3 Outdoor Accessories to Add to Your Summer Yard

Irwin Weiner ASID - Summer decorating outdoors usually means setting out the sets of porch, deck, patio, and pool furniture (lucky you, if you have all four!), but it should also mean accessorizing. Our philosophy on outdoor decorating is the same as indoors: be eclectic and mix up styles and looks and add objects of interest outdoors just as you would indoors. We like the look of "outdoor rooms," and just as we dislike matchy-matchy sets of furniture indoors, we think it's important to break up the monotony outdoors as well. Here are three outdoor accessories that will help personalize your outdoor spaces.

Kadai Fire Bowls (first photo) - We have four fire bowls outdoors, two small and two large, and for years we've been using them as planters. We now realize that they are truly Indian in origin and are used to prepare grilled food for family and guests at weddings and ceremonies. We know they work just fine for planters and water features, but add a tripod or base as shown in the photo, and you have an excellent handmade accessory to add warmth to your outdoor world.

Kensuke Coffee Table and T-seats from The Third Nature (second photo) - What a lovely set of contemporary concrete outdoor furniture! Durable, timeless in design, and intimate, you can add benches and tables in the same style to the individual T-seats and coffee table shown here.

Classico Pergola from Metal Design Furniture (third photo) - A pergola or gazebo creates an instant focal point for a yard, and in the case of the configuration shown in the photo, it helps further define an outdoor room by giving it a suggestion of walls and a ceiling. In this case, one would trail vines up the iron posts and train them to form a green ceiling, perfect for summer dining, conversation, and entertaining. A pergola is the ideal accessory to finish off any space (the Classico and other Metal Design features are availabile in a wide range of colors and finishes).

Bonus

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6 Multi-Purpose Furnishings for Small Rooms

(Altea Relax sofa-bed unit, from Resource Furniture)Janet Ramin - Are you pressed for space? Looking for additional storage? Feeling cramped where you live? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this post can help you. I’m very tough on my furniture – I not only expect them to look good, but I expect them to work really hard for me. How, you ask? I make sure they fulfill a function, preferably several functions. I want them to multi-task!

If you have a small room or live in a cramped city apartment like I do, each piece of furniture I place has to do more than one thing. For instance, this bed from Bo Concept lifts up and doubles as storage space for blankets, sheets, etc. You can even store old design magazines in there. I can then free up my dresser from storing linens to just house only my clothes. If you’re a clotheshorse like me, this is essential!

(Storage bed from Bo Concept)If you have a studio that functions as a bedroom and a living space, then you know Murphy beds are a wonderful solution to store away your bed. Resource Furniture goes one step further – they add a sofa or a desk so that their Murphy unit houses multiple furniture.  The Swing unit below shows a sofa and a bookcase but hidden behind it is the bed which swings out and over the sofa when in use.

(Swing unit from Resource Furniture)

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