You know one of the things about the garden home concept that I like so much is that you can take your style inside and move it outside or vice versa. Take for instance a beautiful wicker chair like this. What I like about it is you can use it either way; inside or out and as you can see I put a beautiful fabric on these cushions that really make it pop. You know these chairs are so comfortable that I bet you sat back in the cushion like this when it is been rained on and it is dampened. It is no fun. But you know some of these fabrics are really resistant to weather and to mold. Take for instance, this pillow, what happens when you apply water like this, its just beads up and rolls right off the fabric. It is perfect for using both outdoors and indoors.
I had some fun recently adding some fabrics and furnishings to the garden of a design client. These creamy chartreuse colored chairs with this umbrella fabric look great out against the lush lawn and the stone walls.
You see all of these creates an inviting space for the whole family to get together and play. Now when you are creating outdoor living spaces, there are several things that you would want to consider. Now I do not want to over simplify it but there were two overwriting factors in considering this particular space. One was function, you see, the family wanted to have a lawn that they can enjoy playing on and use that lawn as inspiration for our color theme, another design element. So by using the lush green grass, we chose the color of the chairs and the fabrics from there and it all came together.
Now when the garden was under construction, that really has not been that long ago. We created a good soil base and make sure that the irrigation system was properly installed. That is so important to keep a great looking lawn. Now let me show you another outdoor living space on the same property but this time it is around the pool.
Wow, those girls are really having a lot of fun. Here we have used brown chairs, and some cool blues in the way of fabric. It certainly sets the stage for summer. But in the fall, the nearby outdoor fireplace becomes a gathering place for the entire family and it is warm and cozy with the reds and oranges in the fabrics and the strong wooden chairs.
You know taking some fabric samples into the garden centers, samples for fabric or colors that you are using either inside your home as you look out of the garden or from the garden itself is a good way to much other element for those garden rooms such as the plants you are going to use and maybe the containers they are growing at. When you create your garden room, think of the floor, would that be grass, a chat path, and flagged stones or decking. What will your walls be? A physical structure or an evergreen hedge, or maybe the walls are simply implied by the placement of containers. Then add fabrics, furnishings and accessories.
Now what about a roof for your garden room; some people add awnings, pergolas or other garden structures of actual roofs but there is nothing wrong with just sitting under the canapé of a other three.
If you would like more information on this topic or any other gardening topic, just check out my website, pallensmith.com.
