The old patio is the new outdoor room.

With house lots shrinking and house prices skyrocketing, it makes a lot of sense to turn every square inch of property into living space, and that’s where the concept of the outdoor room comes in.

”We love it out here,” says Karen Bates, resting one hand on the marble-topped bar table that sits behind a gleaming silver barbecue.

Two young cows galumph across the deep green of a nearby field. Overhead, a red-tailed hawk draws huge circles in the deepening sky. The Cascade Mountains march across the western horizon, providing a stunning backdrop for the splendid sunset. This is a place where one wants to sit and absorb the beauty of Central Oregon.

The west-facing back deck of the home of Karen and her husband, Bob, has been transformed from a scorching place that was mostly usable only in the mornings before the sun hit, to a comfortable living area that the couple uses several months of the year.

”The reason you want an outdoor room is to expand your outdoor season to six to eight months,” says Scott Holmer, owner of Patio World in Bend. ”You can use it from March to November.”

This makes so much sense for Central Oregonians who, on the whole, adore their out-of-doors time. However, Holmer says that while outdoor rooms are ”happening like crazy” in California, the concept is relatively new here.

”What people need to do is start thinking that their deck or patio is an outdoor living room,” he says.

Living rooms have beautiful, comfortable furniture. Rugs. Art. Fireplaces. It’s difficult to envision a space like that outside around here, where it might snow any day of the year.

”You can personalize an outdoor living room just as much as you can your indoor living room,” says Lesa Stewart, who does the buying for Patio World. ”There are so many possibilities.”

She says that outdoor fabric now looks and feels like the fabric on that nice couch inside the house. Gone are the days that a chaise lounge cushion feels like plastic and sticks to the skin. Rather, the new outdoor fabrics boast UV inhibitors to prevent sun fade and are water repellent.

Waterproof fine-art prints are available, as are waterproof rugs. For heat sources – a must for the cool evenings around here – think far beyond the chimenea or rather ugly tall propane heaters. Now there are fire-pit tables that have gas or propane fires burning merrily in the center. According to Stewart, they come in a wide range of styles and shapes, from the traditional table to the bar bistro table.

”You want ambience, and flame gives you that,” says Stewart. ”They also put out a lot of heat.”

The Bateses recently remodeled their Bend home. During the remodel, they had a large trellis put up over the deck, which cut down the sun heat and also defined the space substantially. A large fireplace serves as the visual focal point, and a bubbling water feature nearby adds the soothing liquid sound that most folks love.

There are comfy furniture sets, which provide areas for conversation and reading and relaxing. A suspicious hand tests the feel of the fabric.

Wow. The fabric is soft and fine. It is hard to believe it will withstand the rigorous Central Oregon weather.

”Isn’t it nice?” asks Karen. ”It’s something that actually feels good.”

The couple used materials on the deck that they used indoors: marble, slate, wood. This simple trick makes the outdoor room feel like an extension of their home. There are also outdoor speakers, which allow for a continuous music experience if that is desired.

”You know, we are outside a lot,” says Karen. ”We do a lot of entertaining, and it’s nice to get people out of the house.”

According to the Home and Garden Network, there are four things to consider when designing an outdoor room: water, comfort, natural materials and intimate spaces.

Design an outdoor room in much the same way you would design an indoor living room. Gather furniture into ”conversation pits.” Use plants, especially bright annuals, to both define spaces and add color and warmth to the room. A water feature of some sort, even a beautiful birdbath, adds a peaceful feeling. And think about sheer comfort when pulling the room together: A heat source is important. Safely contained flames add an overall feeling of coziness and provide warmth on cool evenings.

Karen is a believer in the new trend.

”We spend a lot of time out here.”