The patio off the garage level features a stone-look surface created using eco-friendly cobblestone pavers. These are actually faux cobblestones which can be installed with relative ease since they go down in pre-made sheets rather than as individual stones. The filler between the stones is sand solidified with an epoxy compound, so it has the look of natural sand but remains secure between the stones. The compound is water-permeable to allow rainwater to flow through naturally into the ground. A circular pattern was chosen by the voters to give the floor a distinctive look and to match the circular treatment used for the nearby fire pit and its adjacent seating area. The patio, protected from above by the main floor deck, serves as an outdoor room that's perfect for lakeside entertaining and open-air dining. A noteworthy highlight is the solid-wood outdoor dining table and matching benches crafted by local woodworker and artisan Aaron Cabeen. The mix of woods used to construct the table was salvaged from an old storefront in Chattanooga, Tenn. Cabeen also handcrafted the double-sink vanity located in the master bathroom and a rustic wood hall tree in the kitchen utility area. Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns, stone masons and hosts of DIY's Rock Solid and Indoors Out, spent some time at the Blog Cabin and contributed a few surprises, the most notable of which was a custom outdoor pizza kitchen, complete with brick oven from Tuscan Ovens. Adirondack chairs were selected as the outdoor furniture style for the cabin but, for this particular patio, Jimmy DiResta, host of DIY's Hammered, took a distinct variation on that theme. He fashioned an oversized, Adirondack-style chair out of antique water skis. And his unusual approach to seating didn't stop there. Jimmy also created a swinging chair, suspended on chains from the deck beams above, that was made using an old canoe that was cut in half and outfitted with a bench seat. Other main features in the patio area include a pondless water feature, outdoor hot tub and a privacy screen designed and built by cabin experts Simon and Chris Hodshon. The patio is also one of the best places to get a close look at the log construction, which is of the interlocking D-style logs, stained on the exterior using butternut wood stain. Both of those log attributes were chosen online by DIY Blog Cabin voters. Outdoor light fixtures are wall-sconce style, another voter selection.
View a slide show of this room. View the tallied results from the Blog Cabin voting. Shop for products featured in this area.
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