Build your conversation area around something interesting by creating a focal point. This can take the form of a fire pit, a coffee table, or an outdoor ottoman to rest your feet. By gathering your seating around something you make it easier to have face-to-face conversation. The nice thing about a fire pit is it creates a campfire-type atmosphere for sharing stories – of the ghost-type or not – and is great for toasting marshmallows. A coffee table or ottoman provides a place to set your drink or put up your feet, which is always a reason to stay a little longer.
Adding layers of greenery with botanicals that grow well in your zone will enhance your outdoor conversation area. Whether it’s container gardening or more permanent surrounding gardens, greenery adds that irreplaceable living element. To achieve it, plant annuals and perennials that will grow in different heights and sizes. For interesting landscaping, add potted trees, ferns, hostas, and grasses for that desirable variety of textures. Get creative with your containers or use unusual objects as pots, but be sure to avoid flowers that attract bees or your guests may end up leaving your conversation zone!
The best way to ensure both you and your guests linger longer is to include plenty of cushions and pillows for comfort and coziness in durable outdoor fabrics. Stripes are a sure bet and a classic summer look – also available in outdoor fabrics are a variety of choices in patterns from contemporary florals to bold geometrics. These modern choices allow you to bring indoor comfort and style to your conversation zone but with outdoor sensibilities.
The options for outdoor art are an endless opportunity to introduce whimsy or even a little quirk into your yard. You can choose anything metal from barn stars to iron sculptures, even old ladders, or obelisks. If you have an empty wall, go vertical with living art in the form of succulents, vines, or espalier fruit trees. Cover a wall in living green art or nestle a fun sculpture among the grasses, anything goes in the great outdoors as long as your art, living or otherwise, can withstand consistent sun and frequent exposure to water. Fountains provide the comforting sound of running water which is attractive to guests and is always a soothing addition to your outdoor space.
One of the beautiful things about summer is that magic moment when it turns to dusk but still retains its warmth. Keep yourself and your guests happy during those enchanting hours as dark approaches by lighting up your outdoor space with globe lights strung casually across the yard or flickering candlelight paired with outdoor lighting that enhances the beauty of the outdoors even when the sun has gone down.”
Shannon is a passionate interior decorator and DIYer and author behind the Canadian blog {aka} design. She lives in a war-era fixer-upper in Ajax, Ontario with her handyman husband and their three children. Shannon can be found scouring local shops for bargains, sipping a decaf soy peppermint white chocolate mocha, scrubbing paint off her hands, and rearranging the furniture (again).
Thank you Shannon for sharing your tips today, I’m definitely inspired to string some globe lights over my outdoor eating area! You can pay a visit to Shannon at her blog {aka} design and catch up on her latest projects!
What’s your favorite way to set the perfect scene for long conversations spent outdoors in your yard?
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Original article and pictures take http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2012/05/create-an-inviting-outdoor-conversation-area/ site
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