Set up a portable fire pit on a permeable patio

The weather can vary considerably from one part of Southern California to the next. When so much of the rest of the country is starting to snuggle up indoors for the winter, Southern Californians get comfortable temperatures that can invite some of the best weather for outdoor living. Here are some thoughts of ways to expand your living space, improve the value of your home and make outdoor living in Southern California winter more fun than ever.

• Build an outdoor room to extend your living space into your garden. You can create another living room, an entertainment area or an outdoor kitchen – all useful spaces in our mild cool season winters.
• Add an outdoor chimney to a wall or outdoor room to take the chill off of cool nights and the occasional cloudy winter day.
• Build an outdoor chimney to snuggle around the fireside outdoors.
• What’s cozier than hanging outdoors in a toasty hot tub in chilly temperatures in Southern California? Just remember to locate it close enough to the house that you won’t get chilled coming in after you are done.
• Or build a convenient cabana near your hot tub or pool so you can cozy up in fluffy towels when you get out of the water if the air temperature is chilly.
• Add a seating area outdoors and warm it with a pot-belly stove or an outdoor gas heater.
• You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make being outdoors fun in the winter. You can set up a quick patio with gravel or flagstone that will offer enjoyment, easy maintenance and sustainability with permeable paving. Then add some chairs and a portable fire pit for comfort and heat.

Think of all the ways your backyard can become an ideal place for outdoor living in Southern California. Then expand your living space outside to enjoy fresh air all year round.

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