Thursday

The most requested room to design at the moment has no walls!  Pick up any catalog or magazine and you will see what I am talking about.  The big trend now is all about outdoor living.  There are so many options when it comes to outdoor furniture, rugs and even art.  Last month, I did an outdoor makeover for the Tyra show.  We took a patio of a condo and created an outdoor retreat for lounging and dining for $1,000.  The show will re-run again soon - I’ll be sure to post the air dates.

Tyra asked me to surprise Jessica with a summer outdoor makeover.

Before and After We created a lounge area with a futon covered in outdoor fabric and outdoor pillows.  To soften the hard edges of the walls, I placed large plants in front of outdoor sheers.

Before and After Opposite the lounge area is a dining area.  I re-used Jessica’s existing table but cut 6” off of the legs so that the ottomans could work to create a casual dining experience.  By using ottomans, we were also able to provide for more flexible seating.  Also, the slipcovers on the ottos are washable and weather resistant.  To add a big splash of color, I purchased 12 pieces of the same piece of art (each piece was on sale at IKEA for $2), sealed them with marine varnish and hung them close together to create a larger art piece.  When you hang art on a blank wall, it acts like an additional window with a view allowing the space to appear larger.

Last night, I attended an event at the Pacific Design Center that showcased various outdoor furniture companies.  My favorite was from Century Furniture.  They offer an outdoor table called the endless dining table which allows you to add as many pieces as you need to accomodate a large sit-down dinner party or a small intimate one.

The outdoor endless dining table from Century Furniture I also love the fret and lattice work they used.  This detail is often seen in classic Chinese Chippendale style furniture.  Check out www.centuryfurniture.com to see more

Director of Merchandising for Century Furniture, John Batchelor, with me at yesterdays event at the Pacific Design Center.  It got a little chilly and all I had in my car was this winter vest - I looked like I was ready to snow ski at this summer event