Leslie Segrete is a home improvement expert with an eye for design and the skills to get the job done. You’ll probably remember her from TLC’s Trading Spaces and while you were out.
Well, today Leslie is here to discuss tips and tricks for creating a fresh look for an outdoor living space this summer — no matter what the budget or home aesthetic.
1. how do you decorate outdoors for summertime? What’s the most important thing?
LS: Whether you have a patio, deck, backyard, or terrace, there are many ways you can easily transform your outdoor space into your own oasis. No matter what your budget, you can create a fresh look this summer, and the easiest way to modernize your outdoor space is to update your furniture. It’s essential to look for items that can withstand the weather. Today’s marketplace features everything from rugs, lighting, fabrics, and decorative accessories all made to be used outdoors.
2. tell us three great tips for creating a fresh outdoor living space on a small budget?
LS: Outdoor lighting is a wonderful way to brighten up your outdoor space so you can enjoy it day and night. Outdoor lighting doesn’t have to cost you a bundle; choices can range from simple twinkling lights for about $4 a strand or decorative lantern string lights for around $10 to landscape lighting for under $80. Landscape lighting is a great way to feature stand out items in your yard from a great tree to an arbor or a seating area. you should combine different levels of lighting when adding landscape lighting; utilize up lighting to highlight a tree, down lighting to simulate moonlighting, and overall lighting to illuminate a seating area for after dark fun. some low voltage lighting kits are even do-it-yourself projects. if you’re entertaining, something as simple as multi-color paper lanterns with string lights can spruce up your outdoor area dining area when draped under your umbrella or pergola. we even have simple white twinkle lights wrapped around a wrought iron trellis for a festive feature in our yard all year long.
A fire pit is a fun and comforting focal piece to add to your outdoor living space — and best of all it won’t break the bank. a fire pit can create a central point for a seating area perfect for after sunset conversation and the occasional ghost story. plus, a fire pit is great for one of the classic summer activity of roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.
Finally, a barefoot and weather-friendly outdoor rug can add a sophisticated yet comfortable look to make your deck or patio more unique. An outdoor rug can also help to create a seating or dining area in an open yard if you don’t have a deck or patio. if you stick to a rug with neutral colors you can add color by accessorizing your outdoor space with vibrant flowers and landscaping.
3. if you have a little bit of money to spend, what outdoor decorating updates would you recommend for summer?
LS: if you have some money to spend and you’re looking to replace that old grill of yours, an outdoor grill in a fun new color is a great addition to your deck or patio. I love to entertain and host large barbecues, so a grill with a large cooking surface is important to me. Kenmore has some really great options for grills. I love the Kenmore red grill available at Sears and Kmart because not only can it cook up to 40 burgers at a time but it also adds a splash of vibrant color to your outdoor space — sure to impress any summer guest!
However you choose to spend your summer décor budget, make choices that are going to last year after year to maximize your spending, so go for that grill or perennials that will stay with you for summers to come.
4. what simple backyard DIY project can make a big impact for an outdoor living space?
LS: for an outdoor space, I like to add color in the landscaping. Perennial flowers and shrubs cost more in the short term, but will last for years. Annuals are also a great way to add a splash of color — use them in planters to create a focal point for the space. something as simple as planting a garden or colorful flowering plants around your patio’s perimeter can create a dramatic effect and serve as a visual boundary from the rest of the yard, creating an intimate space that evokes an actual room.
5. what do you recommend for backyards that get full sun exposure?
LS: one of the easiest ways to add shade to the backyard is to purchase a patio furniture set that includes a table with an attached shade umbrella. on hot sunny days, nothing beats relaxing under a large umbrella while sipping a refreshing iced tea.
A pergola is another great way to add shade to your backyard with out feeling too closed in. I love this Curved Steel Pergola from the Country Living collection at Kmart.It’s great because of the built in fabric panel that allows for a fun but functional decorative detail.
You can also plant shade-providing trees to your outdoor space. They will grow to become an amazing feature in your space but also help to lower energy costs in your home during the summer months by reducing the amount of heat being cast onto the home itself.
6. What’s your must-have product for outdoor entertaining?
LS: The most important product for your outdoor space is comfortable seating. whether it is for outdoor dining or simply relaxing, your outdoor space is an extension of your home and should be a place to relax. Outdoor furniture has come a long way; treat yourself to comfortable seating with plush cushions. The best part is that it is actually affordable. Then when your budget allows layer on the decorative items that really show your true personality.
7. tell us your idea of the perfect backyard summer evening.
LS: After a fun-filled day chasing after our 2-year-old son, we love just relaxing. that is, of course, after the water table, slide, kiddie pool, and every toy we just had to have outside have gone night night. my husband and I just love sitting in our backyard with our twinkle lights, watching the fireflies and enjoying the fragrant summer breezes. okay, maybe there’s a glass of wine or two involved. we usually only last about an hour or two after our son is asleep before we tire out, but it is those quiet moments together after family fun day that we love best.
Thanks for the great tips, Leslie!
You can watch Leslie Segrete in action on A&E’s new television series, $100 Makeover. She has been featured as a carpenter and designer on TLC’s Trading Spaces and while you were out. Leslie also hosts home improvement radio show, The Money Pit. Leslie is a mom, seamstress, carpenter, decorator, designer, and professional chef all wrapped up in one very energetic package. She’s a true renaissance woman through and through!
Images via Leslie Segrete and A&E
Decorating Tips for Outdoor Spaces From Leslie Segrete, Home Improvement Expert
Related Blogs
Filed under Weather Proof Swing Cushions by on Jan 30th, 2012. Comment. 
By ELAINE MARKOUTSAS may 30, 2010
As “the season” begins, the great outdoors beckons — and with it, a renewed focus on furnishing al fresco spaces with comfort and style, extending the interior’s decor.
A still-recovering economy has continued to boost the concept of “staycations” — hanging out at home instead of traveling. Importing a tony resort with spas, pergolas, fireplaces, outdoor bars and kitchens mimics the kind of features that highlight romantic holidays, from the south of France to Tuscany, the Greek islands or the Caribbean.
When shopping for outdoor furniture, look for:
- Furniture frames in eggshell, bright white or taupe gray, as a fresh alternative to the espresso that has been popular in recent years.
- Fully upholstered pieces, such as Lee Industries’ Mimosa outdoor chair with gently sloping arms. The chair wears a slipcover with pleats at the corners.
- Large scale that’s clean-lined or curvy, and big or open weaves in synthetic wicker that make the designs fresh and more airy.
- Attention to detail, such as X’s or designed backs on seating.
When space and budget allow, outdoor “rooms” are analogous to those indoors. There’s a place to sit, bask in fresh air and greenery. A place to curl up with a book, just lounge or nap. A place to grill. A place to entertain friends — watch TV or movies on weatherproof screens. A water feature — fall, pool, spa or pond.
In spite of sagging retail sales in most sectors, there’s every indication that consumers will add to their outdoor spaces. Demand in the U.S. for outdoor furniture and grill products is projected to increase 3.9 percent each year to $7.2 billion in 2013, according to The Freedonia Group inc., a research firm based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Nearly every building and remodeling survey suggests that an outdoor room is one of 10 must-have features. interest has been bolstered by television shows such as HGTV’s “The Outdoor Room” with Australian landscape designer Jamie Durie, who transforms dreary backyard afterthoughts into dreamy hideaways. even celebrities have gotten into the act. at the recent Las Vegas furniture market, former Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell rolled out Red Carpet, a line of high-end outdoor furnishings for Patio Heaven.
The evolution of the outdoor room is “revolutionary,” says Kevin Sharkey, executive editorial director of decorating for Martha Stewart Living magazine.
The reason? “Technology, pure and simple,” says Sharkey.
Not only can you now enjoy a swivel rocker or recliner outdoors, an introduction by Domus Ventures boasts a massaging feature.
Besides weather-resistant woods in natural, stained or painted marine finishes, there are convincing wicker and wood looks in resin or metals — even bark, birch twigs and willow.
Mixing materials has become more sophisticated and often is eco-chic. A Pottery Barn table, for example, combines a zinc top with a sustainably harvested acacia wood base.
Outdoor furniture can also be practical: look for smart storage — tables that store leaves, a bench that houses cushions or a tile-topped console table with a scrolled metal base that cradles wine bottles.
For nighttime ambience, consider lamps that also are sculptural. The Wave, a new floor lamp offering from Veneman, resembles a wavy, tapering tree trunk. Crafted from a woven shell, its light source glows from within. Shady Lady’s Yin Yang is a similarly organic woven shape — a 45-inch-tall gourd-shaped piece with a stem crafted from Viro, a synthetic fiber.
There’s fashion underfoot as well. The high-end Liora Manne company, with signature felt weaves in subtle colorations, has an outdoor counterpart available at Frontgate. Its watercolor-effect patterns include geometric mosaics; all are waterproof and fade-, bacteria-, mold- and mildew-resistant.
Leather, velvet, linen, chenille and silk look-alikes are so convincing that they have garnered attention indoors. Wood grains and animal prints are among the current motifs.
And what you don’t see — plush waterproof cushions — have made a huge impact, allowing fuller, thicker cushions that often are ultra-deep.
“Comfort is king,” says Cinde Ingram, editor-in-chief of Casual Living, a monthly trade publication. So not surprisingly, there’s a continuing interest in beds, megascale cuddle chairs and daybeds, often with canopies.
Improved materials, technology and style are inspiring many consumers to “trade up” to fancier grills and more fashion-forward furniture. On many wish lists: a firepit, according to a survey by the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
“There’s something primal about it,” says Sharkey. “Everyone wants to be able to sit around a fire together. It’s applicable to all different styles — from Adirondack to English wrought iron.”
Pets also get a spot in the sun: there are pet beds designed for outdoor use. even the high-end, to-the-trade outdoor fabric company Perennials makes pet beds in any of its fabrics. Melrose, a dressy, bolster-style silky damask cushion is available from Crypton for $198.
Although prices at the high end might range from a $5,000 chair to a $10,000 table, it’s still possible to get design and value. Better Homes and Gardens, for example, offers sets that include furniture — settee, chairs, tables and ottomans — and even contrast throw pillows from under $500 to $800 at Wal-Mart. A grouping of four Martha Stewart chairs plus a firepit sells for $499 at Home Depot.
Whether you have a small terrace, a sprawling patio or an urban roof deck, your backyard can be a wonderful getaway. for casual living and entertaining, your outdoor space just may be the most flexible of all — and the most inviting.
Ads by Google
Related Blogs
- Home Improvement Using Modern Furniture
- Spice Up Your Outdoor Furniture! | laporteouverte.net – Home Idea
- Create a Beautiful Backyard With Landscaping Ideas and Enjoy Its Natural Ambience « Loretta Kearns
- Some of The More Common and Elaborate Types Of Folding Chairs You Can Select For Your Back Yard
- GLB Pool & Spa Products 71024 2-Pound Super Sequa-Sol Sequestering Agent | Chemical Business Information
Filed under Outdoor Swings With Canopy by on Jan 27th, 2012. Comment.
If you’ve ever wanted to combine sitting down on your lawn with sitting down on a real chair then now you can, thanks to Lebanese designer Fadi Sarieddine. It’s called the Mow Chair, and it debuted at the Milan Design fair earlier this month. the chair is a super cool hybrid of a traditional wooden bench and a luscious green lawn. the living lawn chair was created for Local, a Dubai-based company that designs furniture, clothing and stationary that’s both practical and stylish. It’s available in one, two and three-seat versions.
So, are you ready to have a chair that needs to be trimmed? I suggest not using an actual lawn mower!
Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. we focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. we reward our users for their sustainable behavior on our website, through our Greenopolis recycling kiosks and with curbside recycling programs.
Mow Chair Features a Cushion Made from Grass
Related Blogs
- County government looks at future energy needs, savings | Efficient Energy
- Camera Bag Mac | Kristin's Peak
- Video Game Chair NASCAR Carl Edwards V Rocker | Nascar Merchandise
- Putting people first » Psychology, climate change and sustainable behaviour
- DC America SL5780CO-BR Kokomo Wood Inlay Park Bench, Cast Iron Frame and Hardwood Slats, Rust Resistant Bronze Finish | Sale Best Price
Filed under Outdoor Swing Cushion Questions by on Jan 2nd, 2012. Comment.
Arizona can be one of the harshest environments for outdoor fabrics, but it’s no match for the Linen Sesame fabric that’s been by Linda Bobis’ pool for over seven years. Linen Sesame coordinates nicely with dozens of other Sunbrella fabrics, so the big question for Linda was which pattern to use to update the look.
Linda’s selection of Dimone Rainforest was perfect for her poolside oasis. This lovely, textured stripe incorporates deep greens and teal blues along with warm neutrals making it easy for Linda to include coordinating solids in her new look. Linda LOVES the new look. According to her, the Arizona desert is very brown, and the deep sea in the stripe really makes a nice “pop” of color. It’s an added bonus that it works with Linen Sesame and her pool tiles.
Doesn’t Linda’s dog, Cody, look quite proud of his owner’s fine taste in outdoor fabrics? According to Linda, Cody leads a real “dog’s life.” he came from the Humane Society and seems to really love his new life, swimming in the pool, and drying off on the new pillows. Cody rolls and jumps all over the big chaise lounge chair, and it’s no problem.
Wonder if Cody knows you can get pet beds made of Sunbrella? But, who needs a pet bed when you have your own poolside chaise?
Official Sunbrella Blog — Customer Freshens 7-Year-Old Sunbrella Linen Sesame With New Pillows
Related Blogs
Filed under Outdoor Swing Cushion Questions by on Dec 31st, 2011. Comment.
We all have small spaces somewhere in our house or apartment. It may be the bathroom, foyer, backyard — maybe the galley kitchen.
If that’s the case, a good interior designer can find ways to maximize the square footage, giving the illusion of more room, while ramping up the style factor.
Badr Gebara, interior designer and owner of blu dot interiors, turned Issam Sahak’s 700-square-foot Gatineau apartment from an outdated bachelor pad into a sophisticated, adult space overlooking the Ottawa River.
Gebara gutted the Laurier Street condo, erasing its tattered disco-image, tossing the white particle board cabinets, taking down walls and lifting the dated laminate flooring.
The condo, built 44 years ago, had been rented to a bachelor whose idea of furniture was a pool table placed in the centre of the living room.
Sahak wanted a fresh start and modern, bright spaces. Gebara delivered.
“I think it is perfect,” says Sahak, 36, adding the view from his condo on Canada Day is spectacular. “Everyone really likes it. They are surprised by the design, especially in such a small (space).”
Gebara had her work cut out for her.
Last summer the contractors tore out everything, including the yellowed light switch and rusted grate covers. Gebara co-ordinated the two-month $30,000 project, which worked well for Sahak, who is an architect with NAV Canada and too busy to do the job himself.
Gebara jokes the experience was like the TLC show, While You Were Out, because she sourced all the materials and was the liaison between kitchen designers, contractors and her client.
“I’d go out and take pictures of all kinds of things, and e-mail them to him with the prices,” she says.
She maximized space by removing part of the wall that separated the kitchen and living area, creating a breakfast bar with pendant lights. “There was no window in the kitchen and this was a creative way of adding more light.”
Sahak likes the change because he can now sit down at his kitchen bar with his laptop, and watch the television in the living room.
The grungy white cupboards have been replaced with espresso-stained cabinets, extra side cabinets for storage, undermount lighting, chic hardware, new appliances, granite countertops, and a tumbled-stone backsplash. The aging laminate and linoleum has been replaced with engineered-hardwood flooring.
“It is very important when you are working with small spaces to keep the floor uniform — not to have different flooring because it is going to chop it up,” she says.
Other tricks? Because older one-bedroom apartments typically sport bigger bedrooms, Gebara borrowed some of the space to build a walk-in closet.
After replacing the bathroom cabinets, toilet, flooring, shower, light fixtures, and mirror, she removed the bathroom door and installed a pocket door, which disappears neatly into the wall.
“It maxes space because the door is not opening into the bathroom or the hallway,” says Gebara. “There wasn’t a structured wall, so we were able to (install) a door that hides within a wall.”
Related Blogs
- A Superb Layout Idea – Galley Kitchen Layout | Kitchen Sink Faucets, Shower, Bathroom, Delta, Kohler, Grohe Faucet
- Forbster :: News » Blog Archive » Taliban Leave Pakistan, but Afghans Repel Them
- Disadvantages of Particleboard Cabinets | Fix My Cabinet
- How hard is it to paint the veneers on particle board cabinets? |
- indian songs Ansaullah sahak | India News, India Travel,India Sports, Bollywood Gossip, Life Style, Technology All In One Blog
Filed under Outdoor Swing Cushion by on Dec 23rd, 2011. Comment.
June 02, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT
BP Suggestion Box Frustrating Companies, Not Cameron, Costner
Related Blogs
- TEDxRotterdam Suggestion Box | TEDxRotterdam
- Where BP/GoM Oil Spill Made Landfall | The Big Picture
- James Cameron issues Gulf oil spill report | EW.com
- This weeks Suggestion Box Winner! [Week 2 of 5] – Minty White
- Warhammer Online: Mr. Meh Suggestion Box « Mr. Meh
Filed under Outdoor Swing Cushion Questions by on Dec 12th, 2011. Comment.
Dancers in Coconuts nightclub, Maputo. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Guardian
In life, as in art, it is hard to beat those brilliantly lit shafts of emotion that shine through the fog of daily stuff and nonsense.
In Maputo, Mozambique, I watched President Armando Guebuza walk a red carpet and open a private health clinic aimed at the country’s middle class. He took a tour of the facility, including a cosmetic clinic with views over palm trees and the deep blue Indian Ocean.
A female member of staff gave Guebuza a smile and walked him around the clinic, speaking in apparently confident Portuguese. He surprised her at the end by reaching out and shaking her hand before departing.
It was then, as soon as he left the room, that I saw the young woman gasp with pleasure and relief. Another member of staff beamed and gave her a big hug. The woman had probably rehearsed all night for her meeting with the president and was evidently moved and overwhelmed by this profound event in her life. She was almost tearful. Witnessing the authenticity of the emotion, I found myself moved too.
David Smith visits Maputo Link to this audio
A day later, I stood outside an official white building beside the Hotel Avenida. On the steps stood a newly married couple in suit and white dress, surrounded by relatives, young and old, including children bearing white cushions. On either side were columns of men and women singing with joy.
The bride and groom, looking nervous and unsmiling, stepped down into a waiting car bedecked with ribbons. Moments later another couple appeared, this time far more confident and at ease. Again, family members gathered around and sang in melodies of breath-catching beauty.
An elderly lady in a colourful traditional costume and headwrap took centre stage at the bottom of the steps and danced a jig in time to the songs. A woman clung to a tiny baby. Another, wearing a pink dress, looked on from under a tall hairdo constructed with painstaking care.
Just beyond the gate slow traffic, fruit sellers and street hawkers carried on oblivious on Avenida Julius Nyerere. But I stood and stared and felt involved in the ritual, and wondered if the newlyweds would later remember the white-faced stranger witnessing this defining moment of their lives.
I travelled around Maputo with the perfect in-car soundtrack: the sultry jazz of South African singer Sibongile Khumalo. It seemed to fit perfectly the easy pace, the tangerine sunlight and the glimpses of decaying colonial grandeur as I made my way to Costa do Sol for a seafood platter with green wine.
There were art deco palaces that might have once blazed light but now stood grim and grimy. In the ruined shell of a once elegant building a tree had taken root and flourished. There was a sense of an old city slowly disappearing under layers of sediment. By the waters of Maputo, TS Eliot could have sat down and wept another Waste Land.
The majestic railway station, designed by Gustav Eiffel exactly a century ago, stands tall and defiant with its domed roof, clock face, ornate balconies and arched entrance. In front of it at sunset, there were long queues of people waiting for a bus.
Beyond the entrance were two vintage locomotives and some decrepit trains that looked like they were going nowhere. I climbed aboard and saw rows of filthy seats and a huge hole in the floor. But stepping down past tired-eyed station dwellers, I found a bistro with tiled walls, a giant paper lampshade and an ambience thick with ghosts.
People told me Maputo was haunting, ambiguous and not like anywhere in Africa. “It’s a colourful place but the buildings are grey,” said one.
It was true that even its indefinability was hard to define. But I felt I gained a little insight at the national art museum, a parade of nightmarish grotesques worthy of Goya or the Chapman brothers.
Alberto Chissano’s giant sculpture Sem titulo depicts a series of warped heads interconnected by bones. Another sculpture shows a bald creature, mouth agape in a laugh or cry, arms wrapped around the neck of a passive victim. Several paintings are crammed with bodies, some brown, some a hellish red, one with eyes that dart about in mutual suspicion. If they had voices, they would scream.
This was art that felt impossible to divorce from the struggle against centuries of Portuguese colonial rule and the furious civil war that followed until the early 1990s. It was an insight into the national id.
I came away thinking of Maputo as an ageing actress from Hollywood’s golden age staring at herself in a dressing room mirror, the face careworn and pockmarked, but made beautiful by the radiance of an inner light undimmed.
Maputo: decaying grandeur of Africa's ageing starlet
Related Blogs
Filed under Outdoor Canopy Swing Cushions by on Dec 9th, 2011. Comment.
My neighbor spayed his fence with THOMPSONS WATER SEAL WITH STAIN. Unfortunately my new white patio cushions were on the other side of the fence. Splatter is everywhere! If I can somehow clean them, I will. Otherwise he is offering to buy me new ones. Any suggestions?
Can I remove Thompsons Waterseal fence stain splatter from my sunbrella cushions?
Related Blogs
- The Buckeye Battle Cry | More Know Your Neighbor: Nebraska
- An Overview of Patio Maintenance | MAINE COAST HOME DESIGNS
- Love on the Other Side of the Fence | Lovepanky | Your Guide to Better Love, Sex and Relationships
- Shopping For Black Patio Cushions | Home Improvement Habitat
- Spice Up The Outdoor Set With Sunbrella Cushions « hueolien
Filed under Weather Proof Swing Cushions by on Nov 21st, 2011. Comment.
