Outdoor Spaces, Indoor Touches

#1 Porch Panels

Living in the mountains means outdoor porches and patios to relax and enjoy the views. However, two factors prove inhospitable: pollen (especially in spring and fall), and winter's too-cool temperatures. Julie Heisman is an outdoors enthusiast, equestrian, chemist and former executive with PGT© Industries, who discovered the solution—PGT® Eze-Breeze sliding panels. Made of heavy-duty, flexible, clear vinyl and sturdy aluminum frames, they fit virtually any covered or screened outdoor space, turning it into a flexible leisure area for full enjoyment year-round. Highly customized, these panels offer a variety of colors for the vinyl and frames, multiple ventilation styles and optional screens. They are easy to clean, tough and durable and come in clear, bronze or gray to reduce the sun's glare. Frame color and style options along with tint make it easy to match the color and architecture of the home. Julie's company, Outdoor Living Porch and Patio, provides a rarity in renovation projects, which increases a home's value and makes it even more enjoyable. Some customers install fireplaces on their porches just for wintertime so they can relax in the cozy room with the cold beauty surrounding them. Customers find the panels easy to use and cost effective. Even better, there is no start-up construction needed to create a relaxation haven at home, all without the wind, rain and bugs.

Big Canoe residents Jim and Jan Barkley recently invested in the panels and were excited about their new living space. "It was a quick and easy process to choose products, color options and designs working with Julie and her team," Jim says. "The porch is now more useable, pollen and dirt free—and a preferred place for coffee." Jan points out, "I'm delighted about using the porch year round." As the enthusiastic entrepreneur of Outdoor Living Porch and Patio, Julie offers a one or two day installation with the PGT® Eze-Breeze Sliding Panels, creating a room from an outdoor living area to be enjoyed in any season.Contact: for a free consultation, call (770) 894-4579 or cell (404) 550-0270.

#2 Outdoor Fire Pit

Living in the mountains of north Georgia offers an ambiance like no other. Lakota Cove, the home beautiful business, offers a unique choice for outdoor design—fire pits. Owner Linda Magness describes the addition of fire pit tables to her inventory as "a redefining of outdoor living. Fire pits are like adding jewelry to your porch or deck."

When hosts entertain in mountain settings they want their guests to sit back, kick up their heels and just relax. Outdoor entertainment areas decorated by Lakota Cove show the best of well-designed fireplaces, sofas, chairs, tables, artwork, outdoor lamps, candelabras, outdoor furniture, and rugs. Until now, one thing was missing – fire pit tables. Whether hosting a gala party or having a quiet time with family and friends, gathering around a fire pit in any season will make the occasion all the more memorable, Magness points out.

The top designer of fire pits in the industry offers Lakota Cove's clients unmatched quality and craftsmanship, with fire pit tables in ten distinctive designs and many color options. Constructed from the highest quality pure, non-corrosive materials and natural granite, and featuring innovative interchangeable table-center accessories, the fire pit tables provide beautiful design. They are functional works of art that will highlight any outdoor area. Designs come with arctic flame glass, gas logs, granite table tops, ice bucket or flame accessories. Lakota Cove can coordinate fire pit colors with porch furniture helping to create a defined design space. In addition to featuring the fire pit tables at Lakota Cove, Magness will display them in the Big Canoe showcase home in Choctaw Village opening June 2012. Contact: 230 Old Mill White Rd. Ext. in Jasper, (770) 893-3495 or CrabappleHillsFarm.com and LakotaCove.com

#3 A Home Deck

The biggest plus of living in the mountains of north Georgia is enjoying the great outdoors. When a home owner adds quality outdoor living space for relaxing, dining and entertaining, these features instantly increase property value, as well as providing beautiful esthetics. Enlarging one's living area in tandem with nature is definitely a win-win decision for mountain homeowners. Decks and gazebos designed and constructed by Witt Building Company help provide that extra joy of living.

Matthew Witt has built many types of decks or gazebos using his customers' designs, as long as they pass code. Decks don't have to be one-size-fits-all. Contingent upon the use and goals for their outdoor living space, Matthew selects materials to fit the customer's needs and budget. "We take a collaborative approach. If they have a sketch, we use that as a base of what we recommend as a design," Witt says. "If they don't have a plan, we spend a lot of time walking the space in order to come back with a design, with the result exceeding their expectations." One material he may choose for decks is Garapa, a Brazilian Ash, because it has a 75-year warranty, doesn't warp or fade, is low maintenance and is superior to today's composite decking at comparable cost.

Witt Building Company started their business in Gilmer County in 1999. With 13 years of local service, their reputation for excellence in artistic craftsmanship found featured spots in Log Home Living Magazine, Country's Best Log Homes, and Log Home Design. "We are all about savvy home solutions," Matthew smiles. Contact: Matthew Witt at (706) 889-2480 or visit wittbuildingcompany.com or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

#4 Nature's Furniture

One of the great aspects of having a log cabin is getting to incorporate so many natural elements into your home. We found Bent Creek Willow to be one of the most unusual ways to bring nature inside or to your patio. Specializing in furniture and accessories made from freshly cut willow trees, Wendy and Justin Hasty are third generation willow artisans who are part of a family business with over 25 years of experience. They share a passion for providing homes with unique and interesting home accessories. There isn't any other business with as much knowledge and dedication to willow artistry as Bent Creek Willow.

Every cabin needs a great place to sit, and Justin and Wendy have several beautiful styles of seating made from nature – from chairs and rockers to swings and chaise lounges. For the dining room, they have full dining sets in both small and large sizes, as well as accent tables for their hand-crafted lamps. The willow lamps come in several different sizes from small accent lamps to floor lamps, all hand-made by highly trained craftsmen. They also create fern stands and magazine racks to add a little extra character to any log home and specialize in creating custom designed pieces to fit any need. Imagine the time and energy involved in each of these items! Each piece is curved and twisted to create a unique piece of art unlike any other. Contact: bentcreekwillow.com or call (256) 891-7347.

#4 Conversation Piece of Furniture

Whether it's a flair for the bright and bold, cha-cha colors from Mexico or the delicate pastels of French décor, something as simple as a vanity may be all the change needed to turn a bathroom into a show-off room that guests will remember. Work-of-art bathroom vanities are trademarks of Ron and Kayren Vinson of Timeless Vanities. They find a bowl that exactly fits the client's desires and set it in a singular frame such as antique cabinetry. Ron and Kayren create one-of-kind designs they know offer customers a bathroom sure to cause a delightful sigh. They have also designed entire bathrooms around their pieces for clients who didn't want to settle for a boring room that looks like a mega-hardware store advertisement.

The Vinsons select their vanities by attending auctions and estate sales (and customers can also provide their own vanity frame). As a multi-talented artisan, Ron has created unusual beauty such as a copper vessel sink on top of an antique sewing machine or a copper sink on top of an old radio box. He even creates sinks in rustic rain barrels. Ron takes great care with all his designs because he believes the antique pieces were a part of somebody's life and should be treated respectfully. Kayren, who has a talent for coordination, selects the just-right faucets and hardware. "But," Ron notes, "sometimes our customers have a different idea in mind, so we occasionally need to change hardware out to suit their tastes." If you're worried about protection from water damage, there's no need. Ron preserves the wooden frames by applying coats of marine grade sealant outside and inside. "I install each vanity and we guarantee our work as long as you own it," Ron promises of his turn-key service. If an antique or rustic vanity frame that a client wants can't be found, Ron builds one, to create exactly what fits the customer's desires. "We want them to love what we do for them," Kayren assures. "And they do." Contact: To view Ron and Kayren's work, visit www.timelessvanities.com, Calhoun Antiques in Calhoun, Georgia or Sycamore Crossing in Blue Ridge, Georgia. For more information, call (678) 986-2379 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

#5 Grilling Pans

There's nothing more tempting than the smell of steaks on the grill, so it's obvious that a part of outdoor home enjoyment in the mountains is cooking out. Unique Kitchens and Accessories adds "accessories" to their name because those things are what make cooking a unique art—that goes big-time for outdoor dining, grilling, and barbecuing. This spring, owners Dianne Dean and Sue Findley recommend grill toppers, which are griddle pans that fit over grates as well as open fire. The non-stick thick-coated porcelain griddle pans allow the chef to cook both meats and vegetables together without food sticking to the pan or pieces falling into the charcoal below. It's a great concept that makes light work for the chef—and the griddle pans are dishwasher safe.

Unique Kitchens & Accessories provides the supplies needed to make outdoor dining easy and fun. The sisters operate their Jasper business at The Villages Shoppes (with a little help from their husbands Larry and Jim). The sisters are glad to design just the perfect gift basket for the outdoor chef so think Father's Day or birthday for Mr. Chef. Contact: 268 Old Federal Road in Jasper, call (706) 253-6600, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit the website at uniquekitchensstore.com.