Here in Northeast Ohio, we have only so much time to enjoy pleasant outdoor weather.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a few coveted weeks before and after, we do all that we can under blue skies and starry nights to make the most of the season.

Outdoor living areas are one way we can optimize our time spent outside. From living rooms to kitchens to pools, the evolution of outdoor living enables us to enjoy all the comforts of home in an outdoor setting.

And it’s not just cooking on the grill and sitting at a picnic table. The trend in 2009 is grilling at the out-

door kitchen, eating at the glass-topped table, washing the dishes at the stone island, then relaxing by the fire pit or in the spa.

With decks and patios, outdoor kitchens, spas and swimming pools, Stark Countians are finding out what Floridians and Californians have known and enjoyed for years — that you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Or at least you can watch TV by the fireplace in the comfort of your backyard.

All the comforts of home

Consumers today want their outdoor living space to be an extension of their home.

Design and function are the two biggest concerns, according to Kevin Willaman, of Willaman Landscape and Concrete Design.

“We try to understand the customer’s point of view — what they want from the patio — then design something fluent for them,” he explained.

Sometimes that means an entertainment area, and sometimes it’s a full kitchen.

Most importantly, he said, people want uniqueness — to create an identity with their outdoor living area.

Willaman said they do that with a combination of natural stone, concrete products and wood.

“We can come up with something new every day,” he said.

Kevin Rice, of Rice’s Nursery and Landscaping, said his customers are into fire pits and fireplaces this year.

“They add a lot of visual appeal to the patio area,” he said.

Grill islands still are popular, he said, and can be as simple as a grill with a stone top, or can incorporate a sink, refrigerator and storage.

Something else generating interest this year is the pondless waterfall. Instead of cascading into a basin or pond, the water hits a system of boulders and stone.

“You still get the beauty and sound, but you have less maintenance,” Rice said.

Rice said Ohio is on the tail end of the outdoor trends seen years ago on the coasts. For instance, he is seeing locally more flat-screen televisions moved outdoors under protective overhangs, something done elsewhere for years.

The slow economy may be good for the outdoor contracting business.

Domnick Francis, owner of Lawnworks Lawn and Landscaping, said he is hearing homeowners talk about using tax refunds and vacation savings to improve and enjoy their home instead of to take a trip.

So far this season he also is seeing an increase in interest for fireplaces and fire pits on patios made from brick and pavers rather than stamped concrete.

Relax without the work

If you don’t have a swimming pool or spa because you think the maintenance is too much work, think again.

Rich Zwick, partner at Northeastern Pools and Spas, said pools now are set up to be mostly automated — the pool will monitor and clean itself.

“Robotic pool cleaners are all the rage,” he added, referring to the Roomba-like pool cleaners that roam around the pool on their own.

Automatic covers on pools have been around for years, but just recently have become popular in Stark County.

With these, a key switch or touch pad retracts the pool cover and puts it back when you’re done.

A high-end extra, it is used by about 50 percent of his customers, Zwick said.

“They add considerably to the cost, but the energy savings and safety make it well worth it,” he said.

We also are seeing more salt/chlorine generators, said Zwick, referring to a generator that converts table salt into chlorine, making it unnecessary for pool owners to add chlorine. It’s not a new concept, but one that is becoming more mainstream here.

Another trend in pools is one-piece fiberglass pools. These are built completely at the factory and transported to the home.

Years ago, water features on pools were nonexistent, Zwick said. Now, waterfalls, fountains and infinity edges are the norm. He said homeowners are more likely to build sport pools, which are one depth, than those with a deep and a shallow end. And, because of insurance and liability issues, diving boards no longer are common.

Spas, too, have become maintenance-free.

Tom Colman, HotSprings sales manager, said his product, sold locally at Ohio Pools and Spas, is made for ease, enjoyment and endurance.

“We sell the American dinner table,” he said. “It’s family time, plus it relieves pain, sleeping disorders and diabetes. And what a great place to talk to your wife.”

His spas have covers that go on and off automatically, run quietly — and clean, filter and heat themselves. Trendy extras include waterfalls, lights, music and beautiful stone encasements.

“If you can get in easily, get out and cover it easily, and not smell like chlorine when you get out, you’ll use it every day,” he said.

Life gets easier on deck

Today’s consumers are busy.

They want to relax when they finally catch a moment to get outside on their decks — not have to paint, stain and water seal them.

Decks today need to be maintenance-free, said Tony Wise, of A Wise Construction.

Vinyl and composite products are fast becoming the standard, and the bigger the better.

“Decks are getting larger,” Wise said. “People are becoming more creative in how they design their decks.”

“More creative” means he doesn’t build a lot of square platforms. Built-in extras such as benches, lights, sound systems, hot tubs and outdoor kitchens are trendy, he said.

“It’s really become more than just a deck,” Wise said. “It’s an entire outdoor living area.”

Kevin Deckerd, owner of Decks Limited and Stellar Construction, said his clients want “something the neighbors don’t have.”

“They want a good design and to think outside the box,” he said.

To make decks different, designers are using composite material to make radiuses, or curved decks. With that, they also can bend and curve the rails.

Rails and balusters can be wrought iron and can have tempered glass between the balusters.

Deckerd said using stonework under the deck to make the support system look like stone to match the home is very trendy.

Kim George, at Bugh Construction, believes the value to a home of a maintenance-free vinyl deck and the resale value it adds means the days of building wood decks are just about done.

“Some people are still doing wood,” he said with a chuckle. “I think they’re crazy, but God bless ’em.”

So what’s the next big thing?

“Vinyl took a long time to be accepted,” Deckerd said. “At first, it cost a lot and wasn’t the right look.”

The market for vinyl blossomed in just the last five years, he said, so the next big trend hasn’t made its appearance yet.

He predicts it may be a “green” version of what we already have — possibly a composite product made with maple wood and recycled plastic.