Furnishing the Great Outdoors

The forecast for the next week is going to be gloomy, wet, and rainy but that isn't stopping me from imagining warmer days ahead! We had a BBQ over the weekend but spent most of the time indoors because of the weather. I have been longing for warmer weather and since it should arrive any day now, I am looking forward to spending lots of quality time outside. The benefit of buying an older home is that the landscaping has had a chance to mature and grow. In all but winter time, the leafy branches on the trees along the backyard create a delicate screen that provides us a lot of privacy from the neighbors behind us.

In order to enjoy the yard though, we do need a bit of furnishing. I'm sure that most people by now have heard of the design concept of "bringing in the outdoors" via plants or similarly hued colors. Our house has plenty of houseplants now...in the living room alone, we have one tree that is taller than I am, one palm, and seven varieties of houseplants. Even when we decided to do an indoor wedding, I still found a way to bring in plenty of chiffon draping and real trees decorated with fresh orchids.

A twist to bringing in the outdoors is to create rooms in the outdoors. The thought occurred to me during our multiple wedding planning brainstorms. I loved the plush outdoor "lounges" created by cascading filmy fabric on canopies and fancy sofas and chaises that were all the rage for weddings. Now, I am starting to see outdoor "rooms". Wouldn't this be an absolutely lovely place to sit and read on a warm summer afternoon? Or having friends over for an evening of cocktails and 'smores?



It looks like all they did was add some fabric and colorful accents to turn an ordinary covered patio into something exotic and alluring. The illusion french doors and windows were pure genius.


This picture is of a Portland porch. Again, a little bit of fabric and thoughtful furnishings went a long way into making this a cozy retreat. What a great place to sit and have afternoon tea!



For something super simple and festive, why not stake some bamboo poles into the grass ( or in pails filled with concrete) and drape fabric over it for an instant tent? Add in colorful print tablecloth for a much cuter and more comfortable way to picnic in the backyard. No more numb legs from sitting or sunburn from overhead!

(source for pics)

All in good time :) Probably not this summer unless I score some killer deals but someday.