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March 19, 2008
Posted by: Kate Hart at 10:14 am
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As a home staging professional one of the things I notice is that people do not take advantage of all the space their home offers. Outdoor living spaces are frequently neglected. Often times I see decks and patios becoming dumping grounds for old broken toys, mismatched furniture, dead plants and the all important bug zappers. Imagine if these outdoor areas had the same comforts your indoor rooms offer and became seasonal living spaces where you can entertain friends and family?
Creating an outdoor living area is easy. Adding a few decorative touches can instantly transform an unused porch into a sitting room and a deck or patio into a cocktail lounge.
If you have a covered porch you can literally bring the inside out:
• Create a cozy seating area by adding a colorful throw rug to the wooden porch and dressing up the outdoor furniture with a few decorative pillows.
• Have an extra side table indoors that you are not using? Add it to the mix along with a lamp for some illumination at night- make the sure electrical cords will not get wet if it rains!
• Complete the look by adding art to wall or the side of the house. Metal scrolls and wooden plaques are weather resistant and give an elegant look to the space.
A patio space can be used for more than just outdoor dining:
• Create a cocktail lounge by adding some chairs grouped around a low center table or fire pit. To encourage guests to linger here, add some pillows with weather resistant fabrics in fun textures and patterns.
• Add painted urns and ceramic pottery to give color to the space. Add a few to the seating area filled with bright annuals or aromatic herbs- you never know when someone’s mojito may need a fresh sprig of mint!
• For a finishing touch, swap out your typical outdoor candle holders for decorative lanterns or candelabras. Soon your patio will be the swankiest meeting place in town!
Creating an outdoor living space can really enhance the way you use your home. What hidden rooms have you discovered your home offers lately?
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1. I love outdoor decorating. I live in Missouri and with temps in the summer reaching 100 degrees or more at times, we need to get out and enjoy the cooler spring weather as soon as possible. A few years ago I invested in a gazebo to place on our patio -wow!- what a difference it makes to have some shade-we use our patio much more often than before the gazebo.It creates a little ‘room’-and, of course, another ‘room’ I can decorate! I love the little string lights and the chinese lanterns that are available now. Bright colored seat cushions covered in an outdoor fabric, add instant freshness and pop to maybe… not so new outdoor furniture. I also love the outdoor table and floor lamps- they really offer a ‘room-like’ feel. Add a few potted geraniums and that will do it! HomeGoods is again a great resource for all these spring accents.
Everybody get out there and get those patios and porches ready for spring-I know I will be!
Carolyn
by Carolyn — 3/19/08 at 5:27 pm #
2. Kate ~
I am eagerly awaiting the warmer weather so I can get outside and decorate, bring my patio furniture out and get some color out there! It’s been a long winter!
by Kathy [...] — 3/19/08 at 6:48 pm #
3. This morning I power washed my porch and planted daisies in the urns next to the front door. I placed 2 white ceramic bunnies on the bistro table-I am ready for the Easter Bunny this weekend and so are my three grandsons when they arrive for their egg hunt.
by Cathy [...] — 3/19/08 at 7:13 pm #
4. Hi Ladies,
Thanks for stopping by my latest blog.
Carolyn- your gazebo sounds beautiful. The lanterns sound like fun and the colors warm and inviting. I think adding accessories is an easy way to dress up not so new furniture and besides that is my favorite part of decorating anyway! Have you considered adding a fountain? There are some great free standing models that are solar powered.
Kathy- I too am looking forward to decorating my outdoor spaces. My patio seems so empty and cold. Make sure to check back next week for my other post about using your outdoor areas.
by Kate Hart — 3/19/08 at 9:02 pm #
5. Hi Cathy- That sounds lovely. I wish the weather was warm enough here to plant daisies! I love keeping a pair of simple urns by the front door and changing the annuals depending on the season KH
by Kate Hart — 3/20/08 at 6:31 pm #
6. Hi Kate! We are very spoiled here in California with nice Spring weather right now. I stopped into our Moraga Home Goods store tonight and purchased an apple green linen table cloth for my patio table. We may be able to eat lunch outside Easter Sunday. The camelias and roses are blooming. I am hoping for a sunny weekend.
Cathy [...]
by Cathy [...] — 3/21/08 at 1:06 am #
7. Hi Cathy- I am so jealous that you have such nice weather! I hope you enjoy your Easter luncheon- the garden sounds like a perfect setting. KH
by Kate Hart — 3/22/08 at 9:46 am #
8. Hi Monica,
Thanks for submitting a comment to Openhouse, the new HomeGoods blog.
We understand that you have been trying to locate a wreath. As an off price retailer, we make every effort to keep our prices low, and our costs down, so that we can pass these savings on to our customers. For this reason, we do not provide a service of tracking merchandise, In addition, we do not have the privilege of ordering specific merchandise from our vendors. To locate the wreath, we suggest that you continue to check with the stores in your area directly. We would be happy to provide you with store locations in your area. If you would like a store list, please call our Customer Service Department directly at 1-800-888-0776.
Thank you,
Jessica
HomeGoods Customer Service
by Jessica — 3/26/08 at 2:29 pm #
9. Hey Kate – The summers in Chattanooga are HOT and HUMID so I don’t go outside much. BUT you can see our patio from our keeping room and great room. Last year I picked up the cutest French flower vendor cart from Home Goods and filled it with a few plants and some of my Southern Living at HOME items. Along with that as my focal point, I have some chairs, a sofa and a fire pit so there is a lot to look at. We do go on the patio more in the spring and early fall, so it isn’t JUST for looks. I also am involved with Dog Rescue and my furkids love the outdoor decor.
by Judy Butterfield — 4/1/08 at 11:48 pm #
10. I was in your Broomall, Pa. store recently and saw a pergola that was 14′x14′ and was beautiful. The stores in our Southern New Jersey location don’t have it or anything like it. Can you tell me if it is available in any other sizes and if our area will be carrying it? Thank you.
by Grace Drexel — 4/2/08 at 6:40 pm #
11. Hi Grace,
Thanks for submitting a comment to Openhouse, the new HomeGoods blog.
We understand that you have been trying to locate a pergola. As an off price retailer, we make every effort to keep our prices low, and our costs down, so that we can pass these savings on to our customers. For this reason, we do not provide a service of tracking merchandise, In addition, we do not have the privilege of ordering specific merchandise from our vendors. To locate the pergola, we suggest that you continue to check with the stores in your area directly. We would be happy to provide you with store locations in your area. If you would like a store list, please call our Customer Service Department directly at 1-800-888-0776.
Thank you,
Jessica
HomeGoods Customer Service
by HomeGoods Customer Service — 4/3/08 at 11:19 am #
12. How do I view the item on the site. I am trying to view the outdoor furniture.
by Treva — 4/13/08 at 9:49 pm #
13. Hi Treva,
At this time, HomeGoods does not offer a service of on-line shopping. However, we may in the future and suggest that you register for HomeGoods e-mail to keep up with all the latest information regarding HomeGoods.
We appreciate your inquiry.
Sincerely,
Jessica
by HomeGoods Customer Service — 4/14/08 at 4:48 pm #
14. Hi,
Does Home Goods have an access for their customers to have a person come to the home to share your thoughts on where to begin inside and outside decorating ??
Of course for a fee
My husband and I are NOT savvy on this and need help beforehand.
We will save in the long run if we have help ahead
Please advise
Peggy
by Peggy — 4/21/08 at 7:07 pm #
15. Hi Peggy,
HomeGoods does not offer a program of designers going to customer’s houses. However, we did create this blog, not only so we can share the great items we find at HomeGoods, but also so we can share great decorating ideas.
We hope it will help you!
Thank you,
Jessica
by HomeGoods Customer Service — 4/22/08 at 10:17 am #
16. I was in your store in Delray Beach, Florida and they had blue chairs tables and l in cream called Fantasy Collection. They were wrought iron and sold for forty dollars each. I have been trying to find the chairs in green. I also looked in your Boca Raton store but to no avail. I cannot find these chairs. Any help would be appreciated.
by Grace — 6/29/10 at 7:28 pm #