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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Truly Fine English Antiques & Accessories

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Still so many memories from the invitation-only opening night preview of the latest Antiques, Art & Design at the Armory show this past September 21 at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC, co-hosted by Ellie Cullman, Jamie Drake, and Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin.

With my South African orientation to all-things British, it was a pleasure to peruse the booth at Michael Pashby Antiques. When I asked the NYC dealer what his favorite items were, he said, "They're all special - otherwise they wouldn't be here." Well put. One of my cardinal rules in decorating a home is to include only those items which are special enough to be there. No waste, no dross, but just things you love and want to live with. Well, I could certainly live with the sandalwood and engraved ivory writing slope (Vizagapatam, India c. 1820 - top photo) ... or the exquisite pair of George III armorial mahogany hall chairs (English 1795 - above, middle photo) ... or the rich "plum pudding" Cuban mahogany George II tripod table (English c. 1740 - below, top photo) ... or the exceptional Charles II lacewood oyster veneer decorated walnut and fruitwood cabinet - on a stand with silvered feet, no less (English c 1680 - bottom photo). 

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Village House in India

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Irwin Weiner ASID - When I was in India shopping with a client a few years ago, it struck me how beautiful the countryside was. When we found this video about one fellow's walk around the outside of a traditional village home (quite grand, actually), we fell in love with the videographer's charm.

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