If you live in the Northern part of the Hemisphere, you will appreciate when I say that Summer is too short. However, more and more (global warming notwithstanding) we are designing spaces to take advantage of outdoor living and then pushing the envelope by adding in elements that will extend the season as long as humanly possible.

We’ve recently completed a rooftop patio project in a space that was sadly neglected and under-utilized. Flat roof + wide open space = Unlimited possibilities. The term Rooftop Patio is undeniably sexy but bearing in mind that the season is rather limited, we set out to balance stylish with the fiscally responsible. Fiscally responsible isn’t exactly sexy now is it? Well we’re trying to vamp it up a bit…

After little details such as new roofing on the flat roof to prevent leaking in the space below were taken care of we knew that finding a decking material that required little maintenance and could float (just in case pesky leaking issues resurfaced) was the first item on our agenda. Working together with Trex, we found the perfect material in the Transcend Decking – in Spiced Rum. The look and feel is Ipe – Ipe, which is incredibly dense (heavy on a rooftop not to mention walking it up 3 floors with no elevator) and expensive, I may add. The installation process was a breeze (says the woman who watched it done) and the 20 ft lengths the decking comes in ideal for a seamless effect. It also seemed to drop the temperature on the patio by 10 degrees making it all the more comfortable.

The goal for the rooftop after the decking was installed, was to establish at least two Outdoor Rooms. We wanted a living room/lounging space and a dining space. Both can double as spots for meetings in addition to social interactions – dual purpose is always advised in outdoor spaces to maximize your investment. We used a combination of furniture from both Ikea and West Elm as our base for the space and then chose to invest in key areas to add oomph and a layer of luxury to both rooms.

I love mixing and matching outdoor carpets with luxury carpets for a “No Rain Allowed” Outdoor Soiree. It is recommended though that you assign two people to be in charge of “In Case of Rain” action for pretty pieces such as this fuchsia wool rug from Weaver and Loom in our outdoor living room… not to be a pessimist but a little planning beforehand, will allow you to enjoy yourself all the more.

Palm Trees & Umbrellas definitely help to give the space a tropical oasis feel but the personalized vignettes really make the deck feel transformed into rooms.  Hurricanes with candles mixed with Elephant ceramics by Michelle Michael in partnership with West Elm helped to transform a basic patio table into something more elegant (please note that I’ve avoided using the term tablescape… that’s so 2011) with the vivid blue glazes balancing the fuchsia rug adjacent. We’ve tried to repeat these bursts of intense colour around the entire deck. By doing so, we’ve enabled the space to be easily transformed   depending on the event or the season within this outdoor season, maximizing both the space and the budget.

Now if only we could find a company to sponsor my planned Mojito Bar, it would be entirely perfect…