Category Archives: Outdoor Lifestyle

Your pool cabana provides an extra convenient, and likely necessary, storage space for your pool. Of course, you store all the accessories that come with your pool. Towels, pool toys and lounge cushions. Pool maintenance tools and chemicals. Maybe your pool heater and other mechanical systems are tucked away in there, too. You and your guests probably change there, and you might store pool snacks and drinks.

But there’s so much more your cabana can be used for if you organize and design it right. It can be much more than just a storage shed. If done right, your pool cabana can be a stylish living, entertaining and recreational space, too.

With a full sink and pantry, a fridge and a freezer, you can entertain in your cabana. Pull in some power outlets if it doesn’t already have them and blend frosty drinks for by the pool. Install a bathroom and you won’t have wet tracks through your house, or worse, risk a slip hazard. It just takes organization and a little ingenuity.

Divide and Conquer

If your cabana is just a great big open space, divide it up with walls to establish rooms with specific functions. You don’t want to feel like you’re relaxing in a storage compartment. If a fully fleshed out wall seems to permanent, hang a drape or two to get a feel for the best way you’ll use your space when it’s “live.”

You may discover you want more entertaining space and less storage or vice versa. Give it a season or two and then make your long-term remodel decisions.

Think Upwards

Get as many stored items off the floor as you can. Wall shelving and even ceiling rafter-like shelving if you have the head room, are great for organizing those pool floats, lounge and chair cushions and pole nets. Cabinets with drawers are as important in the cabana as they are in the kitchen.

And don’t limit your storage solutions to the designated storage area if it makes sense. The living and relaxing area shouldn’t be cluttered with storage, but a little might make sense and even give the ambiance of really being by the pool indoors.

Organize Smart

You don’t want to break your back lifting heavy items up high, especially if you use them all the time. Arrange your things that need storing by weight and how often you plan to use them. Something you use frequently should be more accessible than others.

And remember that drawers don’t have to be for towels or utensils. Bigger drawers can be great for larger objects and get them out of the way.

Waste Not Want Not

This is where you really need to think outside the box. When you’re economizing your space, you can’t let any space go wasted. Install a rod above the pool heater to dry towels. Install drawers in cabinets that maximize the capacity.

Be ruthless with what you store. Things you don’t use regularly, or ever, shouldn’t be taking up valuable space for those things you use every day, all season. When the season starts (or at least once a year if you have year round season) inventory everything by pulling it right off the shelves and out of the drawers. If you haven’t used it in a year, pitch it. If you just can’t part with it, does it really need to be taking up space in your cabana?

Your cabana isn’t, or at least shouldn’t be, an attic or basement. Store what you use for the pool in the pool cabana. Store your Christmas decorations someplace else.

Of course, there’s always the option of either building a second cabana or expanding the existing one. Make your cabana a haven, where you can entertain, watch TV, even sleep. You, and your pool guests, won’t regret it.

You can picture your hotel guests relaxing in your outdoor bar, sipping a frosty drink and enjoying the afternoon sun. But wait! The sun! It’s beating down on them, they’re getting sunburned and sweating when they really want to be cool and comfortable. They get so uncomfortable they head inside to the cool air conditioning of their room, and you’re not meeting all their needs. Maybe a cabana, awning or canopy is right for your resort to keep your customers at the bar, enjoying all the amenities you have to offer.

It may not be the heat of summer yet where you are, but that’s the best time to start planning. Spring and summer vacationers will be upon you before you know it. You want your new additions done and working properly before they get there.

So, now you realize you need to make some decisions to improve your customers’ experiences. Selecting the right company and the best products are important. Following a few simple procedures will ensure you have a successful installation for your cabana, awning or canopy.

Set a Budget

Your first step is to establish a budget for your project so you get the proper design. Any awning, canopy or cabana you choose should compliment and accent your property and be eye-catching. You want to appeal to tired, relaxation-seeking souls with emotional and mental needs for an escape from workday cares and worries.

Select a Contractor

There are always many companies offering their services, but you don’t want some fly-by-night contractor. You can find experienced suppliers and contractors through the Professional Awning Manufactures Association (PAMA). Once you know your budget, this should be your next step. Choosing a supplier and contractor registered with PAMA can give you a sense of security, but you still should take the effort necessary to verify references and completely review and understand maintenance and warranties before you sign on any dotted line. Form does follow function.

No matter how breathtaking your awning, cabana or canopy turns out, it also needs to be sturdy, reliable and free from defects. Choosing a reputable contractor and manufacturer with an honest and proven reputation goes a long way to ensuring a successful outcome. The best contractors want your input. They understand that they work for you, and their job is to deliver the results you are demanding.

Finalize the Design

Depending on your existing décor, bold colors for family-oriented beach and pool resorts is common and inviting for both young and the young at heart. Outdoor hotel bars that have or want to establish themselves as a popular nightlife locale tend to do best with darker shades for canopies and awnings. It creates an adult elegance.

So, now you have a contractor, you know your colors and designs. Would you like to see what it will look like before one bolt is turned or one nail is hammered? You can. Seek out an expert for advice on structure, style and set up. Then have it modeled through computer aided design. Professionals in CAD can “build” your dream without actually building. They can manipulate it so you can see it from different angles and in different light and varying configurations. You’re about to spend a significant amount of money on a permanent structure that can improve your business, or not. Many respectable manufactures may even offer this as part of their sales pitch.

A little forethought, knowing what you want to offer your customers, understanding your budget, finding the best builders and suppliers and then executing the plan are the important steps you need to take to bring a beautiful awning, canopy or cabana to your business that will attract and keep customers.

If you’re thinking of building a cabana to add functionality and beauty to your pool area, there are a few things you should keep in mind during the planning stages. Once your cabana is built, it’s hard to turn back time, so give some attention to detail and figure out exactly what your want your poolside cabana to be.

Make a list of your must-haves. For example, sufficient storage, entertaining space for at least six people and a bathroom.

Pay some attention to location. If it’s not close to the pool, it’s not a poolside cabana. It’s either a storage shed or a guest house, or a combination of both. But don’t locate it so that it blocks out all the rays you and your family want to catch poolside.

Do you want a mini-kitchen or mini-bar, a bathroom with shower and cable/internet? Incorrect or poorly thought out placement could cost you much more if you have to pull utility lines far from the domestic interface.

If you live in a multiple season climate, environment and weather may play a role, so keep that in mind.

Inside, forethought into design should take into account how you plan to use it and how much you will need to store. Clever storage solutions, such as shelving and cabinets designed to hold your specific items, can maximize your capacity and entertaining and relaxing space. Layout should be functional. If you plan to utilize your cabana for entertaining, put those facilities up front and keep your storage areas out of sight as much as possible.

Most cabanas are around 8’ x 12’ or 10’ x 14’. Five sided models are 10’ or 11’. There really aren’t any hard and fast rules, though. The most important thing is to make sure you’ve sized your cabana to meet your current, and possibly future, needs.

It also has to not overwhelm the setting. A gigantic cabana may be what you want, but if you don’t have the space, it will just look out of place. Most poolside cabanas include a changing space, pool equipment storage, and either a small kitchen and bar area, and shower. It really depends on your desires, your space and other needs unique to you.

Premium grade western red cedar or maintenance free wood fiber siding are the most common materials available and come in a variety of colors to suit your decor and style. Extend or compliment your home, garden or pool area with different materials and looks. Poolside cabanas can blend seamlessly into the exterior of your home and yard.

With a little pre-planning and thought, and your poolside cabana can create an inviting, elegant addition to your home, pool and outdoor experience.

In the past, eating outdoors meant gathering some food in a large picnic basket and going to the park with your family, friends, or a loved one. You would spread a picnic blanket and enjoy your meal.

If you liked being closer to home, you would fire up the grill and invite your friends for an outdoor barbecue that usually involved flipping burgers and making hot dogs.

If you’ve ever cooked on a grill before, you know how much of a hassle it is to run back and forth from the kitchen to your backyard to bring food or wash your hands. That’s exactly the reason why outdoor kitchens are gaining popularity.

In the recent years, homeowners started to realize how much easier and more enjoyable outdoor meals can be, provided you took special care in designing a versatile, alfresco cooking area. Outdoor kitchens were initially created in the Southwest USA. But with time, they started gaining popularity all over the country.

What kinds of dishes can you cook outdoors? It all depends on your skills and imagination. Anything you can cook in your home kitchen can be prepared in an outdoor facility just as easily.

Modern outdoor kitchens feature everything you need for easy and comfortable cooking. There are sinks, cabinets, and countertops available for the outdoors. You can design your outdoor kitchen that features such useful details as a covered bar or a buffet area.

When you are thinking about your outdoor kitchen design, you need to consider how often you will be taking advantage of it. The size of your alfresco area depends on the frequency of its use. You can either install a kitchen on a small part of your deck or create a fully functional facility.

Modern outdoor kitchen design options vary greatly. They go from simple to truly luxurious depending on your preferences. You can design a fully-featured outdoor kitchen that will be available for use all year round, regardless of the climate you live in. You can take advantage of luxurious grills with all the functions of a stovetop, large kitchen islands, dishwashers, cabinets, bars, and much more.

Making Important Decisions

When you are planning an outdoor kitchen, there are many different factors to consider. Choosing the right design will mainly depend on the space you have available to you. Will you be installing just a small grill island or will you create a fully-functional kitchen with all the bells and whistles included? Do you need this kitchen for occasional burger flipping or will you be spending long summer evenings there having dinners with your family?

Depending on your preferences, you need to equip your kitchen with a sufficient seating and dining area. If you are planning to use your outdoor kitchen when it’s cold outside, then you need to allow some space for an outdoor fireplace or a patio heater.

Choosing the Right Grilling Station

Now that you are done with space planning, the next step is choosing the right grilling station. You have to decide between freestanding and built-in models. Many homeowners choose custom grilling stations since they give your outdoor kitchen a more stylish appearance. Similar to the indoor kitchen island, an outdoor grilling station includes countertops and various cabinets. Most property experts believe that installing a custom-made masonry grilling station on your deck can add significant value to your home. Another choice is a functional prefab grilling station. Such models also feature a wide variety of useful options. At the same time, they are more affordable than custom-made stations.

Finding Proper Building Materials

When you are planning your outdoor kitchen, one of the most important details is finding durable weather-resistant materials. One of the most popular materials that is approved by experts is materials made from polymer. Unlike wood and concrete, the polymer material is sturdy enough to withstand rain and snow since it doesn’t absorb moisture.The polymer material is solid, which means it doesn’t crack or split as some layered materials do. For your countertop, you can consider such natural stones as granite, marble, and tile, or artificial stones like Corian.

Installing Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is important for the overall look and ambiance of your outdoor kitchen. That’s why special attention should be paid to this element of your kitchen design. You will be challenged with a wide choice of different lighting options: white or colored bulbs, LED lights, solar lights, and more. You might also want to consider specific task area lights and cabinet lights to make cooking more enjoyable.