Creating My Dream Patio
Today decor8 columnist Anna-Malin is back to visit us from Sweden sharing her recently redecorated patio. I love seeing how people treat a patio space - some fancy tables and chairs with a big umbrella, others add a water feature or fire pit and still others incorporate hammocks or even build a koi pond. It's amazing to see the difference from patio-to-patio as you browse magazines and books for outdoor spaces, isn't it? I think you'll love Anna-Malin's patio because it's more of a second living room and lounge space for relaxing, reading and entertaining during the warmer months and can take her straight into the Autumn. I'll let her take it from here...
Hello everyone it's Anna-Malin! For my June column I wanted to share my newly decorated outdoor patio because I am very proud of it and feel that it could be an inspiration to many of you who are unsure as to how to decorate your outdoor space. Last summer my husband and I built a wooden frame in the backyard to create a room in our garden area (below). Since we have full sun in our yard all day long we needed a place with some shade for relief! On top of the wooden frame we put branches and twigs to create a rustic, natural ceiling. On the concrete wall to soften it a bit visually, we added a shelf and some wood for vines.
This year I bought new furniture -- a sofa, a big round table and a chair -- all in bamboo. I wanted the feeling to be calm and relaxed so I added a lot of pillows in a mix of patterns, shapes and colors and I store them when I'm not using the patio to protect from fading and water damage since they are not waterproof. I also bring in the sheep skin when I'm not using my patio. A sheer panel (below - you can't see it in the photo above) not only looks pretty swaying in the breeze but filters the light as well.
By mixing the bamboo furniture with my old white rattan armchairs and a really old bench from the flea market, I achieved the feeling that I was looking for - rustic, modern, clean and very "me". I like to have a space that feels very personal, even outdoors. The string of lights were added to the fence to give a warm glow at night and lanterns create a romantic ethnic bohemian vibe in the evening along with some good tunes from my iPod.
With beautiful weather finally here, this my favorite place right now, especially in the evenings with lots of candles, a cup of tea and a good book. I hope my outdoor space inspired you - do you have a place in your backyard to create something similar? Do you already have a patio that you've recently redecorated? You can link it in your comment if you would like to show and tell!
I'll be back in July with another Handmade Home story from you, until then, goodbye! Anna-Malin Lindgren.