It may be January, but at Texas Custom Patios we’re gearing up for summertime. An outdoor living space is perfect for hosting an extra large crowd for your summer Family Gatherings. You may be celebrating the graduation of someone special. Or maybe someone is tying the knot with friends and family gathered for a wedding. You could simply be trying to keep the gang cool with a pool party. Or maybe you’re celebrating your roots with a family reunion. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite outdoor style ideas for your summer celebrations.

Graduation

These custom graduate yard signs would be perfect for a backyard graduation celebration. Plus, who doesn’t love another reason to show off those fantastic graduation portraits?

And this is a very cool way to launch the dreams for your graduate’s future!

source: cottageintheoaks.com

Display that cap and gown in style!

source: cottageintheoaks.com

Wedding

Install a chandelier (or two!) in your outdoor living space. This royal look is fit for a wedding celebration.

source: weddingchicks.com

And how about some functional wedding decor the guys won’t mind keeping around after the festivities?

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Pool Party

Make a grand entrance!

source: party ideas.craftgossip.com

Don’t let a sunburn ruin the party. Keep family and friends protected by offering a Sun Protection Station.

source: crissyscrafts.blogspot.com

Why not combine parties and make it a pool party movie night?

source: ohhappyday.com

Family Reunion

We’re loving this DIY Beverage Station to keep everyone cool and hydrated!

source: liluna.com

Gather and display old family photos to help everyone dig into their roots.

source: stylmepretty.com

Oversized glass jars display pretty salads in a “no fly” zone.

source: 4men1lady.com

How about a game of giant scrabble? Your family will get exercise for body and mind!

source: constantlylovestruck.blogspot.com

Your Outdoor Style Family Gathering

If you’d like to talk to us about creating an outdoor living space where these summer family gatherings and many more opportunities for relaxing can happen, give us a call at 281-265-1994 (Houston area) or 214-460-5934 (Dallas area).

Join Ryan and Rob as they discuss the benefits and differences between a pergola and a patio cover in this episode of The Outdoor Style Show with Texas Custom Patios.

Adding a stylish outdoor living space is undoubtably a significant investment. We get to see the return on that investment every day as homeowners increase the value of their lifestyle by creating a space to take time out for the important things in life. Here’s a list of 50 great reasons to add Outdoor Style to YOUR backyard:

1. More space for those big gatherings!
2. Outdoor dinner parties
3. A nearby spot for star gazing
4. To celebrate your son/daughter’s graduation party
5. A quiet place to drink your morning coffee and read the news
6. To keep the indoor kitchen cool by grilling out in the summer
7. A place to tell stories around the campfire with the kids or grandkids
8. A covered space in which to watch a good Texas thunderstorm roll in
9. Family dinners on the patio
10. A patio cover provides indoor shade, too
11. A place to let them watch the game outside while you commandeer the living room TV with your show
12. Exhale the stress
13. Ice cream cones melt slower in the shade
14. That quaint little backyard wedding
15. A shady spot to watch the kids while they play in the pool
16. Girls night in
17. Give your swimmers a place to snack, a place to rest and a place to use the bathroom… without soaking your floors
18. A place to slow down
19. Rover loves a shady spot to enjoy the dog days of summer
20. To invite the neighbors over for that barbecue
21. A place to put your feet up
22. What better backdrop for family portraits, than your own home?
23. A perfect spot to indulge a “no plans” Saturday
24. To host a backyard brunch
25. A place to drink cocoa on a cool evening
26. A place to pop a cold bottle on a hot day
27. Serve up their favorite birthday dinner
28. To sit a spell and have a long conversation
29. To pass on the art of grilling
30. A comfy spot to devour the latest novel
31. Dine alfresco with a date night in
32. To one up the Joneses
33. All the barbecue holidays-Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day-are better served up in your stylish backyard
34. Easy clean up for children’s birthday parties
35. A place to hang your porch swing
36. Practice your mixology
37. A quiet space to watch the feathered visitors to your bird feeder
38. Give your house guests a space of their own in a backyard guesthouse
39. Turn on the patio string lights and have a glass of wine
40. A perfect place to paint or draw
41. Keep the drinks cold in your outdoor kitchen fridge
42. Be the house where everyone gathers
43. Take refuge from tuba practice
44. Swing in a hammock
45. Celebrate your retirement
46. Sit down and talk about your day
47. Get down a play trucks or have that tea party
48. Raise a glass to the newly engaged couple
49. Teach the art of a perfectly toasted marshmallow to the next generation
50. Just breathe

If you think your backyard living could use an Outdoor Style upgrade, we’d love to talk with you. Contact us for a free consultation at (281) 265-1994 or send us a message via our website.

The back-to-school frenzy is in full swing. The holidays are just around the corner. Gone are summer vacations. Calendars are fully engaged. It’s enough to raise your blood pressure a bit, isn’t it?

Before hypertension sets in, I have a few suggestions for how you can take this new season in stride. Around here, we focus a lot on Outdoor Style.

Outdoor Style has a lot more to do with attitude, mindset and way of life than it does materials and designs. Don’t misunderstand, we love beautiful outdoor living spaces around here. We pour ourselves into creating them! But, what we really love is the living that can be done in an outdoor spaces.

Choosing from all the options available can be overwhelming when you begin your patio design-build process. Nearly every homeowner wonders about the investment they are making in their outdoor living space.

When you know what you want, you’re more likely to get what you want.

Our project developers walk every step with our customers from concept to completion. We’ve been involved in taking your dreams from idea to paper to an actual outdoor structure on nearly 1,000 completed projects. Every year, we get to put our hands on exciting new products and trends in outdoor living.

This type of expertise helps you make your outdoor living selections with confidence.

What are our favorite products and trends this year?

Reclaimed Wood

Our first pick isn’t exactly new, rather it’s better described as new again. Using reclaimed wood in ceilings and beams is a huge trend. It’s environmentally sound to put old beams to new uses. Vintage timbers offer a beautiful look that our customers love. Each piece has a unique charm seen in the character of its imperfections and known in the history of the piece, as if it had a story. Reclaimed wood with a tight, dense grain that comes from slow growth is superior in quality and durability. We’re currently working with a lumber company that mills to order.

Manufactured Stone Veneer

Photo Credit: Eldorado Stone

Manufactured stone veneer gives the beautiful look and feel of real stone, but it is surprisingly affordable and easier to install. The lightweight stone veneer is molded in forms made from hand-selected natural stone. Manufactured stone veneer is a believable faux option great for patios and facades. Maybe one of its best qualities is that manufactured stone is a sustainable product!

Dramatic Patio Doors

There really is something relaxing about an open air space. Multi-door sliding doors, pocket doors and even french doors leading to the patio can provide that seamless transition between indoors and out. They’re perfect to throw open for family gatherings or parties and are energy-efficient in between. This is an expensive option, but it adds a dramatic impact between indoor and outdoor living.

Explore products and trends on Houzz with us

Visit us on Houzz and begin adding your favorite outdoor style images to your Ideabooks!

It might be winter, but in Texas we can still throw a party on the patio. All you need is three easy dishes for the grill and a festive, inviting patio.

Three Easy Holiday Recipes for the Grill

Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps 

Directions:
1. Preheat your grill to high heat.
2. Spread cream cheese on each jalapeno half.
3. Wrap each piece in bacon and secure with a toothpick.
4. Place on grill and cook until bacon is crispy.

Holiday Kebabs 

It’s easy to make Christmas-themed kebabs by using red and white vegetables, like bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes.

Plus, kebabs are infinitely customizable:  Just buy kebab sticks or skewers at a grocery store or home goods store.

Ingredients:
Red, white, and/or green vegetables (Onions, Bell peppers, Mushrooms, Cherry tomatoes)

Meats of your choice (Shrimp, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Bacon)

Directions:
1. Cut vegetables and meats into 1 to 1.5 inch slices.
2. Soak the pieces in your favorite marinade for a few hours.
3. String the ingredients onto skewers, alternating the meats and veggies.
4. Use high heat on the grill, rotating skewers until all ingredients are done.

Snowball Skillet Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups crisp rice cereal
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:
1. Heat a heavy skillet over low heat.
2. Mix together dates, sugar, butter, and egg.  Cook in skillet for about 5 minutes, or until bubbly.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla, cereal, and pecans. Allow to cool.
4. Form mixture into balls and roll in coconut.

Do you have a great holiday recipe? Share it with us in the comments!