ME DITERRAN EAN LIG HT

STYLE IS IMPORTANT IN EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO. AN OUTDOOR SPACE IS NO DIFFERENT TO ME IN THAT REGARD THAN AN INDOOR ONE. —GREG SALMERI

A planter doesn’t have to be filled with plants to be a showstopper. This Chinese storage urn belonged to Greg’s mom and marks the end of a path, this photo. A ramble of Santa Barbara daisies contrasts with Agave ‘Blue Glow’, opposite.

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1Greg and his dad, Angelo, enjoy time on the patio. 2 A lily pond near the fire ring offers cool contrast and soothing water music. 3 Wisteria and grapevine drape the pergola, creating an intimate, shaded dining space. 4 Enjoying drinks around a warm fire caps off chilly evenings with friends. 5 Hardy geraniums dot a path. “You might have to step over plants,” Greg says. “I like order, but I also like disorder.” 6 An antique French chest stores gardening supplies by the back door.

Greg often repurposes weather-durable pieces that originally were intended for indoor use. An Indonesian teak wedding bed creates a draw to a sunny, open area. Cushions and pillows are covered in outdoor fabrics. Italian cypress trees frame the view. Q

LOUIE THE YORKIE HAS A COZY SEAT ON ONE OF HIS BOSS’S PILLOWS.

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FOR PATTERN DESIGNER ERIN FLETT, GROWING A BUSINESS MEANS WORKING HARD, LOVING WHAT YOU DO, AND ADDING A LITTLE COLOR WHERE YOU CAN.

Erin Flett, opposite, starts the day at her Maine studio with a look at her “Top 10” to-do list. Known for hand-printed home goods with bold colors and simple patterns, Erin does it all: creating designs, printing and stitching products, and managing local artisans. Erin’s daughters, Aryana, 9, and Breshia, 12, set up for an annual sample sale at the studio, this photo.

“My husband, Maslen, and I print a lot of custom orders. We put on music and go—it’s a real connection time for us,“ Erin says, top left. Q Erin creates designs for everything from pillows, top right, to juice glasses, above left, and manages sales through her Etsy site. Q Above right, Louie snuggles with a doll designed by Breshia and Aryana.

STYLEMAKER ERIN FLETT

She runs her eponymous design business with an eye toward simplicity and a little bit of quirk.

HER LOOK I’m a skinny jeans and T-shirt type of gal, but I love to mix it up with a loud blouse, a killer vintage scarf, and the reddest lipstick I can find.

DECORATING STYLE Vintage funky meets white-on-white minimalism. Plus color, pattern, and lots of coffee.

ON BEING A BOSS I hire people I love, who really believe in me, my vision, and my brand.

FAVORITE PLAYLIST Spotify’s “Afternoon Acoustic.”

BEST WORKOUT Screen printing! It’s a lot of work. Your stomach muscles hurt after doing it.

WHY SHE DOES IT To make beautiful, useful things that bring people joy.

ollect things that you love, and eventually your space becomes your story,” Erin Flett says. It’s the mantra for her Portland, Maine-area home, but also for her screen-printing studio built on the sunny second level of an old mill. Since she expanded her hand-printed home goods business from her basement workshop three years ago (and her kitchen table before that), the large open space has evolved to include not only a printing studio, but also a drafting table for dreaming up patterns, an office to handle business operations, and a living room for her daughters to hang out. “I want them to be comfortable here— that’s why it’s set up like a home,” Erin says. The growing business is indeed a family affair, and Erin’s partner is her husband, Maslen. “It’s teamwork,” she says. “He invested in me right away. He built my first printing tables, and he’s the reason I can do what I do. It’s exciting growing something with your best friend, and you can show your kids that if you work really hard at something, you can make it.” Q

Within the large, open space of the screen- printing studio, this photo, Erin defines a living room area by pulling furniture around the edges of a rug. “Bringing everything in closer encourages conversation and flow,“ Erin says. One of her newest ventures is into patterns for hand-tufted wool rugs, including this abstract hollyhock design called “George.

DIY art!

Download free screen-printing instructions plus five patterns—including one by Erin! BHG.com/ ScreenPrint