Designing Your Great Outdoors

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Guest Posts, Janet Majors, The Great Outdoors

Tags

awning, budget, colors, design, fabrics, gazebo, landscaping, natural sound barrier, outdoor space, outdoors, patio, seating, space, trellis, umbrella, water feature

Whether you live in a house, condo, or an apartment, you probably have some outdoor space. From a lush but boring lawn to a barren balcony, you probably have something. However, knowing how to spruce up that space can be challenging. Especially if you’re limited in terms of actual square footage or money. Here are some tips:

Come up with a plan.
Whenever you simply begin throwing paint around or purchasing furniture and accessories without any thing more than a vague vision in your mind, you run the risk of ending up with a space that embodies the term hodge-podge. This goes for an indoor and an outdoor space. Before you get down to the nitty gritty, take some time to think it through. Come up with a clear image of what you want the space to look like. Do some research into materials, prices, and the like. Having a plan will ensure you get the gorgeous outdoor area you deserve.

When you’re planning, consider what you want to get out of the space.
Do you want your outdoor space to be an area for partying the night away or an outdoor retreat for relaxation? Knowing what you want to get out of the space will help you design it properly. For example, if you want to relax rich, comfortable fabrics and materials will be ideal while if you want to entertain you’ll want to make sure to have plenty of seating.

Photo Credit: Amy Kimball Events

Take into account the elements.
When planning your outdoor space you’ll want to think about how much sun, wind, and water the area is regularly exposed to. If you get a lot of sun you’ll want to make sure all the materials are fade resistant so your space won’t look dull after just a season or two. In addition, you’ll want to find ways to work in shade such as an umbrella, gazebo, awning, or trellis. If you live a rainy area you want to make sure all of the materials you use are mold, mildew, and rust resistant and possibly consider screening in part or all of the space to make it more usable. If you have your fair share of wind you’ll want to make sure your accessories and furniture are weighted down. For example, get cushions that actually tie to the chairs to keep them from blowing around.

Think about the neighborhood.
Another important element to consider when designing your outdoor space is the noise level. Do you live next to a busy road? Do you have noisy neighbors? If noise is a concern there are a couple of things you can do. One, use landscaping to act as a natural sound barrier – trees are great for this. Two, install a water feature because the sound of running water will act as white noise and drown out other (less pleasant) sounds.

Photo Credit: Rocky Mountain Rock and Trucking

Don’t be afraid to get creative.
Your outdoor space is an extension of your indoor space and should express your personal tastes. Use colors and textures that you enjoy. Outdoor materials including furniture and area rugs come in a wide variety of patterns and colors. If you can’t find the exact shade your looking for, many materials (ex. wicker) can be painted or spray painted.

Photo Credit: Houzz

Getting creative is especially important if you’re working on a limited budget, with a small space, or with a rented space. For example, if you rent, you may not have electrical outlets in your outdoor space and because you rent, you may not be permitted to add them. Luckily, there are a variety of lighting fixtures and options that run on batteries alone.

If you are dealing with a small space, you’ll want to get furniture that serves multiple purposes such as an ottoman that can serve as an extra seat or with a lid that flips over to make a coffee table. Furniture pieces with casters are great too because they allow you to move things around to fit different purposes. Casters come in all different styles and colors so don’t worry about them looking too industrial or utilitarian; here are some great caster options. All in all, just remember that when you run into an obstacle, don’t give up – just think outside the box.

Photo Credit: Decoration Trend

Put natural features to good use.
Before you start constructing your outdoor space, take a good look at the natural features the space offers. Sometimes brining in a second (or even third) pair of eyes can help you spot things you’ve overlooked or grown accustomed to. For instance, a hill or raised area can be an excellent place for seating or a gazebo because it offers a good view of the rest of the space. A tree can serve as natural shade or an extended tree branch can be used to hang a chandelier from.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

Keep your budget in mind.
Know what your budget is from the beginning. There are things you can do to keep your costs down. For example, buy patio furniture in the off season when stores are offering great clearance deals. In addition, you can do some landscaping (ex. mowing the lawn) yourself. Another idea is to build your outdoor space in stages rather than doing it all in once. For instance, maybe the first season you do some major landscaping, the next you purchase one or two pieces of furniture, and the third season you purchase a few more items.

Written by Janet Majors

Guest Post: Texture and the Color Red Used in the Bedroom

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Guest Posts, The Home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bedroom, bedroom decor, blinds, color, curtains, decor, drapes, fabrics, flowers, harlequin, house of frasier, lighting, linea, linen, linens, london, pillows, red, sanderson, texture, toile, vases

This is The Design Inspirationalist’s first guest post, written by Michael Turner, an enthusiast in home improvement, technology and design. Enjoy!

Bedroom decor is a challenge in itself, aimed at creating an interesting yet relaxing ambience at the same. The play of color, texture, and lighting will all have to be precisely balanced to set just the right atmosphere of calm and intimacy, neither too minimalist nor too ornamental. Muted shades of color, diffused lighting, and soft textured fabrics characterise the ideal decor of the bedroom. How exactly does a bold color such as red, fit into this picture without really being loud? Red does make the space more attractive when used in discrete splashes and unique textures.

Shades of Red

Different shades of the basic red color can be used either by themselves or in combination with other shades of orange, yellow, white or beige to simply break the monotony of an otherwise vibrant color. Patterned or differently textured quilts, headboards, and wall papers spruce up the space to make it more interesting. It is certainly not advisable to paint all the walls red, unless one is confident of toning down the color by alternative design ideas.

Decorative Pieces

Red colored vases, flowers, designer lamp fixtures with shades of red all add to the glamour of the room. The placement of decorative objects and the lighting will have to be carefully planned to avoid a sense of clutter.

Blinds and Drapes

Delicate or heavy blinds, drapes or curtains, either patterned or plain ensure privacy of the space while also adding to the intimacy of the setting, especially when in shades of red. Choice of fabric serves to accentuate the atmosphere.

Bedding

Beds and bed linen obviously form the focal point of the room and hence it is essential to choose the right shade of red, and preferably a luxurious texture such as silk or micro suede for the linen. Personal preferences on the texture, prints and styles play an important role in the selection of bed linen.

A comfortable array of throws and pillows, ideally of different shades of red or other complimentary colors add a neat yet cozy look to the bed. Pillows of different shapes and sizes add variety to the space, and pillow covers made from fabrics such as paisley, velvet or chenille too can serve to incorporate texture variations to the setting.

Traditional yet simple wooden bed frames, or wrought iron frames and sleek furniture pieces compliment the looks of a bedroom that showcases red as the predominant color.

Red, though a bold color, is indicative of energy and vigour and when used intelligently in a bedroom setting can make the space relaxing and exciting. Feng Sui also favors the use of red in bedroom decor as it is considered a symbol of energy, passion, luxury and richness, representative of the power of fire, which has both positive and negative impacts. However, it warns against an overdose of red because it can cause restlessness and anger, disturbing the calm of an otherwise intimate space.

Experiment with red decor in the bedroom by using simple decorative pieces and move on to more elaborate use of the color only when it improves the ambience.