Imagine sitting on your deck, kicking back, enjoying the warmth of a summer evening. Sounds pretty great, right? If you want that feeling in January, but aren't willing to fly to Aruba to get it, don't sit around waiting for warmer weather. With the right deck and porch design, the glories of outdoor living can be yours long after temperatures plunge. Here are a few options to consider.

With a deck and porch plan works year round, you'll enjoy your outdoor space all winter long.

Glass It In

For full four-season impact, glassing in your deck or porch is an unbeatable design move. Open the glass windows and doors in warm weather, enjoying a surprising amount of warmth and light during winter. Choose the right glass, and you'll capture solar heat, keeping your energy bill in line. Purchasing a kit for glassing in your deck or porch can make the renovation less expensive, but even if you opt for an original design, the impact on your quality of life makes the extra expense worth it.

Heat It Up

Ever been to one of those restaurants that manages to keep its garden area open long after the season has turned? Their trick: outdoor space heaters. If you want to enjoy honest-to-goodness outdoor living even in cool weather, installing commercial-grade space heaters are key. Space heaters aren't a deck and porch plan that will carry you through truly bitter weather, but they'll definitely extend your season.

Color it Right

To enjoy outdoor living year round, consider bringing your deck and porch design indoors. Those light, airy colors and slim furniture designs can work just as well inside. You may not feel the breeze on your skin mid-January, but with summery designs, you can almost imagine that you are.

Outdoor living doesn't have to end with summer. Try these deck and porch design options, and you'll enjoy light and warmth year round.

About the Author
Dawn West teaches writing at Oregon State University. Her previous experience includes working for the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, a not-for-profit in New York City, and serving as the director for an educational program for at-risk youth in Boston. Dawn holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University.