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Take the indoors outside
With summer finally here, it's a great time to enhance
and enjoy your outdoor living space. Think of your
porch or patio as an extension of your home. To provide
continuity, carry your color scheme outdoors. For example,
in my kitchen I have a cobalt blue tile backsplash.
I've brought the blue outside with large blue pots
of flowers. I've also repeated my kitchen color scheme
outdoors with plastic dishware and table linens.
As you decorate your patio, arrange furniture as you
would indoors. For instance, think of your large rectangular
patio as if it were a living room/dining room combination.
Arrange a sitting area on one side, with a dining area
on the other side. Add cushions and pillows for comfort
and color. Your sitting area could be an outdoor sofa
and loveseat, or try a grouping of several chairs surrounding
a fire pit.
You may also want to create a quiet reading area separate
from the living area. Arrange a comfortable lounge
chair and table, perfect for curling up with a glass
of iced tea and a good novel.
Incorporate a storage area outdoors to make storing
the cushions and pillows convenient. A large trunk
can serve as storage and also as an additional serving
table for parties. Or you can create space in a shed
or in your garage.
Lighting can give this space a warm glow in the evening.
Try a hanging light fixture or a "candelier" above
the dining table. Or how about strings of tiny white
Christmas lights? Now you can even find table and floor
lamps specially designed for outdoor use. Line a walkway
with votive candles in sturdy glass containers or metal
pails.
Consider adding drapery treatments to your patio for
warmth, color, softness and privacy. There are many
attractive water- and fade-resistant fabrics now that
are specially made for outdoor use. These fabrics can
also be used to make coordinating cushions, pillows
or table linens.
For ambience, nothing beats a water feature. You can
find tabletop fountains, wall-mounted fountains and
freestanding fountains in a wide variety of styles
and materials. Listening to the sound of trickling
water will be instantly relaxing.
Art and accessories add a wonderful personal touch
to your outdoor living space. A large exterior wall
is a great spot for a painted mural or metal wall art.
A sculpture or gazing ball can be a beautiful focal
point in a prominent corner of your garden. A long
stretch of fence can provide the perfect spot for a
collection of birdhouses or colorful ceramic platters.
With some imagination, your patio may become the best
room in the house.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on July 9, 2005.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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