This is a great time to expand your living space by bringing some of the “inside” out! A home cooked meal somehow tastes better outside, and friends and family members tend to linger longer. Rather than just setting up a picnic table or pulling out the chaise lounge, why not create an additional “room” with comfortable seating, a festive table for entertaining and smaller tables for beverages and snacks?
Just as you might do indoors, you can add accent pillows, candles and glass or ceramic art pieces outside that reflect your personality and lifestyle. When the nights do start to grow shorter again, extra lighting and outdoor heaters can extend our summer days into fall.
Although it’s much more casual outdoors, the principals of designing with intention still hold: including determining how your outdoor space will be used, how your outdoor space will harmonize (or contrast!) with the rest of your house, what your budget allows, and how all the elements will work together.
With the amount of morning dew and precipitation we get in the Northwest, it’s a good habit to tip loose cushions on end so standing water will not sit on seats and drains off easily. It’s always a good idea to bring in cushions and pillows under cover if possible to alleviate any moisture or dirt collection. If you are fortunate enough to have a covered area this is probably not an issue.
An outdoor rug is a great tool for pulling together a unified look for outdoor spaces. Some tips for buying and maintaining outdoor rugs for life in the Pacific Northwest:
- Synthetics are wonderful for maintaining color fastness as well as being designed to hold up to the elements. Many outdoor rugs are designed using such materials specifically developed for outdoor use and clean ability.
- Use colors and patterns that extend your interior space outdoors. I like pumping up the boldness and personality so it will carry the inside out and support a dynamic new living space.
- Most outdoor fabrics are constructed of solution-dyed yarns that will not be altered by a mild bleach and water solution that allows you to clean any of that grungy green that tends to be prolific here.
- For storing outdoor rugs off season, it’s a great idea to clean them prior to rolling up and storing with your outdoor furniture cushions.
I also really like the idea of having a few items that integrate back inside. There is no rule against putting an outdoor rug in an indoor room! Some pieces work beautifully in either environment. A bonus room, for example, could be a great place to put an outdoor rug for use year round.
Come by our showroom at the Seattle Design Center, and see which outdoor rug might work for you!
