 Creating the perfect outdoors Luxury Outdoor Furniture: If you live in a warm climate, the impending cooler months don't send bone chilling shivers down your spine. It means your outdoor living furniture gets much more mileage than for cold weather dwellers. Four season porches also mean year-round enjoyment of outdoor living spaces. Today, outdoor living is a design category all its own, so if you're tempted to throw any old patio set out back, you might want to consider all of the options available. With a well put-together outdoor space you not only impress your friends and neighbors, you can maximize your living space with a comfortable and luxurious area to relax, entertain, recreate and dine. Wondering how to best use your outdoor room or patio? First, think about the space you have to work with and your lifestyle. Do you want to create a seamless flow between your indoor and outdoor spaces using complimentary design elements? Do you want a purposeful patio that you turn into another living area with comfy couches, chairs and tables, maybe a meditation zone or outdoor kitchen? You could make a statement and bring a patio to life with a colorful umbrella or throw pillows.
Planning an outdoor area:
Here are some ideas for planning an outdoor area from Ann Sundet, an Allied ASID interior designer who has appeared on national home decorating television programs, and is a product manager for Homecrest, a company that has made outdoor furniture for 50 years.
Be consistent with quality:
Your outdoor furnishings should be compatible with the overall quality of your home and landscape. "If you're investing in a major landscape project, include furniture in the planning and budget process to help showcase the finished space and enhance your enjoyment of it," Sundet advised.
Design by spaces: Design your outdoor spaces to match your lifestyle. If you entertain frequently, you'll want lots of seating like chat chairs and tables for intimate conversations. If you have kids bar height tables and chairs work well in poolside areas to facilitate a bird's eye view over young swimmers. Reclining lounge chairs are ideal for R&R spaces.
Break out of beige mode:
Color is in. Incorporate a dash of vibrancy with colorful throw pillows or blankets. Mix solid upholsteries with stripes, florals or patterns. Consider red or blue frame finishes for added flair. Buy a striped umbrella and cover each chair in different coordinating colors. The Homecrest Index Design Center, available at stores that carry Homecrest products, simplifies the customization process so you can design spaces that reflect your unique style.
Sit soft and pretty: Many new outdoor furniture collections feature deep, soft, cushions with decorative detailing. They closely resemble interior living room furniture but are technically designed to withstand the elements and dry quickly.
Top it off with stone: Granite, marble, tile and faux stone are among the many stylish tabletop options now available to address the growing demand for beautiful, natural-looking surfaces that coordinate with the home's interior stone surfaces.
The latest Homecrest collections reflect all of these trends, highlighted by detailed frame designs and fashionable finishes, stylish and comfortable cushion seating options, and an array of natural and faux stone tabletops. You'll find something to fit your lifestyle in their Family Collection, Natural Spa or Urban Oasis collection. Visit www.homecrest.com.
For LxM Amy Covington
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See Listings for:Home Décor
POSTED:
Wednesday Sep. 6th, 2006
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