Garden & Outdoor spaces

Patio, decks, balconies, porches and yards are the extension of our living space. From landscaped grounds to the tiniest balcony, nearly any exterior area can be the setting for a comfortable outdoor room. With nice outdoor furniture, your outdoor space can become much more than a backdrop for occasional barbecue; it can be as welcoming as the living room and an integral part of everyday life.

Your outdoor space should be decorated with the same attention to comfort, style, and creativity as any other room. Today you can find new weather-resistant materials and stylish outdoor furniture to create an outdoor space that's truly an extension of the home. Create an outdoor area that truly reflects who you are and the way you live. Outside, a few fruit trees, a flowering pergola, a row of terra-cotta pots, or the curves of a large canvas umbrella set the stage. Your outdoor space has the potential to become your favorite destination for eating, entertaining, relaxing. Select a decorating scheme that celebrates your style, and furnishings and accessories that make you feel at home under the open sky.

Outdoor Funiture
Choose outdoor furniture and fabrics that wear well in sun and take a bit of rain. In a protected space, like a covered porch, bring your favorite old sofa outdoors for the season, or set a new one on casters to use in fine weather. To protect your upholstery from sun damage, adopt the southern tradition of dressing furniture for the summer with waterproof or canvas slipcovers. Lightweight wicker armchairs fitted with removable cushions make ideal seating for a crowd. Take a cue from nature itself when choosing furnishings and find fabrics that wear well in sun and can take a bit of rain or a week of it. Invest in tables and chairs, benches, made of enameled metal or weather-tolerant hardwood, such as teak, redwood or nyatoh.

Teak
Indigenous to the warm, humid climate of Southeast Asia, teak wood is an ideal choice for outdoor furnishings. In fact, its rich luster improves with age and weathering, so teak adds a polished, permanent look to others furnishings in outdoor spaces. The high oil content of teak makes it watertight and resistant to warping and insects damage. Select your dining tables, lounge chaises, seating chairs, Adirondack chairs with comfort and resistance.

Outdoor lighting
A layered lighting plan bathes a nighttime gathering in a flattering, enchanted glow. Enchanted evenings depend upon the magic of lighting, the intimate glow of votive lights interspersed with flowers on a festive table, a sentinel of line hurricane lamps, a vintage chandelier suspended above your outside dining table. Varying the intensity and source of illumination adds drama and depth to your party site, reinforcing a feeling of inclosure around a core of festivity. Glass hurricanes anchored with stones keep candles glowing when the wind picks up. Try solar-powered options to help conserve energy and cut down on maintenance, most turn on automatically in the evening and maintain their glow for up to ten hours. Freestanding lamps can be set on tables, and take-mounted styles can be pressed down into flower spots, allowing rearrangement as needed.

Barbecue
Like the open-air dining, outdoor cooking has an allure all its own. The pleasure of cooking outdoors is often as satisfying as the meal itself. Setting up an outdoor kitchen can take as little preparation as wheeling out the charcoal grill, or as much planning as building a fully outfitted kitchen complete with running water, gas grill, and hearth. If grilling is your favorite culinary pastime, set up a barbecue station.

Water Feature
Water Features is always present in traditional Japanese gardens, the fluidity of water represents timelessness and is thought to unify the garden with the sky through its reflection. A stone basin transforms a trickle of running water into a soothing fountain. Eastern tradition also suggests that the sound of running water connects our thoughts to the present moments and places us in harmony with earth. A planter of succulents provides a low-maintenance garden that will stand up to the most difficult growing conditions: harsh sun and heat by a pool, or wind on a rooftop garden or city balcony. Find creative inspiration with elements that are as beautiful as they are meditative. Fill a planter with water hyacinths and lilies to create a floating garden. Place gazing spheres along a pathway, or a circle of stones near a favorite perch, to soothe your senses and inspire your creativity.