Outdoor Inspiration

April 17, 2020

We have been spending a TON of time outside these days. I’m trying to put a positive spin on the ongoing situation by thinking about how lucky we are to have had some beautiful sunny days in the midst of this quarantine time. Getting the kids to play outside 1-2 times per day helps keeps us all sane.

I’m so glad we put in a pool and backyard entertaining area last summer/early fall. We have been using the space so much – eating outdoors, swimming, watching movies outside or just bringing some puzzles out on the patio for a change of scenery. When we designed our outdoor space, our goal was for it to feel like an extension of our home. It’s certainly has lived up to that.

Below are some of my top outdoor picks. All of these items we have, and we’re using them a lot these days!

Outdoor furniture and accessories

We have two spaces in our backyard. The existing patio space is more of a dining area. We added this table, which we purchased last year. Ours seats eight (and I think you an squeeze in a few more) but this newer version has an extension. I would highly recommend protecting any teak furniture with teak oil and getting a cover for it in the off season or just for an added layer on rainy days. We have the table in the “natural” color. I’d love to get this little matching console table at some point.

As soon as I saw these chairs last year, I knew they would be perfect for our space. I waited for a 30% off sale to pull the trigger. For things that are a little more of an investment, I know it’s time to move forward when I find myself going back to the item over and over again after doing exhaustive research. I have the arm chairs on the ends of the table and the side chairs to fill the rest of the table. They’re great quality, clean really easily and are stylish. I have the light blue version called “Atlantic.” They’re 20% off right now with the code ATHOME.

I have a few other accessories like these pillows (although I have a nearly identical pair I found at HomeGoods), this rug near our outdoor fireplace, this rug under the outdoor dining table, and these lanterns in antique bronze. Outdoor lanterns are usually pretty pricey and I love these but couldn’t bring myself to spend that much on something that might deteriorate with Houston humidity. We’d love to get some outdoor string lights soon.

Kid-friendly entertaining pieces

Melamine plates are great for outdoor eating and perfect, non-breakable options when you have young kids. I recently purchased these glasses which are perfect for having in and out of the pool. I also have two sets of these coasters I bring out when we have people over.

Pool accessories & games

Everyone always gravitates toward these pool noodles. I have wanted this large Connect Four game for awhile and it’s been on my list of #thingsthequarantinemademebuy. The color way we have isn’t available anymore but there are other options like this one. I recently purchased these inexpensive beach towels to have on hand in our pool bathroom. Ben recently bought one of those little outdoor play houses and we customized it with some paint and hung this sign on it. The door was painted a greyish blue color we already had, and the kids have been playing pretend restaurant quite a bit!

Inspiring images that influence my home style

My home style skews on the traditional side and am consistently inspired by the South. I have been reading and flagging pages in Southern Living since I was 10. (It was a career highlight to travel to their test kitchens a few years ago and meet with editors, peruse the many kitchens they test recipes in, and see the massive amount of china, plates, napkins, etc. they use for recipe styling!) While a lot of Southern things catch my eye, I will often gravitate to coastal pieces, hence my love of all things Serena & Lily. Perhaps that’s because I grew up on the Gulf coast, but I love things with a beachy vibe. I am still inspired by my bucket-list girls trip to the Amalfi coast last year. I traveled to Positano, Capri, Tuscany, Florence and Venice with some of my best friends and I would transport myself there again in a heartbeat if I could! Positano and Capri were definitely my favorites, and I’m thankful for the memories of sitting on little outdoor patios and rooftop terraces while drinking wine and eating carbs! Maybe that was the ambiance I was going for when we designed our space. I love having books that have meaning and I bought this Italy coffee table book because it captured many of the beautiful places I visited last year. The Color Teil also has a lot of happy coastal images to peruse.

I’m a planner by nature, and I always love having a trip to look forward to. However, there are too many unknowns right now to move forward with any travel plans. So, for now we sit outside daydreaming about our next adventure while enjoying and sometimes just surviving in the chaos.

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