How to Make Your Outdoor Space Feel Intimate

Starting with a clean slate when planning an outdoor living project can be intimidating – Where do I start? What do I want? How do I make this a space I want to be in? The planning process can be even more intimidating when you have a large outdoor space but want a modest, intimate patio. To design a warm, welcoming outdoor space focus on choosing the right colors, creating a focal point, and adding personal touches with accessories.

Paver Colors Make All the Difference
The best advice to follow when selecting patio pavers is to choose colors that work in harmony with your home environment. To make your space feel more intimate, choose darker tones which absorb light and make areas appear smaller.

For more tips on color, come back next week when we discuss adding color and texture to your outdoor room through hardscapes.

Create a Focal Point
The problem with large, unorganized outdoor spaces is that your eye doesn’t know where to look first. Creating a seating area welcomes guests in and directs them where to go. Add additional interest and focus with a fireplace or fire pit, not only will it be a beautiful conversation starter, but it will keep you warm into the evening on chilly nights.

Add Accessories
Nothing makes a space more intimate than adding your own personal touches through accessories. Add a pop of color with your favorite throw pillows and blankets. Candle light adds another level of intimacy and warmth. Bright green plants pair beautifully with pavers. Be creative and make your outdoor space yours!

Contractor’s Corner: Design Centers Help Your Customers Bring Vision to Life

Contractors play a pivotal role in helping homeowners bring their outdoor living visions to life. Each month, we’ll offer a Contractor’s Corner post to share tips to help our contractor partners offer even more to homeowners and their landscapes.

This month, we want to delve into design. Knowing exactly what your customer is looking for can be challenging, especially if the homeowners themselves don’t yet have a clear vision. A design center can be a source of inspiration to homeowners and help them realize their ideal outdoor living space.

What is a Design Center?

Design Centers are outdoor living idea showplaces where Belgard® products are staged to mimic real life scenes. Design Centers are a convenient resource to showcase Belgard premium pavers and wall products as well as design elements, including modular fireplaces, brick ovens and outdoor kitchens. Design Centers are the perfect place for your customers to be inspired and obtain ideas to create their own outdoor living retreat.

Directing your customers to a Belgard Design Center lets them see product in real life settings and showcases how different outdoor living elements can work together to create a beautiful, customizable space. Design centers are a place to get ideas, not product or materials.

Where are Belgard Design Centers?

Currently, there are eight Belgard Design Centers in Calif., Fla., Ga., Ind., Kan., Mass., Nev. and Tenn. To find a design center near you, visit: http://www.belgard.biz/design-centers.htm

Don’t see a design center where you live? Belgard will soon be adding more design center locations throughout the country – stay tuned!

Other Resources

The Belgard Design Studio helps you turn potential sales into actual sales by creating a 3-D virtual tour of homeowners’ dream outdoor living plans. Contractors and dealers can choose from four levels of service. The free service offers a number of existing design plans that already include 3-D animated fly-throughs, 2-D photorealistic screen shots, project dimensions, and Belgard product materials lists. Or, submit your existing plan and have your designs converted into 3-D images with animation. Custom services start at $99 and vary depending on the project. Visit www.BelgardDesignStudio.com for more information.

Outdoor Entertaining Tip of the Month: Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Herbs

When January’s chill is in the air, warm your senses, heat up your Belgard® Elements grill, and let the aromas waft along the noses of your eager guests as they patiently await this melt-in-your-mouth grilled beef tenderloin recipe. Grilling this buttery, fancy cut gives it a crunchy crust that makes the meat seem even more tender. The flavors of fresh herbs inside and crispy salt and pepper outside make this recipe irresistible.

Ingredients

1 center-cut beef tenderloin (3 to 4 lbs.)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 large fresh basil leaves
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
6 to 9 garlic cloves, minced
About 2 tsp. sea salt, divided
About 1/2 tsp. pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sage, basil, or thyme sprigs

Preparation

1. Bring meat to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cut through meat horizontally (parallel to work surface) to within 1/2 in. of other side. Lay meat open like a book and spread with mustard, then top with basil and sage leaves. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

2. Close up roast and tie with cotton string at 1-in. intervals. Rub all over with oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect medium heat, using a drip pan filled halfway with warm water. Grill beef over indirect-heat area, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 130° to 135° for rare, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer beef to a platter and let rest 20 minutes.

4. Remove string. Top beef with herb sprigs. Slice and add salt and pepper to taste.

How to set up your grill for indirect heat

*On a charcoal grill: Ignite about 60 briquettes on the fire grate of your barbecue. Let burn until coals are dotted with ash, about 25 minutes, then push coals to one side and lay a drip pan on the other side. Set grill in place.

*On a gas grill: Turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust heat to medium and turn off burners as needed to create a hot and a cool zone for indirect cooking. Set drip pan in cool zone; set grill in place.

From Sunset magazine October 2010

Give Your Neighbors Curb-Appeal Envy

The New Year is the perfect time to begin planning projects that will give your neighbors curb-appeal envy. Remodeling projects that improve the aesthetic of the front of your home not only raise your home’s value, but also attract the interest of potential buyers. If you’re not looking to sell anytime soon, remember that Belgard® pavers are manufactured to last a lifetime and will continue to look like new for however long you decided to stay – and in the meantime, you’ll love arriving home every day to a beautiful front yard. Here are some areas where pavers can enhance your landscape:

Driveways
Nothing makes an entrance like a driveway crafted with the distinctive elegance of pavers. Mix and match colors to “paint” your driveway, or choose one color and keep it classic and clean.

Walkways
A walkway can be designed to add atmosphere and shape while providing a clear path to visitors protecting your lawn. A walkway or path featuring a thoughtfully designed mix of paver laying patterns creates visual interest, leading the way while captivating the senses.

Steps
For extra impact, incorporate steps – a seamless match to walkways. Belgard offers a variety of natural, smooth-step pavers that provide another dimension to your scenery. Welcome your guests with an entrance they can adore while they wait for you to answer the door!

Retaining Walls
Retaining walls add variety and create interest in your home landscape. Retaining walls are also the perfect complement to colorful gardens. Walls give your landscape structure and allow you to be creative with textures and colors.

Contact your local Belgard dealer to start planning your project today.

Welcome Chip Wade!

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that expert craftsman and television personality Chip Wade will be the national spokesperson for Belgard® Hardscapes. Even more exciting, you’ll have a chance to ask Chip questions about your own outdoor projects throughout the year!

Best known as the contractor on HGTV’s Curb Appeal: The Block, Chip has been a long-time believer in Belgard Hardscapes and the quality and beauty pavers can add to outdoor living and entertainment.

You’ll see Chip around the country with Belgard at trade and consumer shows, in our advertising, and helping us educate and empower homeowners to make their outdoor living dreams a reality.

Chip has building in his blood. He comes from a long line of experienced carpenters and woodcraftsmen, working with his father at an early age, and over the years developing an interest in carpentry, landscaping and renovation.

Ask Chip a Question!
Throughout the year, we will be collecting your questions for Chip and once a quarter he will write a blog post, “Chip’s Tips,” answering your queries on your own outdoor projects. Submit your questions for Chip right here in the comments section, at our Facebook page or by emailing ChipsTips@oldcastle.com. Look for Chip’s first blog post at the end of March.

Entertaining for the Holidays: How to Spruce Up Outdoors for Winter Use

While you’re all dreaming of the excitement that comes with a winter wonderland, let your imagination run to your outdoor living space, too. Your guests will love what you’ve done with the place to make it a near year-round living area – or will do now after reading these tips!

You’ve dug out your holiday décor from the attic. You’ve set the table with special linens and good china. You’re prepared for company in every way, but are you really? Delight your guests’ senses from the moment they arrive and make them not want to leave.

Curb Appeal for the Holidays
You’ve given the front of your house a mini facelift for the holidays, but have you considered a more permanent impact for your home’s curb appeal? Adding a beautiful walkway path to your door sets the stage for your guests to feel welcome and comfortable. If you prefer a grander entrance, consider a paver driveway, steps or front porch. Adding pathway lights can accent your décor plus help guests navigate at nighttime. Winter is the best time for planning your landscape, so getting started now ensures you’ll be ready for spring.

Backyard Winter Wonderland
Don’t forget your backyard in your holiday celebrations. Lights, garland and wreaths bring warmth to your patio and often can be enjoyed from the inside, too. Leave the curtains open and let your guests enjoy the view through the windows. If the weather isn’t too frightful, enjoy a night outside warming up next to the glowing fire from a Belgard fire pit. Grab some throw blankets and marshmallows and keep the fun going into the night.

The holiday season is a time for gathering with those you most appreciate, so we’d like to take this time of year to say Thank You to you. We appreciate your interest in Belgard and wish you much warmth and wonder this winter. Happy Holidays!

Belgard Gives Sunset Magazine Smart Homes Green Solution

For the last 14 years, Sunset Magazine has spearheaded the construction of an annual “Idea House.” This year’s project, dubbed the “Smart Homes” is a duo of townhouses that premiered this month in Palo Alto, Calif., and incorporated a variety of integrated high-tech, eco-friendly, and efficient building practices, including over 2,800 square feet of Belgard® Hardscapes permeable Catalina™ pavers, which were used to create a pedestrian deck between the townhomes over the parking area.

“Belgard Catalina pavers, in addition to being a beautiful product, offer the eco-advantages of permeability, reducing run-off and pollution,” said Kathi McCalligan, Home Programs Director, Sunset Magazine.

The permeable paver system filters rainwater through the joints and an underlying bed of gradient gravel and drains into a collection area, keeping the walkway, parking area below, and surrounding streets free from excessive runoff and performing a vital storm water management function for the entire mixed-use development where the townhomes are located.

“Storm water management is one reason Belgard permeable pavers contribute towards a number of LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits,” says Gene Weddle, LEED Green Associate, Belgard Hardscapes. “Many municipal projects mandate LEED point objectives, and more and more private sector projects pursue LEED credits as evidence of environmental stewardship. Depending on project needs, the filtered water can also be harvested for gray-water applications.”

Weddle ads that in addition to storm water management, the specific color of paver selected—Catalina Montecito Blend—offers the additional benefit of reducing the “heat island” effect. “In urban areas, replacing ground cover with buildings and pavement often results in higher overall temperatures, which in turn places higher demands on energy. Catalina Montecito offers more reflectivity than darker pavements, leading to cooler surrounding temperatures, and allowing lower wattage for area lighting, reducing both energy use and long-term cost.”

The Catalina pavers also offer ADA compliance for the pedestrian walkway because of the smooth paver-to-paver transitions.

Recipe of the Month: Grill-Baked Apple Crisp

Photo by Thomas J. Story

As the weather starts to get cooler, what better way to stay warm than heating up the kitchen with a new dessert recipe filled with apples? It’s apple season, and with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, this Grilled-Baked Apple Crisp recipe will have everyone at the dinner table talking! Not only can this dessert be cooked in the oven (including your outdoor brick oven), but you can also cook it on the grill. It may be a bit chilly, but cooking outside at a family gathering, especially if you have a fire feature to keep you warm, is the perfect way to kickoff the season.

This recipe makes 8 to 10 servings.

 Grill-Baked Apple Crisp

 Ingredients:

*1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter
*10 apples (about 5 lb. total), preferably a mixture of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*2 large eggs
*Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preparation:

1. Melt butter over low heat; set aside.

2. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Place apples in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan (see Notes at end of blog); spread level.

3. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Drop in eggs and mix with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly (the mixture will resemble streusel). Spread topping evenly over apples. Drizzle with melted butter.

4. Prepare your grill for indirect heat. The temperature inside your grill should be between 350° and 400° (insert a long-stemmed thermometer through lid vent to measure temperature). Place the apple crisp on the grill (not directly over the coals or burners). Cover barbecue.

5. Cook until the topping is browned and the apples are bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

How to set up your grill for indirect heat.

*On a charcoal barbecue: Ignite about 60 briquets on the firegrate of your barbecue. Let burn until coals are dotted with ash, about 25 minutes, then push coals to one side and lay a drip pan on the other side. Set grill in place.

*On a gas barbecue: Turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust heat to medium and turn off burners as needed to create a hot and a cool zone for indirect cooking. Set drip pan in cool zone; set grill in place.

*Smokin’ Apple Crisp: If you really love the flavor of smoke, you can actually smoke this apple crisp: Cover 1/3 cup applewood chips with water and soak for about 30 minutes, then drain. Just before you place the apple crisp on the grate, scatter the chips over the coals (if using a charcoal grill), or place the chips in the metal smoking box of you have a gas grill (or in a foil pan directly on the heat in a corner).

Notes: Use a disposable aluminum pan or a foil-wrapped metal 9- by 13-inch baking pan to bake this crisp on the grill. The recipe makes a generous amount of dessert, but we like having leftovers for breakfast. Wrap in plastic and keep overnight at room temperature.

From Sunset magazine 2005.

HNA Wrap Up with Belgard

Belgard Display - pavers, permeable paver fountain, walls and brick veneer

This year, the city of Louisville, KY played host to the best and brightest in the Outdoor Landscaping arena. As a major exhibitor at the HNA (Hardscapes of North America) expo at the end of October, Belgard^® stole the show with their displays and events. Using their most popular products, the versatility of Belgard’s pavers and walls made for a spectacular display area where visitors couldn’t help but linger and feel as if they were in a towne square. The area even included Oldcastle’s Glen Gery brick veneer product to create the appearance of real “buildings.”

Wall planter

Using pavers from the Mega Lafitt^®, Lafitt and Domino pavers line, plus the new product, Anglia Edger^tm, walkways meandered in the Belgard booth. With Belgard’s wall pavers, fountains created a relaxing ambiance and landscape met with colored lights, all within the expo center. Speakers were integrated throughout so that visitors were attracted from across the facility. Visitors could touch and sample the Elements Outdoor Living products which Belgard offers to create your ideal outdoor room.

The "Block"

Over the three days, many thousands of industry professionals visited the Belgard booth. Thursday the Belgard “Block Party” was the hit. It featured a day of food, live music and festivity. The event was such a showstopper, even the country group Stealing Angels stopped by.

Friday was an even more exciting day as the Belgard Street Carnival attracted visitors and more than 500 people competed for the chance to be Carnival Champion. See videos (below) with Vice President of Belgard Marketing, Ken O’Neill on 2012 trends and carving a space.

On Saturday, the “Block Party Tailgate Extravaganza” enticed visitor to experience Belgard living as they could relax in Belgard’s outdoor living space and view ESPN’s College Game Day on the big screen and compete in bean bag toss competitive games.

Ken O'Neill

Outside, Belgard’s presence was evidenced by the wafting smells of pizza cooked non-stop (over 200!) in our Chicago Brick ovens. Belgard’s Elements Collection of fireplaces, columns and firepits were on display. This area had demonstrations and discussion on some of our latest product innovations from our R&D facility.

This event was made possible from the hard work of the following companies:

• Harmony Outdoor Living/Belgard Elements Collection: Two full outdoor room displays
• Chicago Brick Oven: cooking 200 pizzas
• Outdoor Audio: audio for inside/outside and providing great music
• Night Time Décor: Landscape lighting
• Techniseal: providing shuttles
• Stephen Wood of Picture Perfect Landscaping, Louisville, KY
• Synthetic Grass Warehouse: Indoor park.

See videos on the trends for 2012 as Ken O’Neill, VP of Marketing, speaks about hardscapes trends on the horizon.
Hardscape Trends for 2012

Carving out space

Outdoor Living Trends for 2012

An Inside Look at Belgard & HNA+GIE Expo 2011

The Hardscapes North America (HNA) and GIE Expo will once again combine forces to create one of the industry’s top trade events next week in Louisville, KY. The three day event from Oct. 27-29 at the Kentucky Expo Center will feature an indoor tradeshow and outdoor demonstration area drawing thousands of landscape and hardscape professionals. Belgard® Hardscapes has been preparing for the show for months. Here’s an inside look at what to expect and why to add both Belgard booths—1216 inside and 7368D outside—to your itinerary.

The Theme:
The Belgard Block Party provides the perfect opportunity to showcase great product and host interactive events. We have daily themes including Block Party Rocks with live concerts and an open mic hour, Block Party Street Carnival with carnival games and prizes and a Block Party Tailgate Extravaganza with football highlights on the big screens. Daily event details can be found at www.belgard. biz/hna.htm.

The Products:
Our city scape allows us to showcase some of our newest products to hit the market as well as a couple of products that won’t be available until later in 2012. From new interlocking pavers, wall concepts and edgers to pre-built modular elements, we’ll showcase the latest and greatest as well as some traditional favorites.

Our outdoor demo area (booth 7368D) will also have a demo pit where you can interact with our products—laying paver patterns, building walls and learning about permeable pavers. This hands-on area is there for you to enjoy and our product experts will be there to answer your questions and jump in the pit with you.

At 11:30am each day in the demo area, Chuck Taylor will talk about using regular Belgard pavers to create permeable surfaces. And Al Pfannenstein will present our newest wall offerings at 2:30pm each day.

The Programs:
Our city scape is laid out to showcase Belgard’s professional programs including the Belgard University, Authorized Contractor & Dealer programs, Belgard Preferred Payment and the Belgard Design Studio. In fact, we used Belgard Design Studio to design the layout of both booths and all the images you see in this blog. So if you have any questions about the professional resources Belgard offers, this is the place to find out more.

The Experts:
Inside and out, we’ll be interviewing some of the industry’s top professionals. Ken O’Neill, VP of Marketing for Belgard, will discuss hardscape innovations and what to expect in 2012 at 10:30 am on Thursday, Oct. 27^th in booth 7368D (outside).

At 11:30 am on Thursday, we’ll interview the winner of the Win This Space contest, Bob Streiff of Precision Pavers in Dallas, at booth 1216 (inside). The Win This Space contest was part of the Belgard University Sales Jam 2011. We’ll learn Bob’s secrets to success and growing his business.

From outdoor living trends to permeable pavements and retaining wall construction, we’ll have the Belgard experts on-site every day to answer your questions.

The Food:
 It wouldn’t be a party without great food and we’ll have plenty of it. From 11am until 1pm daily, we’ll be cooking outdoors in our brick ovens. And at 1pm, we’ll have cooking demonstrations from the chefs of 610 Magnolia, a Louisville restaurant, including a demo by Iron Chef Edward Lee.

Don’t miss Belgard Hardscapes at HNA + GIE Expo in Louisville, KY on Oct. 27-29. If you can’t be there, make sure to follow the event on our Facebook page. We’ll have daily updates, photos and videos.

Find out more on the HNA+GIE Expo.