With summertime in full swing, it’s a great time to focus on reviving your outdoor space, especially your patio or deck if you plan on doing any entertaining. While other parts of your home’s exterior also need attention, this spot is where you and your guests will gather. And between ice, snow, rain, and whatever else Mother Nature might have hit it with, it’s likely a little worse for wear in winter and spring. But it’s never too late to give this area some extra care, ensuring that you’ll enjoy itto the fullest the rest of the year.
Whether your outdoor structure is made of wood, concrete, or composite, it’s important to give it a cleaning at least once a year. Mildew, algae, and grime may build up quicker than you think, especially in shaded or damp areas. Left unchecked, they can make the surface slippery and dull and even lead to decay. If you haven’t done so already, dedicate a day to clearing off any furniture, sweeping away debris, and rinsing the surface with a hose. If it needs a deeper clean, use a pressure washer on a low setting or a scrub brush and a solution made for your specific material. Just be careful not to damage wood grain or paver grout, for example, by using the wrong setting or cleaner.
While you’re cleaning, keep an eye out for damage that may have developed over the last year. In a wooden deck, look for loose nails or screws, warped boards, and signs of rot. To ensure safety, fix any wobbly railings or unstable steps immediately. For a patio, check for cracks or chips that could worsen if left alone. Small ones can often be repaired with a ready-mix concrete patch, while larger issues may require professional attention.
Most patios and decks need refinishing every one to three years, though the exact timing depends on factors like sun exposure, weather, and foot traffic. To see if yours is due, try this quick test: Sprinkle a little water on the surface. If the liquid soaks in instead of beading up, it’s time for a fresh treatment. Before you start, choose several dry days before and after application, and check your product’s instructions for recommended cure times, especially considering the summer heat. In some cases, you may also need to sand or brighten any wood before moving forward.
After prepping the surface and repairing any damage, apply a high-quality sealant or stain designed for your specific material. This will not only revive the color but also protect against moisture, UV damage, cracking, warping, and splintering, helping it look great and last longer.
Once the area is clean and secure, take a few extra steps to turn it into a structure you’ll actually want to spend time on. The best setup depends on how you plan to use it. If outdoor entertaining is on the agenda, think about adding a dedicated prep station for grilling or serving. Prefer quiet mornings with a cup of coffee? A bistro table and a pair of comfortable chairs might be all you need. Adding planters, string lights, or an outdoor rug can also go a long way in making the ambience feel welcoming.
No matter how you choose to style it, giving your outdoor space the attention it deserves will pay off in both durability and beauty. Proper maintenance and thoughtful planning can transform your deck or patio into a favorite gathering place and help you enjoy every minute of the warmer months ahead.
The Hamptons is one of America’s most beloved beach destinations. But if you can’t make the trip to this northeast escape, don’t fret. Visit the seaside with these delectable recipes from The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History cookbook. From a warm, soft breakfast dish to a bright and zesty dessert, these foods are sure to make any summer day a breeze.
The perfect balance of warm spices and comforting vanilla enhances a classic comfort food.
With fresh fruit and a buttery crust, this dessert tastes like summer and pairs well with ice cream.
Recipes excerpted from The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History by Ricky Lauren. Rizzoli New York, 2025. Photography by Anne Stratton.
I love to start my family’s day at the beach with this lovely, warm, delicious breakfast. If I can sell seconds to them, then I am the Queen of the Kitchen! I use an egg challah. I cut it 1 inch thick and as much on the diagonal as possible to get the largest slices. French toast is best when it’s crispy and golden on the outside and rich and custardy on the inside. The trick is for the bread to soak up the maximum egg mixture without falling apart in the pan. I love the smell of the vanilla and the sound of bread frying. Top it with cinnamon or powdered sugar, then berries on top for the visual effect after plating. You may also present this with grape jelly, strawberry preserves, a “honey bear,” and a bowl of cinnamon sugar on the side.
Serves 6
Aunt Susan and I went blueberry-picking together with our young children in Amagansett. We decided to have a contest to see which team could pick the most berries. The smushed ones did not count. We had so much fun that we all forgot who won! I still remember how much we laughed. This crisp always reminds me of that magical day.
Serves 6
Indiana-based interior designer Susan Yeley discusses how she made a cozy yet dated home more functional and contemporary for a Bloomington family.
Was your path to design straightforward?
It was more of a beautiful zigzag. I was a dual English/Spanish major in college and went to graduate school at the University of Chicago for philosophy and religion. While doing the latter, I accepted an unpaid internship at the Merchandise Mart, a furniture-and-fabric showroom, just to see what the design world was about. Soon after, I switched from U of C to the Harrington Institute of Interior Design. I eventually took a job at a high-end residential firm in Chicago before moving back to Bloomington and gradually starting my own.
You use the term “Bloomerangs” to describe Bloomington natives who return to the area. What makes these particular Bloomerang homeowners unique?
First and foremost, they’re easygoing people you’d want to be friends with. I like to call them unicorn clients because they’re very trusting of designers’ expertise yet also bring great taste and a sense of fun, wanting their spaces to be interesting.
This house belonged to friends of the wife’s family; she remembers going there as a child. She and her husband were living in New York but wanted a home base here to be closer to loved ones. The job itself took a few years: they weren’t initially planning on doing any extensive architectural changes, but as we delved in, we saw possibility! It was a privilege to tackle their entire home, and it gave us the opportunity to make the color palettes and materials cohesive. As a result, the rooms flow together, adding a whole other level of joyfulness. It was a terrific collaboration overall; I really feel as if we were gifted these clients.
Was it challenging to balance the old with the new, especially considering the wife’s history with the house?
Actually, it was fun trying to figure out how to maintain its history while also making it livable and functional in the 2020s. After all, we live differently than people did in the midcentury. We’re more casual, for instance, and are willing to admit that we clean and cook.
Regarding the latter, the house had a terrific little breakfast nook, but the kitchen itself was small—just a place where one person could make dinner and then take it out to the dining room. These folks love to cook and entertain, so we expanded the kitchen footprint into the breakfast nook and, as hard as it was to give the nook up, opened it all up into the hallway behind it.
The living room really stands out. What steps did you take to modernize it?
We took down the existing paneling that was on many of the house’s walls and replaced it with new white oak paneling, which is seen around the whole perimeter of the living room. The original was quintessentially midcentury but not great quality. We carefully laid out numbered panels that had to be installed in chronological order because the grain was continuous. That was a bit tricky, but it turned out beautifully. We also added windows to augment the connection to the outdoors, a very important element of midcentury residential architecture.
As far as the furniture, the couch is distinctive because it’s angled, featuring a custom-designed wedge that gets a little wider as it extends toward the fireplace so people can put their feet up. Fortunately, these clients didn’t want a TV in the room, allowing us to leave the fireplace as is and make the space conversation focused.
You mentioned light, which is ample throughout. How did it inform your design decisions?
We can’t get enough light! That said, light is actually one of the worst things for your textiles; it fades upholstery. In the living room, the angled windows adjacent to the fireplace face south, allowing sunlight to pour into the space, which is wonderful, but we had to put a light-filtering film on them. The painting above the fireplace is a pastel, so we also enclosed it in museum-level glass for protection. Similar considerations were made for the art in the bathrooms, not only because of the light but also the humidity.
The main bedroom has tremendous height, yet it seems very comforting. Would you explain how you achieved that?
You nailed the problem: no one wants a bedroom that makes them feel like they’re in the Library of Congress lobby. We kept this room’s shell but gutted the rest and added the windows, which mimic the originals in the living room. The armoires along the wall have loads of storage space but only go up eight feet, which brings the eye down. The paneling on the walls also adds a warm touch, making the space feel not quite so grand and lofty while evoking cozy midcentury vibes.
Tell us how you went about updating the basement:
Much of our town is built on limestone, so basements here tend to get wet. But these clients ensured that theirs was dry and clean, making it easy for us to create a beautiful and useful space for them there. We installed new custom stairs and shelving and, because the husband works in film, added a comfy sofa and a huge screen back in the dark interior. We also wanted it to be an extra space for visitors to stay, hence the white pullout sofa from Clad Home and full-sized tulip table, which can be pulled over for eating breakfast or having a cup of tea away from the chaos that might be happening in the kitchen. Overall, it turned into a great little underground living space. I don’t always like underground living, but this is a basement I’d want to hang out in!
You’ve said that you value understated luxury. Would you elaborate?
One of my favorite things about doing design in this part of the country is the accessibility that many people here want their homes to have, which reflects shared Midwestern values and is present regardless of a client’s financial situation or taste. This house has a beautiful architectural line, but you can’t tell from the street how luxurious it is or the level of craftsmanship that went into the design. That was intentional, but the modesty is deceptive: every inch of this house was designed to be perfect, if understated. There’s a thoughtfulness in this kind of work—we are really artistic and purposeful but don’t necessarily want to shout it from the rooftops. This quality may not be unique to the Midwest, but it’s certainly common here.
2025 marked your firm’s twenty-year anniversary. What does that mean to you?
It’s still fun work to do, and I don’t just mean the design. When you own your own company, you do a little bit of everything: shopping, designing, marketing, networking, finances, etc. But I also get to interact with all kinds of people, from my incredible team to our clients, contractors, tradespeople, artisans, and makers. It continues to be very satisfying for me to work with homeowners and feel the impact our art makes in their lives.
For more info, visit susanyeleyhomes.com
Are you looking to enjoy a unique adventure this summer that won’t break the bank? Consider hitting the open road in a recreational vehicle! By cruising in a comfortable RV, you can see all that the United States has to offer while avoiding pricey airfare and lodging. Discover the pluses of renting one along with some best practices for ensuring an unforgettable getaway.
For many, the idea of renting an RV may be intimidating, whether due to the process’s apparent complexity or the vehicle’s larger size. However, it can be the perfect solution for whatever vacation you might be envisioning. For one, you can take it virtually anywhere in the country. With RV campsites in every state, it’s easy to get within steps of your destination no matter the time of year. Park your rig in Las Vegas for easy access to all sorts of entertainment, stay on amusement park grounds at the Fort Wilderness Resort right outside Walt Disney World in Florida, or even take a tour of several national parks on one big road trip, experiencing all the wonders nature has to offer.
Furthermore, an RV may provide immense convenience, helping to reduce a lot of the stress that can come with planning and budgeting for a getaway. Looking to do a multistop vacation with friends or family members and don’t mind close quarters? Rent an RV with several sleeping areas to avoid the hassle and cost of booking various hotel rooms. And if you want to bring a pet, many large RV rental companies like Cruise America permit you to do so for no additional charge.
On top of that are the comfort-focused amenities many RV options offer. With a kitchen, a bathroom, and electricity, you can spend the day hiking through a forest or exploring a city and then retreat to your air-conditioned or heated RV to clean off and cook up a delicious, low-cost meal. Afterward, you can crawl into bed to dream of other amazing spots to visit. Besides all the other perks, this type of travel also comes with enticing flexibility, allowing you to easily pack up and head off to wherever the whim hits.
For your first trip, you may want to consider renting a Class B or C vehicle. The former is about the size of a van, making it compact and fuel efficient, while the latter is akin to driving a truck, typically featuring a bunk area over the cab for extra sleeping or storage space. Neither type is overly difficult to drive, and each may have all the features and room you need, including a kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping areas; some can even sleep up to eight people. Renting a Class B or C RV will generally cost you about $100 to $400 a night, depending on its age and size.
Another option you could consider is a Class A vehicle, though this isn’t often an ideal choice for newbies since these are much larger and heavier and drive like a bus, making them more difficult to maneuver. Or you could go with a towable RV, such as a pop-up camper or teardrop trailer. Just keep in mind that you’d have to hitch it to another vehicle to transport it, so you’ll want to make sure that yours is equipped to handle that.
There are two main ways you can rent an RV: connect with a private owner through a website like RVshare, which may give you access to more quirky and customized vehicles, or go with a large company like Cruise America for a consistent, reliable rental experience. In addition, consider your pick-up and return choices. For instance, you could have your vehicle delivered directly to your campsite so you can don’t have to drive it or opt for a one-way rental if you’d prefer to take another mode of transportation home. Not all rentals offer every option, though, so always do your research before making your final decision.
The key to avoiding hiccups on your trip is to plan it carefully. To start, you’ll need a driver’s license to operate an RV, which in most cases will suffice. However, you may need to earn a specialized license and complete a safety course if your vehicle is over 26,000 pounds or longer than forty feet, as is often the case for Class A RVs—another reason to go smaller with a Class B or C. Check your state’s regulations ahead of choosing your vehicle to verify its requirements.
In addition, make sure to build your budget carefully, factoring in any other fees outside your rental expenses. For instance, rental insurance costs an average of $15 to $30 per day, while campground fees may range from as low as $20 to over $100 a night depending on the season, location, and amenities, including hookups for electricity and water. You may also want to consider forking over the extra $50 to $150 to have your RV’s wastewater disposed of at the end of your journey; otherwise, you’ll have to dump it yourself. Some other basics to assess include fees per miles driven, a post-trip cleaning charge, and, of course, fuel.
Finally, be sure to map out your route and stops in advance. Besides fuel efficiency, you’ll need to consider road width and overhead clearances to ensure that you don’t have a mishap as you travel. Further, campsites can fill up early at some popular destinations and may not accommodate all types of RVs or have every feature you desire, so make sure to look at all the details and reserve your reservations well before your departure date.
No matter where you roam, renting an RV can make for a thrilling vacation. Start planning yours today so you can soon make new memories traveling cross-country or enjoying the great outdoors.
Purchase an America the Beautiful annual pass, and get access to the vast National Park System, featuring 433 individual park sites, for less than $100 a year.
For the adventurer:
Yosemite National Park (California)
Ideal for thrill seekers who love hiking, rock climbing, and breathtaking vistas.
For the history buff
Yellowstone National Park (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming)
America’s first national park, with geothermal features and a rich history.
For the nature lover:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina/Tennessee)
Offers scenic drives, diverse wildlife, and tranquil forests.
For the photographer:
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Iconic landscapes and incredible sunrises and sunsets.
For the solitude seeker:
Glacier National Park (Montana)
Remote beauty, fewer crowds, and serene mountain views.
