Last spring, my daughter and I took a class at “Noble House Furniture and Design” in Bountiful, Utah. https://noblehousedesign.com The focus of this class was to learn how to decorate our outdoor spaces into places that are comfortable and inviting. We’re going on 18 years in our dream home that we loved every second of building together. I know, call us crazy! I think we are the only people who were sad when the building process was over, and we moved in. The dreams of the different areas inside and outside our home have taken time to come to fruition, but anything worth the effort often takes time.

Ron is an excellent “yardener” and I love watching him care for the yard with precision and care. He is most particular about his grass. Living in Utah we have mosquitoes, which make outdoor living a bit challenging during various times of the day. However, we love sitting outside on our back porch in the shade taking in all the beauty and hard work Ronnie puts into the yard – at least until the mosquitoes drive us back inside the house at dusk.

After taking the class at “Noble House,” I came home with a renewed passion and determination to complete this project. The first thing was to get rid of the old lodgepole pine bench/swing/loveseat, the slivers were not inviting. The second thing was to get rid of the two “Polywood” chaise lounges we thought we wanted, but when they arrived, we didn’t love them. Thankfully, some friends have a pool, and they were happy to take them off our hands! It’s pricey mistakes like this, that paralyze my décor decisions at times. By this time, I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like and had already done a lot of research to find the perfect furniture, outdoor rug to put it on, and the accessories to make it warm and inviting. Just like inside furniture, superior quality is not inexpensive. It’s ok to tackle projects worth doing a little at a time. It makes the end result so much more rewarding, to have saved and sacrificed for the things you want to surround yourself with.

Because we have severe East Winds here at times, HEAVY outdoor furniture is a must. I also wanted something we could leave out year-round that would not fall apart after being subjected to Utah’s cold, harsh winters and hot 100 degree plus summers. I decided a few years ago to go with the sturdy, sustainable furniture produced in the U.S.A. by “Polywood.” It is made from recycled milk bottles and other items made from the same material. https://www.polywood.com/products/vineyard-curveback-adirondack-chair-ad600?variant=45792450707683 I chose four “Vineyard” curve back Adirondack chairs in the “sand” color, not because they were my favorite style, but because they were on sale. I couldn’t resist the sale price, and I like them almost as much as the design I liked a little better.

I don’t like purchasing any kind of furniture that I can’t sit on to make sure it’s comfortable first. Happily, we were at an outdoor treat place a few years ago and they had Polywood Adirondack chairs in many different styles. I sat in all of them and decided the curve back was much more comfortable than the straight back chairs. I also like the height that makes it easy to sit down and stand up from – not too low to the ground like other brands of Adirondack chairs. Another selling point is the rounded front of the seat that doesn’t dig into the backs of your legs. They are so comfortable, they don’t even need a seat cushion, although those are available from “Polywood.” I got the chairs and the outdoor rug last year, and this year added two, “Two-Shelf Side Tables” because I wanted a place to add some décor on the lower shelf, and the “Round 36” Conversation Table” because I love the look of the legs. The set up is perfect, and a place we will enjoy for many years. It is possible to have a comfy cozy outdoor living space!

I found the outdoor rug on Amazon, and was pleasantly surprised by the affordable price, quality, design, and color options – it had to be the right color of green 😊. I also love how it’s held up through last summer and winter! It washed up nicely with a squirt down of the hose. Nicole Miller New York Patio Country Danica Transitional Geometric Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug, Green/Beige, 7'9"x10'2"

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0996B7B19?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I also ordered an all-weather outdoor rug pad. It took me until this year to get the energy to move the outdoor rug, cut the pad to put under it, and move the rug back on top of the pad. I wish I had done that last summer as it helps the rug dry much faster.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQWCWS3?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2

Had I not taken the class at “Noble House,” the patio would not have turned out as lovely. Today, I completed the accessories. I’ve never been a fan of faux outdoor flowers, but the quality of faux flowers has come a long way in the past few years!

After my trip to London last summer and seeing the outdoor faux floral arrangements all over the city, I decided I would follow suit. I searched for durable flowers that are UV protected not to fade, and most are made of real-touch plastic or rubber.

They really do look real without the maintenance of having to water them. A few weeks ago, I had a friend challenge me to do an act of service for myself and make a floral arrangement for me.

It’s been a while since I’ve played with flowers, and I spent the day happily arranging a large faux floral patio arrangement, one medium sized one, and four small ones.

I chose containers I love and have had for many years. I brought them inside, scrubbed them until my shoulder said they were clean enough, and then went to work with the fun part – filling them with flowers!

I gathered the flowers from “Modern Display” in Salt Lake City, https://moderndisplay.com “J & J Garden Center” in Layton, https://jjgardencenter.com and “Hobby Lobby” also in Layton. https://www.hobbylobby.com

Because I hate spiders, I didn’t want them to think my new flower arrangements would be a good place for them to make their homes. I did some research and found these natural peppermint oil moth balls on Amazon. They are supposed to work on spiders, ants, roaches, mice and rats. Thankfully, I’m only concerned about the spiders!

These are safe for humans and pets and can be used indoors or outdoors. I wouldn’t recommend using them indoors as the smell is extremely strong! But for outside, I hope the spiders don’t like the smell either! I tucked one at the bottom of each arrangement, and I’m grateful the smell subsided when I put them out on the patio.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DS1CYGVQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I’ve also had my eye on this frog succulent arrangement from “Olive & Cocoa,” an online store based in Salt Lake City, for a couple years now. https://www.oliveandcocoa.com/product/Succulent_Frog/floral-gifts Succulents do well outside as long as they don’t get too cold. For the next few weeks I will bring him inside at night, until the risk of frost is gone here in Utah. But he looks happy and content on the coffee table. I used the green ceramic plant tray that came with the ceramic pot I made the large arrangement in, since it won’t be needed under the faux arrangement.

I like to add something to soften up the hardscapes, and the cute block print cloth napkin from “World Market” was the perfect finishing touch. https://www.worldmarket.com/p/mint-and-blue-floral-paisley-block-print-napkin-641538.html

With the arrival of spring, my soul was filled with LIGHT yesterday as I worked to finish this long-awaited project! Ronnie and I sat outside for a while last night and enjoyed the beauty that surrounds us! We are truly blessed!

The challenge this week is to get started on a project you’ve been putting off. Choose one that will bring LIGHT and joy into your life each time you look at it! This week, choose a project to serve yourself.

When our own buckets are full, we have more to give to others. Have a great week and go create something! 😊

Love Ya, Les 😊

Create

Outdoor Patio Décor