Will's Outdoor Living Room.

Chris,

We love your ideas and visit your blog regularly! We are embarking on an addition. We are wanting to close-in the existing covered back patio and convert it into an informal dining room, and build a new roof over our existing concrete pad to make an outdoor living area. We like to host and want the indoor area to be a place where we can fit family gatherings as well as a serving area for outdoor BBQ’s (as shown by the built-in cabinets/countertop area). The outdoor area we are stumped on; we just want some outdoor sitting/eating areas and more privacy.

For the future outdoor living area, we have a stamped concrete pad, but it is just too out in the open. I’m thinking a more secluded area with half walls & shutters, sitting/eating area, and maybe an outdoor fireplace? I can put the grill somewhere else. We only need access to the west and east to get to the backyard spaces, and we can eliminate the northeast stairs for less traffic patterns if needed. To the west of the stamped concrete pad are two steps to get to the side yard and an 8’ x 8’ pad for a future hot tub, but we changed our minds and don’t think we want to use it for that anymore.

Just use all of the areas as a blank slate, and build it as you would from scratch. We’ll send you before and after pictures when we’re done. Oh, and don’t hold back, tell us what you really think, just pretend we don’t know each other!

Will

Dear Will,

So good to hear from you! I haven't seen you in probably 12 or 15 years???? Wow- you must be getting old! ;)

I divided your e-mail into two- today's post is just for the outdoor section. You were a little too open on your "style" that you were going for here. Homework assignment #1- take your wife on a date this Friday- have a great meal- and then take her to Borders. Look in the outdoor landscape /gardening section- and peruse until you are inspired. Find a picture that you both LOVE- this will give me more direction. I will, however, give you general guidance.

Your are is 14 x 22. To utilize this covered area the best- you are going to want to divide that are in two- having a dining area and a living area. Keep the dining area on the right- (closest to your kitchen inside). You are going to want to do some things to define each area.

Consider:

1. From the ground: Outdoor area rugs.
2. From the ceiling: Ceiling fans not randomly placed- but rather carefully placed exactly over your table- and exactly over your sitting area.
3. From the walls: Center an outdoor fireplace in the living room section- do things architecturally to define the space. Remember that I said "architecturally"- but you want to do so in a way that includes greenery. A couple ideas are in pictures above- the stone wall- the beautiful trellis. Define your space. This can also be done with large pots.

Don't forget lighting. Plan that from the very beginning. Nothing says- "let's party at Will's place" better than a great outdoor lighting plan. Not just outdoor uplights on plants- but also accent lighting from above- and outdoor sconces on the side of your home.

When you furnish the two areas- shake it up. Finding a "collection" and getting the living and dining room pieces all from the same collection will add a minimum amount of textural variety- and our goal is to add a maximum amount of textural variety and interest.

With that said- get pieces that compliment each other. They should look like they go together- without "matching." For example- the dining chair above from Selamat in the blond color would look great mixed with the blond wood collection below from Restoration Hardware. A dark metal mixed with a dark wicker would do the same thing.

Make your eyes do a dance. There should be a focal point- like all good interiors- one in the "dining room" and one in the "living room." From there- add secondary points of interest around the area.

OK- get busy- go plan your date! Stay tuned for your "indoor" post soon.

Amy's Porch

Dear Christine,
I love your blog! I am writing you for help decorating my screened in porch. The screened in porch is the main entrance people use to go into our house. As you can see from the picture, the seat cushions around the table have been removed and need to be re-covered. Currently the cushions on the wicker furniture are yellow and white stripe, although I am open for ideas on those cushions as well. Basically I need some inspiration and a starting point on where to begin. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Liz in NC

Dear Liz,
Let's start with moving your furniture around. The way you have it lined up feels a bit like a bowling alley. Do you have room to set the chairs and sofa up the other way, so the sofa is separating the table area? Switch it around and see if you can still walk around. I think you can- your furniture doesn't seem to be too large. The table should be more centered.

Step 2- Let's pick put an outdoor rug to better define your living area from your dining area. The outside is decorated just like the inside in this way. The rug will then give you a color pallet to use for your painting. For example- if you chose the rug above- you could paint your wicker green, and the black dining set blue. I would even paint your brick white. (Use a concrete paint.) Then, using your rug selection, coordinate with some outdoor fabric- Sunbrella has so many great ones- for your re-upholstery. Robert Allen- and many of your larger sources for fabric also have a a section that is "outdoor". Bring in a nice stripe- or keep it simple with some solid colors with accented piping.

You could also choose to use a rug that already has black in it- like the rug below- and keep your table black. Either way- we need more coordination in such a confined area. Check out Maine Cottage for inspiration painting your wicker.

So- there you go- start with a rug- it will give you colors to pull from- be bold in your colors- you will have a lot of white to counteract it with your floors, walls and ceilings in white. I prefer the look of a rug that has some white in it. If you want to stay more neutral in your colors- use an outdoor "jute style" woven rug, with a brown edge, and paint your wicker brown. The more I think about it- the more convinced I am that you should paint the brick. You'll have to research the best way to do that.

Rugs are from homedecorator.com.