Extend Your Outside-Living Season

by LISA BLAKE

Quiet dewy morning coffee time. A lazy afternoon curled-up reading session. Checkers and lemonade with the grandkids. A lot of life’s best moments take place on the porch. So why not make it a year-round destination?

“Closing in a screened-in porch with drop-down walls easily turns a three-season into a four,” says Doug Saul, co-owner of Advanced, Inc. Awnings & Upholstery. “Put small patio heaters out there and you can sit and enjoy the space comfortably in the middle of winter.”

The Acme, Michigan, biz specializes in high-quality commercial and residential awnings, creative designs and weather load–engineered frames.

Saul points to retractable and drop-down walls to extend the summer porch season well into late fall and beyond. His team uses ultra-durable Serge Ferrari vinyl fabric to create weatherresistant porch walls, providing all the hardware, fittings and tubing needed for ambitious DIYers to complete the project themselves.

“Ferrari is very durable yet nice to look at, it doesn’t look like a tarp,” Saul says. He notes that alternative options like Sunbrella and Naugahyde fabrics wear out and fade faster in the Michigan sun and snow.

Adding resilient roofs, awnings or walls to your screened and non-screened outdoor spaces provides shelter from rain, snow and sun, opening up possibilities for more porch time throughout the year and adding to your home’s livable footprint. Even in the dead of winter.

“Everything we build is snow rated,” Saul says. “Any awning I put on will withstand a snowload and not be a danger to anyone underneath it. People say we overbuild, but I would rather be safe than sorry.”

Here are more tips for extending your porch season and creating a comfy living space that everyone will flock to:

• Choose suitable seasonal furniture. Delicate, artful rattan meshes well with summer, but doesn’t provide the cushy sink-in you’re craving on a crisp late-September evening.

• Use weather-resistant materials. Make sure your flooring, furniture and décor can all withstand Northern Michigan’s extreme hot and cold.

• Add color and texture. Think of this space as an extension of your family room and have fun with the design, calling in colorful rugs, throw pillows, blankets and plants.

• Make it a space for hosting. An easy roll-away bar or corner coffee station mean you can welcome dinner guests to a sunset nightcap or arrange for a cozy book club meet up.

• Install a fireplace or fire pit. Adding a gas fireplace or fire pit to your porch can create a pleasant homey ambiance, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor space on cooler nights.

• Strategically place outdoor heaters. Another way to stay warm is to use small outdoor heating units. Adjustable wallmounted models allow for pivoting with the sun and breeze.

• Incorporate outdoor lighting. Create a soft glow for nighttime porch hangouts. Consider installing string lights or lanterns, or adding recessed lighting to your porch ceiling.

10 Surprising Shed Ideas

by CARLY SIMPSON

You’ve seen tool sheds and she sheds, but what about wellness studios, grandparent suites and movie theaters (yes, in sheds!)? “If you can dream it, we can do it,” says Holly Pahl, who owns Pahl’s Country Store in Buckley with her husband, Dave.

As Holly parks a Kubota UTV alongside the “Highland” shed, their bestseller, Pahl’s official greeters, corgis Oliver and Poppy, hop out and join us inside the 10x16-foot structure. A sweet porch out front and a higher roof pitch are highlights, making it a comfy option for guests staying with you on a weekend getaway or a roomy yoga, meditation and workout space.

Then Oliver and Poppy are on to the next shed, an 8x12foot greenhouse complete with electricity, a thermostat, 12-inch fan and a window—all you have to do is plug it in and get planting. Pahl’s even handles delivery, which is included in the cost.

Pahl’s partners with Weaver Barns, Mid Michigan Barns and North Edge Steel, each offering a variety of building styles and materials for completely customizable sheds, carports, barns and more. Or, choose an already built, ready-to-go design. “The nice thing about going through a dealer like us is that there’s no additional expense, and you’ve always got a person to call if anything goes wrong,” Holly says. “Luckily, we don’t have very many issues. We take great pride in the companies we work with.”

• Home office

• Collectibles shed

• Movie theater

• Music/rehearsal space

• Art studio

• Writing studio

Another perk: an online “3D Shed Builder” lets you virtually try out different siding options, porches, windows, flooring, roofing and colors, plus smaller details like flower boxes and shelves. (Find the tool at pahlscountrystore.com.) Customers can also stop by Pahl’s store in Buckley or one of six display lots in Cadillac, Cedar, Grawn, Honor, Kalkaska and, opening soon, Elk Rapids. Holly has been working at Pahl’s since 2017, and over the years has seen some incredible shed ideas come to life. “We get to do the coolest projects,” she says. “I love it when people come in and say, ‘I want to try this …’” Here, a few of Holly’s favorites:

• Chicken coop: Pahl’s coops come with chicken runs and also have nesting boxes that you can access and clean without going inside.

• Guest quarters/grandparents’ suite: Add a lofted bedroom to maximize your space.

• Wellness shed: Think meditation, yoga, strength training.

• Greenhouse: One customer put a hot tub inside their greenhouse, Holly shares. Talk about hygge.

Whether you head North for vacation or a day trip. Start planning your next adventure on MyNorth.com