Your patio today forms part of your extended living area. When decorating it, try to incorporate an element from the indoor living area – be it a colour theme or decor trend. At Terrace Living we suggest the following steps to our clients;
We’ve definitely still got a good few hot summery days to look forward to, but there’s no denying that winter is inevitably going to catch up with us at some stage. The stores are already stocking winter decor and clothing and it’s time to start thinking about making your home winter friendly.
It’s always nice to spend time outdoors on those odd warm summer days, with a few warm throws and a fire roaring. But you don’t have to leave your outdoor furniture in the rain all winter. Bring your outdoor furniture indoors and add some key items to create a cosy, rustic feel to your living area.
Get a few throws in neutral colours that you can drape over your furniture to create a cosy atmosphere and soften the outdoor elements of the furniture to incorporate them indoors. Also add a few scatter cushions to create further soften and warmth and seamlessly blend your outdoor furniture with the rest of your home.
We’ve had a look at some of summer’s outdoor activities that you can do at home before, and today we continue in that thread.
Entertaining others. Few things are as pleasant or satisfying as inviting friends over and feeding them, making them feel welcome, and conversing with them. Here are a few ideas in entertaining at home this summer.
Host A Morning Brunch
Lay out a big picnic blanket with lots of pillows around and a low table just off to the side. Set up a breakfast of yoghurt, fruit and croissants. If you have the time, make some home made jam the day before and serve it with cheese for the croissants. Use colourful plates and napkins to keep things summery.
Host An Afternoon Tea
With tea cups, scones and sugar cubes . Use jars of various shapes and sizes for a sweet flower arrangement and make cucumber sandwiches for your guests to nibble on. Host your tea party under a big tree in the garden and add pretty pillows to your outdoor set.
Host A Chinese Braai
Set out bowls of cubed chicken, beef, and pork along with bowls of baby mielies, pak choi, slices of carrots and bean sprouts. Also set out bowls of cooked rice and noodles. Allow your guests to make up their own selection and braai it on a big Weber pan in some sesame oil and soy sauce. Serve with chop sticks and enjoy under the stars with some Chinese lanterns hanging from the trees.
Summer means one thing: spending time outdoors. Soaking up the sun, tanning on the beach, hiking, walking and holidaying at wonderful seaside destinations. But with the new year in full swing it’s often hard to get away. Weekends are mostly spent at home with an odd weekend at a holiday home on the off chance that everyone in the family can make it.
But just because you aren’t on holiday, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still make the most of the summer sunshine! Summer is not over yet and there are still lots of hours to be enjoyed in the heat. There are so many outdoor activities that you can enjoy at your own home. Here are some fun ideas on how to make the most of your home this summer.
Sprinkler Fountains
We all have memories of playing in the sprinklers as kids. Whether it was running through them as they wet the lawn, or “making it rain” with our arms stretched above our heads, this garden tool provided hours of entertainment, whether there was a swimming pool around or not. These days there are all kinds of innovative attachments that make a variety of sprays for pretty much every occasion. From huge spinning sprays to fine mists for lounging under on the hottest of days.
A Mini-Holiday At Home
There’s nothing quite like feeling you’ve made the most of your weekend. Why not try a mini-holiday at your own home? Spend Friday buying all your groceries for the weekend: braai meat, fresh fruit, supplies for a Saturday morning fry-up and don’t leave the house for the rest of the weekend. Prepare everything ahead of time, from your loungers, umbrella and magazine stack, to the fluffy towels and clean linen. Make a deal not to turn the TV on for the whole weekend and spend time around the braai until the sun has set and it’s time to make smores.
Create A Mini-Garden
Get your hands a little dirty and create something beautiful and satisfying. A mini garden is a gorgeous feature and something that you can be proud of putting up. Herbs, flowers, anything you like, these gardens are also perfect for homes with limited garden space or as a key feature in a larger garden.
Build A Fort
Kids who love nothing than sitting indoors playing on game consoles all day long can be coaxed into a little outdoor time with the promise of a great fort. Fort’s time time, and are a bit of a mission to disassemble, but the fun they provide is all worth it. Make sure that you have lots of old sheets and large pieces of fabric, a nice big space in the garden and use garden furniture of various different shapes and sizes to make your forte an interesting labyrinth.
So don’t spend these late summer months watching reality TV, get outside and enjoy the sunshine!
Following our last post on the colour red, we continue in the same theme today. With winter approaching, here are a few ways to incorporate red into your home to warm things up a little.
Teamed with these black and white prints, these key orange-red pieces and matching coat of paint warm up the room with a classy, sophisticated look.
Patterns and colour blocking with statement pieces and touches of gold give a cozy, exotic feel to this beautiful library.
Teamed with pinks in various flowy fabrics, red and pink cushions bring romance and an element of sexiness to a bedroom.
Terracotta red as a statement wall gives an earthy, rustic feel to this room and goes beautifully with the unvarnished wooden floors and simple, classic wooden furniture.
Whichever shade of red you prefer, there are endless ways to incorporate it into your home this winter.
All images via Elle Decor.
Bees can’t see the color red, but they can see all other bright colors. Red flowers are usually pollinated by birds, butterflies, bats, and wind, rather than bees
Attention all Capetonians! Terrace Living has opened a stunning new showroom in 349 Albert Road, Woodstock. The new showroom replaces the one in the Palms Centre in Main Road, Woodstock, and will feature the same classic outdoor furniture ranges along some exciting new collections.
The new showroom is close to the trendy Old Biscuit Mill and we’ll be running some exciting store opening promotions so be sure to stop by when you’re in the area!
In the last in our series of posts about classic furniture designs, we take a look at one of the all-time great female designers, Florence Knoll. Born in America in 1917, Knoll had the privilege of studying under legends such as Mies van der Rohe and Eliel Saarinen, and even briefly worked with the leaders of the Bauhaus movement, including Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer.
Originally only an architect, Knoll moved into furniture design purely to meet her own needs. She worked closely with interior designers at her and her husband’s store, and only designed new pieces when the existing pieces in her collection did not fit with her vision for that particular space.
Her background in architecture is clear when looking at her furniture – Knoll often translated great architectural designs into human-sized furniture pieces. In this glass coffee table, you can clearly see aspects of the glass and metal skyscrapers that became so popular in the earlier half of the 20th century.
The design has been adapted for outdoor use in this Tendo table available from Terrace Living.
In the second of our three-part series on classic furniture design, we take a look at French design legend Le Corbusier’s Petit Confort chair. Originally born in Switzerland, Le Corbusier became a French citizen in 1930 at the age of 43. He is probably better known for his buildings than his furniture pieces – his focus on improving the lives of urban city-dwellers put him in great demand around the world. However, when he started designing furniture in 1928, he created one of the most iconic and imitated chairs in the world.
The simplicity and comfort inherent in his design has firmly cemented Le Corbusier as one of the all-time great furniture designers.
The design has also been adapted for outdoor use in this Serena arm chair, available from Terrace Living.
In the first of a three-part series on classic furniture designs, we take a look at one of the most iconic pieces of the 1960s – Finnish designer Eero Aarnio’s Ball Chair. Aarnio had just opened his first office after studying at the Institute of Industrial Arts in Helsinki when he introduced the Ball Chair.
Taking a space-age approach to his design, Aarnio surprised the designing community with this futuristic chair. It has been copied by designers around the world, and has made several cameo appearances in pop culture – movie buffs will recognise it as the chair in the 1997 Will Smith movie Men in Black.
The design has been loosely adapted for outdoor use in this Carmen round daybed, available from Terrace Living.
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