10 Pretty Patio Looks | Idea Interiors

Today's entry is an ode to summer living in the city.  

 Whether you own a patio, porch, sun deck, rooftop, backyard or

country garden, all  you need is a little imagination and some ingenuity to create a unique look 

The most interesting patios, have furniture that doesn't match!

 I must admit there is a fine art to picking and choosing what looks good together,

so as not to create a junk pile.   Practice makes perfect!

In this entry  you'll find inspirational setting and tips on how re-create these looks

Above, matching  wicker chairs and wicker throw pillow create
symmetry, the colours are what brings everything else together.

Above,  my own Montreal terrace houses a  113 year old day bed, purchased for $100 at a local

 flea market called Finnegan's in Hudson, Quebec. This year I used a painter's drop cloth, purchased for under

35$, washed it and cut it to sew new covers for all the pillows. 

An inexpensive fix for easy wash and wear. 

The large pillow with French writing is actual a doggy bed that I bought at Winners. 

The cotton blanket is from IKEA , and the trunk was found in the trash. 

With a small can of flat black paint, and some plants, inexpensive and instant garden style!

Again the trick is not to 'match' everything so that it doesn't look like a cookie
cutter garden set from a  store magazine, but that it has a unique feel. 

Cascading plants and wooden floor planks create urban jungle above.
The Chinoiserie styled credenza brings the inside out!

Use your imagination!  Go BOHO!

 The setting above and below were done as part of a design challenge for Home Depot.  

The painted deck is such a terrific idea.  Easy to get rid of when you're tired of it too! 

 Here a stencil was used for extra drama.  

Notice, that you can create privacy with a curtain rod and fabric. 

 And of course colour is king here, with the multiple pillows in vibrant hues.

Punches of colour above also add drama, from the fuchsia pink outdoor rug,  the letter F, 

to the bright coloured  pots and pillows.  The furniture is the staple brown and beige, but it doesn't 

have to remain dull.  Drab goes by the wayside with these punches of pink and orange.  

A uniquely do it yourself mirror is added to the boarded backdrop to create a feeling 

of the indoors outside!

A sleek hotel style deck featured above,  is serene with its' crisp lines.
Black and white theme make for a classic look.
   The piece de la resistence here has got to be the canopy, created by
 using parachute fabric.  All the rage in the Mediterranean these days!

The pretty in pink setting above is just that!  Pretty! Don't let the colour intimidate you.
 If and when you tire of it,  just sew up a new batch of pillows or even dye them!
 Turquoise, bottle neck green,or blue and white stripes would work equally well.
The built in sofa might take some manoeuvring but can be copied using wooden planks!

The advantage to having a patio  or deck is that you get a 'bonus room' in summer time.
 Here,  it seems like an additional living room, with it's crisp couch, outdoor rug and shock
 of turquoise on the garden stool.  Note there are 3 on this deck!
    Who wouldn't want to while away the hours here?

 Easy and inexpensive!  Create a sail using anything at all, from a drop cloth to a bed sheet, or
 a large inexpensive swatch of fabric. Even potato sacks sewn together would work!  Note how
the chairs and little tables don't match at all except for the white tones.
 It appears to be almost the deck of a small sailing vessel, doesn't it?
Anchors Away!


Enjoy summer wherever you are this month!