I love spending time in my yard as the weather warms up in the spring and throughout the summer months.  The flowers are blooming, a gentle breeze is blowing, and everything smells wonderful.  If you love spending time in your yard, why not create a comfortable outdoor room where you can curl up with a good book or spend time with family and friends?

 

The first thing you need to do is look at your yard and figure out how you'd like to use your outdoor room.  If you like dining al fresco, you're going to need a barbecue or an outdoor kitchen/bar area.  A dining table with enough chairs to seat your family or friends should be comfortable and durable for outdoor use.  Choose a round or rectangular table for maximum seating.  Iron furniture holds up extremely well.  I love the look of wicker, and the synthetic wickers that are now available look very natural and will withstand the elements.  Seat cushions should be made of 100% acrylic.  Acrylic is the only fabric that won't fade or disintegrate in the sun.  You can even leave them out in the rain!  If you don't have a patio cover, be sure to get a table with an umbrella for protection from the sun.  I have a retractable awning that covers my entire back patio.  It's great for instant shade when you want it and can be easily opened and closed with a remote control.  What convenience!  If you have a covered area under an upstairs deck you can even use your outdoor room while it's raining.  READ MORE 

Decorative boxes are a great addition to your home decor for a variety of reasons.  First of all they come in many styles and colors, and will add some personality to your decor.  They're also extremely functional.  One of the best uses for a decorative box is to put it on your coffee table to hold all of your remote controls.  They'll be out of sight, and conveniently accessible when you need them.  You can also use them to hold jewelry, hair accessories, keys, paper clips, rubber bands, or any other loose items that need a home.  There are even boxes that look like books to hold your valuables.

Here are some of my favorite decorative boxes that you can find on our Designer Home Accessories & Accent Furniture Online Boutique. 
   

 

This handsome  Jordan Decorative Box has a deep brown crackle finish and bronze nailheads and detailing.  This box is perfect for your family room - It makes a statement and adds character.

 

These charming Dominick Boxes would be wonderful in a home office or kitchen.  The larger one can hold file folders, and the smaller one mail or stationery.  They're made from plantation grown mango wood with aged ivory hand painted details.

 

Take a look at our variety of beautiful decorative boxes.  I hope that you find one that will work perfectly in your home.  Remember that you can save 25% on your purchases now by entering SUMMERTIME in the coupon code area.

I love sharing "before and after" photos. It's so much fun to see the changes in a room. I love seeing the reaction of my clients when we complete a project, but seeing the actual before and after photos is incredible. You can see a slideshow of "before & after's" on my website under Portfolio, but I'd like to showcase one in this newsletter each month where I'll comment on the project. 

'Before'	'After'

This family room was very large, but as you can see in the 'Before' photo, the area in front of the windows was wasted space.  A doorway into the room on the right of the windows and a French door to the back patio on the left created a traffic pattern that didn't allow a furniture grouping on that wall.  My clients told me that they really needed additional storage and more seating for large family gatherings.  I came up with the idea of a window seat along that wall with drawers below. The clients wanted a beachy, cottage look, so I used several different fabrics that brought in a variety of color, pattern and texture.  I also used white beadboard drawers and starfish knobs.  The window seat added personality and color to the room and helped to unify this area with the main seating area. 

  

You can see more photos and more views of the transformation of this comfortable room in the portfolio section of my website.  If you'd like some help transforming a room in your home, just email me.  I'd love to help you.