Unless you’re reading this with a view of a ski mountain, last weekend’s October snowfall was just the icing on the cake for this crazy fall and the upcoming ominous winter. But in another effort to stay positive for more temperate, northeast fall weather is coming, and we can continue our dialogue about outdoor entertaining from Boston Design Week.

My fellow panelists and I discussed how many of us turned to the outdoors to safely seek a break from the news cycle and the pandemic. Just look at the spike in bike sales this summer, and the ski season may follow suit. A recent Boston Magazine article paints an interesting picture for my beloved ski industry, and I hope we all can take safely to the slopes this winter.  Our pre-ski and après-ski will look differently as we keep more to the outdoors, but once on mountain, skiing will be skiing and another way to escape outside and focus on fun lines through the bumps and trees.

Fire pits, fire features, stoves all look amazing, but remember, a great deal of thought and planning goes into designing these projects. There are code compliance measures that must be followed to keep you and your neighbors safe. Let the fire breathe, give it some space, and know how to control it.

The opportunity to keep the doors open goes away in the northeast as we get into November and then December. So if it’s time for a hot cup of soup or s’more by the fire pit, bundle up and make sure to shut the door behind you. Your recently completed weather tight home, with a high-efficiency heating system, is of no use if you leave the doors open.

Next, you may be thinking – going outside requires additional home gear – and it needs a place to be stored. So yes, all those pretty mudrooms with wooden lockers and hooks and shoe cubbies can do the additional lifting for boots, blankets, hats, and spare scarves.

Does this sound like another adventure? Of course! We design and create outdoor spaces to be extensions of the home as additional rooms. Let’s take advantage of them, and now, with everything going on, we can, and should, do just that. I just ordered my new thermos in preparation for more outdoor time with the upcoming ski and winter season. It’s able to keep liquid hot for 28 hours, along with maybe something a bit stronger too, what Italians call “caffè corretto”!

Be well,

Chris

Did you miss the Boston Design Week panel? Check it out below!