Category Archives: OUTDOOR LIVING

Designing a Better Outdoor Dining Experience at The Hall: Global Eatery

Infratech Visionary Anders Lasater and the award-winning team at Anders Lasater Architects have established a thriving luxury residential, boutique retail and hospitality practice. Their solutions maximize the best each site has to offer in terms of views, climate and exposures, for places that offer beautiful, comfortable and welcoming spaces on a personal scale, like at The Hall: Global Eatery in Costa Mesa, CA.

Outdoor Design Spotlight: Johnston’s Saltbox

Johnston’s Saltbox is a name synonymous with quality and variety, highlighting the Bay Area's best local artisan products in a family-owned, local neighborhood-style restaurant. Their warm, inviting atmosphere has recently extended to an outdoor dining room in the form of a winter wonderland-esque greenhouse garden tent charmingly called the “Saltbox Bubble Lounge.” You can place your order at the outdoor patio window and sit down at one of their socially-distanced tables to enjoy a cozy mug of locally mulled wine in the beautiful San Carlos, California weather. The tent has recently been retrofitted with several ceiling-mounted CD-Series Infratech heating elements that offer guests the opportunity to dine outside in a vibrant, welcoming and comfortable space — an essential amenity, given today’s emphasis on promoting public health.

Reopen Your Restaurant According to State Guidelines

Now that restaurants are beginning to reopen in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic closures, social norms and safety guidelines are evolving to promote enhanced public health. Guidelines differ from state to state, but one overarching theme promoted in the National Restaurant Association’s COVID-19 Reopening Guidance is the prioritization of outdoor seating. By adding additional seating in open-air spaces like patios, terraces and even sidewalk areas, restaurants can safely welcome additional guests and maximize income while remaining in compliance with the new guidelines. 

Outdoor Design Spotlight: Clark | Richardson Architects

Partners April Clark and Ed Richardson formed the architecture firm Clark | Richardson Architects with the goal of creating functional, elegant spaces through form, sustainability and detail. Based in Austin, Texas, C|R has completed numerous AIA Merit and NARI award-winning custom residential and commercial projects across Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Alabama, and New Mexico. Read on to get a glimpse into their creative process and individualized approach to design.

Outdoor Design Spotlight: Danny Wang Design Build

Danny Wang Design Build is an award-winning full-service design-build firm located in Orange County, CA. With over a decade of experience with both interior and exterior spaces, the firm specializes in ultra modern outdoor kitchens and vanishing-edge water features, incorporating sustainable plant material and hardscape design. Their spaces are modern and distinctive, with a specialized focus on outdoor living.

Outdoor Design Spotlight: Rebecca Johnston Interior Design

Interior designer Rebecca Johnston has been serving the Los Angeles area since 2007. Her firm, RJohnston Interiors, draws inspiration from classical design elements and integrates them into modern spaces. The Mediterranean Los Angeles patio (photo above) is a prime example of this approach: it’s an eclectic, luxurious space fit for enjoyment in any season. Since her firm is located in Southern California, a big part of Johnston’s business is designing for outdoor living. Read on to get her thoughts on essential accents for outdoor spaces and how infrared patio heaters seem to keep homeowners more comfortable outdoors than traditional models.