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Pieces of
Summer Don’t sweat it! Chill out with breezy tips to give your home that summer cool.
By Jessica Abels CTW Features
Is running out of summer decorating ideas causing more grief than it’s worth? Here’s some advice on incorporating pieces of the season around your home, so you can cool off and relax, knowing that you’ve punched up your porch or added some emphasis to your indoors. Try some of these great ways to make summer decorating fun but not excessive, and give reason to the season of warmth. Nuts about Nature? Allow nature to surround your home. Audrey Long, owner of New Hope, Penn.-based Audrey Long Interior Design, suggests hanging a birdhouse on the porch. “Even if birds don’t come, you’ll still give the feeling of bringing in nature.” If you’re on the shore, she suggests using large shells for candy dishes or as serving containers. Water, Water Everywhere “Adding a mobile water feature is great to create an environment that is cooler,” Liz Ryan, owner of Tucson, Ariz.based Liz Ryan Interior Design, says.
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“There are great freestanding fountains that can be brought out to help create that mood.” Get ‘Rugged’ Small carpets or area rugs work great inside. But, think what they can do outdoors, too. “They’re wonderful because they create that extension of the indoors to the outdoors, and you can even continue your color scheme by choosing complementary accessories and plants,” Ryan says. Swing Along Don’t forget the porch swing! This front porch necessity is a casual fixture that’s as inviting as it is functional. Throw a colorful cushion on it, and leave a blanket across one arm for a cozy opportunity. © CTW Features
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Image courtesy of Pottery Barn
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Destination: Patio By Lambeth Hochwald CTW Features
Not looking to book a plane ticket this year? That doesn’t mean you can’t relax at a tiki bar or enjoy a Zen garden. Homeowners are looking to create their own outdoor escapes with a touch of
flavor from around the world. “Outdoor rooms are about living as comfortably and functionally outdoors as we do indoors,” says Jamie Durie, host of HGTV’s The Outdoor Room and author
The Miami Beach Resort Design Goal: A patio with an art deco feel. “You can either achieve this through a color scheme of white, espresso, silver and stainless steel, or you can opt for more tropical colors to pull together this patio style,” says Will Hayward, creative director of Setting the Space Design, a design firm in Plymouth, Mass. Floors/Walls: “A poured concrete floor paired with slatted wood walkways will make this patio pop,” suggests Lily Gahagan, market editor of Houzz.com, an online community for home design enthusiasts.
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of several home design books. “The trick is to determine how you can best achieve this in your unique space.”
Colors: If you’re going for a tropical look, accessorize with bright pinks, burnt oranges, wild purples and turquoise, Durie says. Furniture: Shop for white wicker wide-weave couches with pale cushions that have a pop of color, Hayward says. Appliances: A gas cooktop for easy outdoor meals. Standout Item: These modern-minimalist Barrow Loungers by West Elm ($329, above right) are inspired by the poolside parties of Miami and Palm Springs.
Image courtesy of Jamie Durie’s The Outdoor Room
As staycations get more popular, homeowners want to make their outdoor space feel like an escape from day-to-day life. These four patio styles will evoke favorite vacation destinations right at home. The Caribbean Paradise Design Goal: A light and airy retreat that feels fresh and beachy. Accent the patio with a lazily spinning overhead fan. “Accessorize the space with tropical trees such as Sago palms as well as Mandevilla plants,” suggests Durie. “Finish the look with brass lighting, colored glass, bright fabrics and outdoor curtains with bright tropical turquoise prints.” Floors/Walls: Stone and teak floors are just right for this patio style, Hayward says. Colors: Use cushions and accessories in bright colors like orange and Caribbean blue in this space. “These colors will inject a feeling of fun into your backyard patio,” says Gahagan. Furniture: Shop for white wicker sofas topped with cushions in white, cream, teal and blue accents. “Or go for comfort with hammocks, loungers and lots of pillows,” Gahagan adds. Appliances: A self-contained outdoor bar with a fridge.
Standout Item: This striped handwoven hammock chair ($94, below) from Ten Thousand Villages will beckon
you to relax – plus, its fair trade credentials make it a socially conscious outdoor choice.
Standout Item: This contemporary water fountain ($325, below) from Soothing Walls is made of stacked
geometric shapes and comes in natural tones of slate and copper.
Image courtesy of Tonya McCahon
The Bali Retreat Design Goal: Think koi pond and bamboo for this patio, which should ultimately feel like a reflective retreat where you can do yoga, relax and meditate. “You want this patio to evoke tranquility and a sense of calm,” Durie says. Floors/Walls: To pull together the space, install floors made of stone, sand, gravel and beach rock, Hayward suggests. Walls can be simple bamboo poles or Balinese carvings, Durie adds. Colors: Lime greens and white work best in this patio, Hayward recommends. Furniture: Shop for furniture, whether it’s seating or a dining room table and chairs, in bamboo and teak, Hayward says. Appliances: Outdoor drawer fridge.
Image courtesy of Jamie Durie’s The Outdoor Room
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Put Your Kitchen Lighting
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on the Right ‘Track’ Installing one light in the middle of the kitchen casts shadows upon workspaces and faces. Using lights that can be repositioned, however, adds highlights and bright spots to make kitchen work a lighter affair. By Matthew M. F. Miller CTW Features
Whether attributed to the rise in popularity of TV cooking shows or the death of the dining room, the average homeowner spends a lot more time prepping, eating and even working in the kitchen. Along with an increase in square-
footage has come an increased need for functional lighting. Where once a single glow sufficed, now multiple-layers of general, task and accent lighting reside. “I see people every day who are saddled with one light in the middle of the kitchen,” says Dan Blitzer, a consulting education director for the American Lighting Association on its
Web site. “This means that everywhere around the perimeter, where most of the work is done, is done in one’s own shadow. To make matters worse, the fixture is usually undersized, and we all need more light as we get older. “Fortunately, kitchen lighting has gone through quite an evolution in the last few years – not only in the type and design
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but also in the areas in which it is placed,” he adds. Track lighting has emerged as the modern solution for aiming light toward the surfaces where you chop and stir, and eliminating shadows caused by direct overhead lights. Under- and abovecabinet fixtures are easy to install in older homes, and allow the maximum light to fall on your countertops and the inside of cabinets, which allows you to track down items inside the cupboard with ease. “Under-counter lights have gone from option to necessity, with the advent of larger kitchens,” says Blitzer. “Halogen gives good color rendition and the ability
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to dim, with none of the humming and swirling of fluorescent.” Modern track-lighting fixtures range from stainless steel to aged iron and offer users flexible, nonlinear tracks and droppendant lights. “This is more specific than just lighting a kitchen,” says Joe Rey-Barreau, a consulting education director for the American Lighting Association and a professor of interior design at the University of Kentucky’s College of Design. Whether the need area is an elaborate island, a small bar or an eat-in kitchen table, illuminating food-prep areas is key
to eye health and avoiding accidents. “Under-cabinet lighting is a good source of lighting, because it reduces shadows significantly and it gives you the light exactly where you need it,” says Rey-Barreau. “It’s important to discuss with whomever you’re buying fixtures from what exactly the light output will be, what direction the light is going and whether it will provide good lighting,” says ReyBarreau. “You need to look at fixtures that direct light downward.” © CTW Features
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