Garden Style

Whether your outdoor room is acres and acres of grass or just a corner of your patio, make it special with a variety of furnishings and accessories.

Garden inspired furnishings should have an airy quality about them, but should also remain comfortable. Outfit wrought iron chairs with plump cushions and pillows. Mix upholstered pieces in with weathered wicker. A garden bench makes a wonderful banquette in a kitchen or dining room. You can mix found treasures and cast-offs with regular furnishings – a classic garden style formula. No need to re-do gently distressed pieces, just clean them up a bit and let their aged-patina shine through.

Large planting pots and urns can be transformed into accent tables with a simple glass round. Display vintage garden tools with framed seed packets as an interesting wall collage. Architectural elements and garden statuary can stand in as fine art or as a backdrop to other decorative pieces.

Chill Out

Chill out this summer with these fabulous finds... The rattan wrapped carafe and glasses will look cool and stylish in any setting and will update your table when entertaining this summer. Find them at Smith and Hawkin.

This inspires one of my favorite looks for the summer... to get that "Out of Africa" adventurous, elegant, yet casual look mix the rough-hewn, the tactile and the refined together.

You can find a similar canopy at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Add a tribal looking rug, some crisp white linens and some aged silver and you have the beginnings of a beautiful room.