Tag: outdoor entertaining

Design Diary: A Fire Pit For My Patio

Wayfair Sponsored Post Firepit Patio

I’ve been sheltering with my family on Cape Cod. After isolating in our condo in Boston for two weeks, we decided to pack our cars with food and supplies, and head to our house in the woods. We have plenty of space here, which we appreciate given we have two teenagers, along with fresh air, and no communal doorknobs. We are very lucky. I hope you are also healthy at home.

While the magnolias bloom in Boston, the Outer Cape landscape is quite a bit starker. Normally, we arrive here in early June, always surprised to see that the plantings around our patio are still sparse. Sometimes it’s much colder and rainier than one expects in June, even in New England.

April has gifted a few gorgeous, crisp and sunny days, along with many stormy ones. There are some daffodils (which seem out of place for the environs; much too manicured for the wilds of the National Seashore) and some forsythia. I’ve even seen a spot or two of dark purple. The only true moments of color, other than the sky and ocean, are  the pine trees and  lawns. As you can see from these pictures, my yard is no exception.

I added a firepit to my patio on Cape Cod

When StyleCarrot partner (and Boston-based company)Wayfair suggested we collaborate on a patio refresh post this season (last year’s patio post is here), I  immediately started browsing for the outdoor living section for propane fire pits.

Sure, we could use some sofa-like seating for entertaining, since we only have two loungers and a bistro table, but even more, we need warmth. Since we’re out here in what feels a bit like winter, I figured, let’s try to make the most of it. So a fire pit it would be.

I love the concrete fire pits you see at boutique hotels, but good ones can be pricey. I wanted something that would last. I settled on a large square propane fire pit. It’s a bit bulky, but it’s sturdy and gets the job done.

Firepit with cheese platter

Yesterday was our nicest yet. I assembled a plate of snacks and wine from our local winery. (I shot this during the day, prompting my son to ask if I was day drinking.) The platter made for a nice lunch; I actually set the wine aside for later. I’m always on deadline. The fire threw enough heat that I could work outdoors, actually.

Backyard Ideas with A Fire Pit

Polyresin + stainless steel propane fire pit by Orren Ellis, Wayfair.

MORE:  See StyleCarrot’s patio refresh post from last July
for flowers in bloom + ombre summer sky.

Photos by Marni Elyse Katz/StyleCarrot, LLC

Design Diary: A Boston Patio Inspired by Majorelle Gardens

Another oldie but goodie from the Boston Globe Magazine archives. In October 2009, I wrote “Kind of Blue,” about a Beacon Hill patio redesigned for outdoor entertaining, inspired by the homeowner’s trip to Morocco; Majorelle Gardens to be exact. This well-traveled 50-something hired Brian Feehan to transform her 10-by-17-foot outdoor space when she returned from her trip. He wondered how he would cram a 20-foot reflecting pool in there, but with a flair for the dramatic (Feehan is actually a director and choreographer), he managed to eke out a bit of paradise in the historic neighborhood.

I N S P I R A T I O N 
Jardin Majorelle   •   Marrakech

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Majorelle Garden was designed by the painter Jacques Majorelle in 1924 and revived by fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his partner, Pierre Berge, in 1980. Feehan took cues from the distinctive cobalt blue accent color, Moorish latticework, lush greenery, and fountain.

B E A C O N  H I L L  P A T I O
Designed by Brian Feehan

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Feehan replaced the existed rotted wood deck with a mahogany-stained ipe deck and painted the existing lattice matte black. He added a trio of of 6-inch-wide horizontal wood strips in cobalt blue around the perimeter. The slats add color, and the homeowner can hang votives and flowerpots from them.

For additional interest and color, Feehan hung a pair of antique Chinese doors found at SoWa showroom Mohr & McPherson. The scale and shape mimic the French doors on the opposite wall, and provide a focal point when one steps onto the patio from the house.

The blue mosaic tile you see in the background is a fountain. More about that below. Look closely, there are mirrors on either side of it, which extend the feel of the space.

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Feehan created a mosaic glass tile wall fountain that’s eight-feet high.  Water runs down the surface, which is covered with tiles in different sizes and thicknesses. It’s uplit, creating a glistening, otherworldly effect in the evening, and sounds lovely too. The water collects at the bottom in a cobalt-colored trough that runs the length of the brick wall.

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Moroccan style tiles are affixed to the gate, adding more flavor.

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The patio is accessed from the condo by French doors.
Don’t you wish she’d invite you to a cocktail party?

B E F O R E 

beacon-hill-patio-before

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