As soon as
the weather gets nice, we tend to spend more time outdoors, be it at the park,
beach or simply hanging out in our own backyards. And when we decide to
entertain at home during the summer months, it is nice to have a comfortable
place to congregate.
The newest
trend in outdoor entertaining is to create a feeling of comfortable living just
like you have in the interior of your home, (such as: sofas, chairs,
fireplaces, kitchens... you get the idea). The point is to create a space where
everyone can relax.
Gone are the
days of basic picnic tables and ice chests. Ambience is the key.
“So how does
one go about creating this outdoor ambience,” you ask? Well of course if you
have a “zillion” dollars you can afford to buy everything from a beautiful
outdoor patio store and have an amazing outdoor kitchen and fireplace built to
complete the total look. However, for
most of us that is not the case. So, I have put together a few suggestions on how
to pull this look together with little money and some creativity.
DECIDE ON A FLOORPLAN: Just like inside your home, you have
rooms that you place furniture and accessories in and they need to fit the floor
plan to work for the space.
The same applies
for an outside room. Just because there are no walls, you still want to make
your outside area feel cozy. Make a list of all the outdoor furniture you plan
on using and anything that you think you will need to buy. Have all of the
measurements handy so you can see how things will fit without having to
actually move all of the furniture around and around.
Blue painters tape works great as a visual layout tool. Just tape on the ground
where you plan on putting your various pieces of furniture. Stand back and look
to make sure you have plenty of room to move around the furniture. You may want
to create a dining area and a separate sitting area, thus giving your spaces
specific purposes just like a family room and a dining room.
BUILD YOUR WALLS: Once you have decided on your general
floor plan(s), think about how you want to “anchor” the space to make it feel
like an actual room. An easy way to do this is with large potted plants. Use
the pots to “wall off” the room by putting them in each corner. Remember not to block walkways. Also adding
an inexpensive outdoor area rug is a great way to create a “room”. Try to find
a rug that is big enough to fit all of the furniture, an 8’ x 10’ or larger
typically works best. If you need to
escape from the direct sun, using an “easy up” type tent works great for sun
protection, and helps create the feel of a room. Most of these are about 8’ x 10’. See a pattern? Use more than one tent, and you are starting
to create a really nice outdoor entertainment area.
ODDS AND ENDS: Most of us have a collection of patio
furniture and accessories that we have collected over time that probably doesn’t
exactly match - not a problem. To make everything work together, you will want
to choose a color or theme, (tropical, Mediterranean fiesta). Then you can go to
a fabric remnant store, and find yardage to drape over tables and tie on chairs,
(just like slip covers), and wrap fabric around cushions. Another idea is to
make columns of fabric for the corner poles of your tents. This is a fun look. You
can also find some great table cloths or bed sheets on sale that will work
great. Now all of the furniture works together. Just stay with one concept by
using fun patterns and solids in the same color scheme. If you need more
seating, buy the inexpensive plastic chairs, and cover them with the same
fabric. More tables needed? Buy thick sheets of plywood (sand the edges) and
attach legs that you can get for cheap at a warehouse store. Just cover the
table with a tablecloth or paint the table and really make a statement. Need a coffee table? It’s the same idea, just
cut down the legs.
ACCESSORIZE: Find the same or similar candles or
table decorations that can be used on various cocktail and dining tables. Using
the same accessory in different areas helps to tie a look together. Add more
drama to an evening with torches placed on the outskirts of the “rooms.” Add an
outdoor fireplace for warmth on a cool evening. These are not very expensive
and give you a lot of bang for your buck. (As with any open fire, please be
safe and use a fire screen). For the water feature deprived, hide a cd player out
of site under a table or non moving chair and play water sounds. You will also
want to have music playing in the background, but the sound of water always adds
to a relaxing atmosphere. Christmas twinkle lights also add a lot of ambience
for evening. Drape them around your plants for a festive look and hide
extension cords under area rugs.
Hotter
than you know what outside?
An inexpensive way to cool down your space is to purchase some drip line at the
local garden store and hang it from the eves of your house or attach to umbrellas
or where ever you have access to water. Viola! You have instant misters. Just
don’t use it over food areas. The chips will get soggy. Yuck!
Do you have
some great outdoor living space ideas? Send your great ideas and, or pictures
to mnidesign@msn.com and we will print
them in an upcoming issue.
Enjoy your
summer entertaining and don’t forget the sun screen.
Be well, -