Summer time. And life in the great outdoors just got a whole lot easier. It has been helped in no small part by the recent trend of opening up home décor to outdoor living. There seems to be little that hasn’t been retrofitted or repurposed to withstand the elements and sit on the patio or deck.
For entertainment enthusiasts, outdoor poker tables or pool tables ensure there’s no need for air fresheners to overcompensate for the stale cigar smoke that presides over kids’ night. And the wireless speakers sure help crank up the volume while deftly helping to silence the wail for a missing hand. Where the kids are, you are also likely to find that they have gaming and more than likely to find the game on. With the growing popularity of outdoor televisions, including flat screen televisions, game night has never looked so good and outdoor sports have taken on a whole new meaning.
For the budding chef whose tastes may lean more toward an outdoor kitchen that includes a cooking and prep area, an outdoor refrigerator, a fully stocked refrigerated bar, and a landscape of lights to ensure dinner is served well afterward. Before the sun goes down, that outdoor television may well serve as an educational tool for creating new and interesting cooking. Of course, where you find an outdoor kitchen complete with its own island, you’ll also likely find an outdoor dining area that goes a little further than the picnic table or plastic furniture of yesteryear. After all, you can’t have your crab cake without a place to eat it, too.
While teak remains de rigueur and durable both in style and standing when it pours with rain, al fresco dining has become stylish with popular complete sets in wicker, rattan, bamboo or other natural materials. To give the space an environment to match the outdoor tableware, outdoor rugs create the sensibility and illusion of creating an outdoor room. Area rugs have seen a transition too, no longer sober and content to be walked around. Outdoor rugs, while still ably durable, have taken on a veritable rainbow of colors with a palette that matches the blooming spring colors of the garden. Pair it with an outdoor chandelier and your dining room might be too formal to be subject to burgers and dogs.
After dinner, linens over dessert and intimate conversation from the comfort of an outdoor lounge. Settle into a sofa or loveseat and watch your garden transform and the evening light change your mood. All of that and more can be heated with the ambient light from your outdoor fireplace.
And if the dinner had a romantic touch, at the end of the night there is the jacuzzi to watch
forward to While this is usually an outdoor accessory, it has also been updated to bring a bit of sensitivity indoors.
outdoors Recent trends include not only aromatherapy, but also full stereo capability with multiple speakers. And as the night takes its sweet moment to settle in the silvery moonlight, the push of a button can raise a flat-screen TV tucked inside the wall of your whirlpool tub allowing you to catch the late show, late or slip. a DVD to be the viewer’s choice.
Summer time. And with the help of technology, an eye for design, and all the comforts of home décor, life in the great outdoors really is easy.