Shown here in limestone color.)  Made in USA and available for immediate shipment. Learn more here.
Pacific Horizons
Steven V. DeBiasi has spent a career creating masterful landscape and watershape environments across the Pacific Ocean. Based in Honolulu with a business stretching island to island far west across the International Date Line, he shares the story of how he discovered success and adventure following distant waters.   ...
The Spirit of Avalon (Part II)
In the first installment of this two-part project Mario and Sherry Abaldo explained the scope and first stages of the work creating one of the most elaborate residential aquatic spaces of all time. Here they fill in many of the details that made this undertaking so remarkable. ...
Integrated Visions
The ability to adapt to different project parameters and conditions can require patience and a balance between conformity and standing your ground. The project pictured here, explains Scott Cummings and Benjamin Lasseter, is as a perfect example of integrating a pool and landscape design with a challenging site and discerning project team members. ...
The Rise of Social Saunas: A New Era for an Ancient Tradition
Saunas have been an integral part of human culture for thousands of years, with origins tracing back to ancient Finland two millennia ago. As Dave Peterson explains, saunas are catching on throughout much of the modern world, a rise driven by well-documented health benefits combined with aging consumer demographics that have among other trends led to a surge in “social saunas.” ...
The Shimmering Spires of Jade Mountain
St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain is one of the world’s most unusual and luxurious resorts, a renowned masterwork in the organic architecture tradition opened since 2006. One of its unique finishing touches involved creating sculptural glass-tile spires atop the building, an artistic task David Knox enthusiastically embraced in the spirit of the place, and the man who created this entirely unique resort.   ...
The Rhythm of Design
Designing beautiful outdoor spaces that feel welcoming and harmonious is oftentimes a matter of self-editing, says Kirk Bianchi. Here he delves into the design process with the idea of creating rhythm and visual balance, when making decisions about what to include and leave out. ...