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outdoor furniture

Guest Bloggers, OUTDOORS

Choosing the Best Backyard Furniture for Your New Home

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Good luck with your new home! Choosing the right furniture is essential to turning your backyard into a stylish and comfortable outdoor area for recreation and relaxation. Your backyard is an extension of your home; choosing the right elements for it is crucial in creating a space that makes you feel comfortable as well as at peace with your environment. Below, we’ll walk you through some of the choices that most homeowners will have to make for their outdoor spaces and give you a list of considerations to help you make the best decisions for your backyard paradise.

Assessing your Space

It’s important to take a good look at your home’s outdoor areas. First, measure your backyard to get a good idea of how much space you have for any tables, chairs, etc. Note any building features such as patios or decks that may affect how you plan the area. It’s essential to consider furniture placement and ease of movement, as well as how the room can ‘flow’ in a natural appearance before you make any purchases. After initial measurements and planning, you can make more informed choices about how to design your outdoor oasis.

Budget and Sustainability

When furnishing your backyard, it’s important to establish a clear budget during the planning phase to help guide your choices and make the most informed decisions possible. Determine how much your family is willing to invest before you start looking for options so that you can find durable, quality furniture that fits within your price range.

Establishing a Theme

When choosing elements for your backyard, picking the correct theme so that the area comes together in one fashion is essential. Consider your personal style to ensure that any selection suits your household preferences. A good tip for this is to match your backyard furniture to your home’s color plan and design type. This careful approach to setting a theme for your backyard guarantees an aesthetically pleasing and well-integrated design that fits in perfectly with your tastes and your home’s particular style.

Types of Furniture

You can add variety to your outdoor areas by choosing the right kind of furniture. Dining set displays are great for having meals outside, inviting a group-oriented atmosphere. Lounge furniture can create a comfortable and relaxing environment, and different types of seating can meet various needs depending on the size of the family. To create more shaded areas, include structures like pergolas, awnings, or table umbrellas to protect yourself and your guests from the sun and enable more year-round functionality.

Material Matters

The durability and maintenance of your backyard furniture are important considerations. Whenever possible choose weather-resistant materials, so they’ll last for a long time, even in harsh climates. When choosing your design, consider the different types of upkeep needed for wood, metal, plastic, or wicker. Balancing aesthetic appeal with durability is important for pieces that maintain their quality in harsh conditions, and knowing the maintenance required for your particular selections will help keep your backyard looking fresh and increase the lifespan of your patio furniture.

Comfort and Functionality

You can enhance your outdoor experience by focusing on functionality when choosing furniture. There’s a variety of unique options on the market and many pieces have built-in storage space to help with seasonal accessories, such as chair cushions and umbrellas. By combining aesthetics with practical options, your backyard can turn into a comfortable retreat at all times of the year, as well as maintain its appeal in every season.

The Best Patio is One That Fits You

Designing your backyard can be an exciting project that enables you to design an outdoor retreat that’s unique to your style and personality. To better create your outdoor masterpiece, it’s important to take all necessary measurements and space considerations before any initial planning. Making a budget before starting to shop will help you stay on track in terms of affordability and price range, and balancing functionality with style is key to finding the right aesthetic appeal while ensuring affordability and longevity. With careful planning, you can create an amazing backyard space with options that are low-upkeep, long-lasting, and budget-friendly.


By: Katherine Robinson, a writer for National Outdoor Furniture

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HOME DECOR

How to Decorate with Stripes

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Stripes are a classic and even better they can work with any decor style!  If you have read any of our posts, you know that we love a print and mixing patterns.  So if you are thinking of trying out a pattern in your space consider a stripe – it’s very transitional, it come in all scales and colours, too! You can’t go wrong!  Not sure where to add this classic pattern? We have some ideas for you!

Wall treatment

– whether it’s wall paper or a streamlined paint job – try stripe son the wall.  You can get as big and bold as you like in terms of colour and scale – or opt for a classic neutral. It could fill an entire room or just an accent wall.  We also love to layer our patterns, so don’t be shy to add some art, photography and mirrors over your striped wall.

Pillows

– this is an easy addition (or subtraction) in a room.  Adding some printed pillows can completely elevate the look of your room.  There’s just something about a pattern that adds a designer look to a space.  Some of the great things about pillows is that they aren’t permanent, the selection is endless and they are affordable!  On a sofa, side chair, bed – they work everywhere!

Furniture

– this might be an intimidating step for many but trust us!  A stripe furniture piece can really add a WOW factor to a space.  We do recommend sticking with a neutral palette if you are opting for a pattern piece – it’s easier to work with long term as you want to change up your decor.  And for someone that likes neutrals this can add another sophisticated element to your room, mix it with some other patterns and some solid to give it a designer look.

Drapery

– We love what window coverings can do to a space – from a functional side but also a decor side – sure they block the sunlight (or an unpleasant view) but also add a softness and again, visual interest in a room.  Whether it’s panels or roman blinds – we love them both!  This is a great option for a living space, dining room and a bedroom – we love a stripe window treatment in a kids’ room so timeless and it can grow up with them!

Floor covering

– we love area rugs in any room, they add another layer of softness, they are nice on bare feet,  they pull a room together and of course, it’s another opportunity to add some pattern.  Area rugs can be pricey depending on the size and material you choose, so if you are concerned about budget consider a classic pattern like a stripe.  A stripe area rug is a classic (we have said this a few times, but it’s true!).

Outdoor furniture and accessories

– decorating your outdoor living space is no longer boring! There are so many options for furniture, umbrellas and accessories, too.  We love the look of a stripe in an outdoor space, it’s so fresh and clean! Pillows, umbrellas, cushions and even rugs – it’s up to you!

Stripes are everything – fun, classic, fresh, bold, and also soft – it’s all about the colour tones and what you mix them with this print – you can’t go wrong with bringing stripes into your world…

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HOME DECOR, OUTDOORS

How to Add ‘Flare’ to your Patio this Summer

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One of the best things about summer is entertaining outdoors.  We have been cooped up all winter and even on those cooler spring days and evenings – so it is a welcome change to get outside in the warm weather.

 

Summer nights are perfect for having friends over for a BBQ and some drinks but they are also great for quiet nights in as a family or couple. Summer nights are the best! Just because you are outdoors doesn’t means that you are limited to basic patio furniture – there are so many options! You can add decorative touches to make your outdoor living space even more comfortable and inviting.

 

Here are some of our favourite summer outdoor living decorating ideas:

 

Lanterns:

We love the look of lanterns! We even like them for the indoors.  But lanterns are a great way to add some candle light or soft lighting to your space.  Keeping open flames like a candle in a lantern keeps it safe, too.  We like lanterns on the ground but try them on a table top (think dining under the stars) or hung up – they look great every way.

 

 

Outdoor rug:

A rug? Outside? Yes!  It is a great look – it adds some colour and possibly some print and pulls the outdoor living space together. It makes the outdoor area look and feel cozy.  Make sure the rug you get is designed for ‘outdoor use’. An outdoor rug is made of materials that can stand the weather (sun and rain).  An outdoor rug also has a nice ‘foot feel’ – meaning when you stand on it, it feels good on bare feet unlike a concrete, cement or even wood surface, which can all be a bit rough.

 

 

Pillows:

Like the rug – this is a great ‘indoor’ comfort that can be brought outside – just be sure to have pillows in an outdoor safe fabric. There are tons of colour and print options.  Pillows not only add even more comfort to your outdoor seating space but they add some style, too.  Be sure to have an overall colour theme (which includes your rug as well).  Just like decorating the indoors you want consistency with your style. See the image below – the pop of colour is red and orange -so bright and fun even the table top lanterns coordinate with the colour theme.

 

 

Small furniture:

Sure, you have your main pieces for furniture likely a seating area and a dining area but what about small pieces of furniture like coffee tables and side tables? You will want those for surface space.  The garden stool is also a great option if you need some last minute extra seating – they are a perfect multi-purpose piece.  We also look how a garden stool adds some colour and some texture – plus they are easy to clean and in the cooler months – you can use them indoors!

 

Bar cart:

Outdoor entertaining like indoor entertaining needs serving space.  Since you likely won’t have an outdoor kitchen (and if you do have one – you are so lucky!) you need some kind of serving space for food and drink.  We love bar carts (for inside too) for the outdoors.  You don’t have to sacrifice table space (or at least too much table space) when hosting. It’s a perfect piece for serving light snacks and drinks – if you host huge parties and have the space, consider getting 2 carts – one designated for drinks and the other for snacks.

 

 

Lounging:

Who says outdoor furniture can’t be comfortable?! Hoe about some outdoor bean bag chairs? We love the fun patterns, the easy maintenance and the absolute comfort.  Perfect for summer afternoon naps or eating for kids. We are seeing ‘bean bag’ seating more and more in resort spas because it is so comfortable and comfort is king!

 

In the warm summer months, enjoy the outdoors in comfort and with a touch of style!

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