Décor Done Right

The Perfect Oasis

Outdoor living should be easy.  Designing it should be, too.   Sometimes, it’s as easy as a few clicks.

My inbox dings, and there it is in bold letters with a pretty background.  “Email exclusive.  30% off Everything!  Flash Sale!  Starts NOW!”  My heart palpitates.  My cheeks feel hot.  I feel alive!  They have everything. On Sale.  EVERYTHING! ON SALE!  They never go on sale. They are my favorite retailer and I want it all!  A whole new, complete outdoor get-up!

Although we stay in the city during the summer, we spend much of our time in our cozy backyard and love enjoying our meals outdoors. So perhaps a new outdoor dining set would be a perfect summer enhancement.  Oh, and a new market umbrella.  I always wanted one that looks like its from the beaches of Capri or Postiano.  But they have cute canopies, too!  A canopy really makes the deck cozy, like a little room.  There are some open all around and some with panels for privacy.  The standard panels offered are not so bad.  They offer shade- such a brilliant idea.  I could always splurge a little on custom, right?  Whichever I choose, of course, must be waterproof, sunroof, fade-proof.  I want all the proof that we are going to enjoy every minute of summer outside in our little Brooklyn oasis.

I go to the website menu and look at their collection.  It is amazing how many looks there are to choose from. Just choosing one could take the entire summer.  Like indoor furnishings, there is modern, traditional, and middle-man transitional.  There is an interesting non-traditional gray wrought iron set, and yet a sleek white powder coated metal set that catches my eye, too.  I love the lattice pattern- it looks so southern in style and I can just imagine sipping ice tea or a mint julep!

Teak is always in fashion, but it carries a heftier price tag; since we use it only a few months out of the year, there is no need to splurge on everything for the outdoors.  There are less expensive wood options, too,   perfect for a concrete patio that needs some warmth.

Next, I contemplate if we want cushioned seats or not.  A thicker and heavier the cushion costs quite a bit more than something flatter, but if we get to sit for hours and hours like I plan to, it may be worth it to splurge for comfort.  I spy cute accent tables in all sorts of finishes.   There are ceramic, metal, glass-top and mosaic, oh my!  Accent pieces that don’t do more than holding an icy beverage should not break the bank!   I then look for cute lanterns and candle holders.  They are going to be outside in the elements, so I should not waste too much of my budget here, either.

A nice area rug will provide an instant facelift.  There are so many gorgeous designs to choose from!  Some have a cabana vibe, some look perfect for the Hamptons.  I find one that we can put in the sukkah.  (A designer is always looking ahead!)  The fact that I can hose down an outdoor carpet makes the splurge all the more worth it!

An outdoor space would not be complete without adequate lighting.   For years my husband I made our own outdoor lighting fixtures because we wanted something that looked like it was for the inside of the house.  Now, outdoor lighting is exactly that.   Outdoor ceiling fans have become the rage and while a splurge, I said I want to make it enjoyable for us to spend a lot of time out here.   String lights add charm and a few strings may be all the light we need, since we have outdoor sconces on the house already.  The hardest part is choosing from colored glass to spheres or Edison-style bulbs or the ones like those in outdoor Parisian cafes?

I can already envision the perfect oasis that our backyard will be.