Happy Tuesday everyone and welcome to the May Blogger Home Tour where myself and eight of my blogger besties share our favorite outdoor spaces ready for the warm weather! I’m excited to be sharing a chic colorful and cozy outdoor living room that I finished just the other day. It may be just under 120 ft.² but every foot is packed with texture, color, pattern and loads of style. In addition to the back patio we gave the front porch a little makeover with a welcoming seating area fit for a Queen. Let’s bring the warmth outdoors!If you’re swinging over from Styled with Lace, I’m so glad you’re here. Doesn’t Kim and Lacey create the most beautiful outdoor spaces? And what about their gorgeous homes?  Makes you want to jump right into their feeds.

Thawing Out & Chilling Out

How excited are we that Spring is finally here?  Starting in March our mailboxes are stuffed with beautiful magazine teasing us with mini oases. We dream of spending more time outdoors and soaking up every bit of sunshine. I have been ready for warm weather ever since we came back from Florida mid February.  You can say I’m a very patient New Yorker.

 Back in January, I posted on Home Decor and Design Trends for 2017 and top of my list was creating mini personal home getaways whether it be  a “she” shed, napping porch, tree house, reading nook or backyard oasis designed to help you unplug and unwind. Gone are the uncomfortable folding metal outdoor chairs and picnic tables and IN are the all weather beds, sofas, rugs, accessories that blur the standards between outdoors and indoors.

Designers that Travel

A few weeks back a dear friend Tara ask me to help her give her front porch and back patio a Spring outdoor living room makeover. Sure she had the grill and a few metal patio chairs but it was never the place to entertain or spend any length of time. And with her gorgeous park like setting back yard it was a shame.  I have pretty much touched every inch of Tara and her husband Charlie’s Rye, New York home. Her cedar clapboard two-story colonial sits high above The Blind Brook and is walking distance to Rye’s Oakland Beach and The Long Island Sound.

We immediately started with the front covered porch. This stone porch is the perfect place to relax and listen the babbling brook just steps away. Its the ideal spot for morning coffee and quiet time. With the tall pitched ceiling we needed a piece that would stand up to the elements. I chose the super comfortable Aldous Chair with its durable all weather wicker frame and cushioned seat back and pillow. The sloped arms are big enough to hold your morning coffee! We added a ceramic garden stool for all Tara’s reading materials and finished off the sitting area with candle lanterns and a fresh topiary tree for ambiance and added color. It’s now so welcoming and adds great curb appeal.

For this New York City commuter couple coming home to unwind is at the top of the list. I was eager to help Tara and Charlie so I turned to my friends at Raymour & Flanigan. I had a few of my favorites outdoor pieces pinned but this cozy seating area needed to be packed with style, functionality and color AND all fit into this small outdoor living room space.

Rolling Out the Carpet

These days outdoor carpets are so chic, durable and affordable.  If your outdoor space is without a rug well you’re missing out big time. There’s nothing better than taking off your flip flops, high heals or sneakers and walking on a soft surface. Layering is key when choosing carpets. I wanted to brighten up the brick pavers with a graphic happy patterned rug.  With this blue and turquoise oversized ikat rug as my blank canvas I got to work on choosing my key pieces.

Squeezing Style in Every Square Inch

The flat space of the paver porch was small so getting the most seating possible was a important. We chose the Braelyn 4-piece outdoor set. This set comes with an ottoman and a stone colored textured Sunbrella fabric. I never really understood the quality of weather resistant fabric until we bought our cottage. The sun and elements can take a beating on fabric and nothing gives it back to Mother Nature like Sunbrella. It really makes a difference.  I love the gray washed wicker body of the sectional and it’s contemporary clean lines. No large rounded arms taking up valuable real estate and all four pieces are interchangeable. Can you imagine creating one huge long sofa?  We even played around with the ottoman and the end creating a chaise and then the ottoman in the corner without it’s cushion creating a corner end table.  Having flexibility is such a bonus especially when entertaining for larger groups.

Finding Inspiration

I always love to start a room with an inspirational piece that sets the tone for the space. For this patio is was this outdoor iron and mosaic side table that Tara had just purchased. I didn’t need to go much further for my color scheme.  Shades of blue and turquoise with accents of grass green, yellow and red. We topped her off with a marble urn and moss orb, a bud vase and silver cup with fresh hydrangeas blooms from the front yard.

A Garden Stool with Many Hats

Nestled in front of the table I picked a turquoise double coin ceramic garden stool. You know me and my turquoise obsession and I cannot say enough how much I love garden stools. I happen to have at least 4 around my home.  The uses are endless. They’re such an affordable way to use as an extra seat, plant stand, foot stool, small table all while taking up such little space and adding so much color. Never mind if something spills on it. I could go on but you get the idea. Go get yourself a garden stool and thank me later.

Finishing Touches

We shopped for bright colored accent pillows for the sectional and a large wooden tray to put on the Ottoman for when it came time to entertaining.

We mixed textured wovens with graphic florals and bright colored patterns. Who would ever think that outdoor pillows would become so durable and beautifu!?

A turquoise and gold vintage glass vase, a bright pitcher and coordinating Pelligrino bottle threads the color thought the whitewashed wooden square tray.  A silver bird keeps the cocktail napkins from blowing in the wind.

Successful Pattern Scale

I especially love the subtle chevron pattern of the wood tray. It plays nicely with the patterns on the rug. When layering patterns pay special attention to the size of the pattern. Patterns too close in scale create choas. Rather concentrate on small, medium, and large patterns so that no two compete. Here the rug pattern is the largest scale, the chevron of the wood tray the medium and the pattern on the throw blanket and pillows the smallest. Let them know who takes the lead.

In the corner just coming down from the steps we angle the companion Aldous side chair. The addition to this chair squares off the seating area.  This comfortable chair is big enough for almost 2 people! The outdoor living room was shaping up! 

Bright seasonal flowering plants like azaleas and hydrangeas and add bright pops of color and fragrance.

Creating Balance with Color and Form

We brought out Tara’s indigo blue garden table and placed it just to the right of the sectional.  The deep blue pulls out just enough from the accent pillows and ikat rug. Tara and Charlie and ready to entertain family and friends or each have their own side to stretch out on, enjoy a cocktail and catch up on each others day’s events. I was lucky enough to be the first person to enjoy this space. And to think that we created this outdoor living room all in under a week.

Wait There’s More…

Thanks for stopping by the May Home Blogger tour. I hope that I have given you inspiration to create your own mini oasis. It’s the perfect day to head on over to to one of my all time favorites Kathleen from Lindsay Hill Interiors. Her home is all ready for Spring and don’t forget to check out her new online shop that just launched last week.

Make sure you take the time to see the other participating bloggers. We all bring something a little different with loads of inspiration to take in.

Kathleen Lindsay Hill Interiors  ♦ Joan 2 Ladies and a Chair  ♦ Summer Summer Adams Designs  ♦ Sheila Maison De Cinq    ♦ Tamara Citrine Living ♦ Kim and Lacey Styled with Lace

I’d love to hear what your outdoor living room spruce-up plans are. There’s still time to catch the sun!  Lots of love,

Amie

  • I have partnered with Raymour & Flanigan and received products in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% mine. Amie Freling

10 Comments

  1. Reply

    Kathleen

    May 16, 2017

    What a lovely oasis you’ve created for these lucky homeowners, my friend! Gorgeous!

    xo

    Kathleen

  2. Reply

    Jeanne Allen

    May 16, 2017

    Amie, I can’t decide which piece I love the most! What a great use of space!

    • Reply

      memehillstudio

      May 16, 2017

      Jeanne! We need to concentrate on the lake! Cant wait to get there and see all the changes.

  3. Reply

    Joan

    May 16, 2017

    Hi Amie,
    I love this beautiful peaceful space you have created!!! You are the queen of color…the colors are gorgeous. I need that squat garden stool, love it!~Joan

  4. Reply

    Tamara

    May 17, 2017

    Amie this is stunning my friend! I love how you’ve used the space so well – I love the furniture and all of your layers! What lucky friends you have!! xo

  5. Reply

    Sheila Irwin

    May 17, 2017

    Amie, this is so gorgeous! Your friends have an amazing yard, but you’ve really taken it to the next level. I’m loving that cute blue and white rug so much (in fact, I’m thinking I need an outdoor rug now!) And I’m definitely stealing that gorgeous cement pot if I’m ever in your neck of the woods:)

    Wonderful job!

    Sheila
    xo

  6. Reply

    Kim Hazel

    May 17, 2017

    Amie what a gorgeous , cozy and welcoming space! I’d love to hang out here every summer night!
    Great job!!

    xoxo,
    Km &Lacey

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Amie Freling

"Life's too short for white walls .." Amie Freling-Brown, a Rochester, NY-based designer and artist who transforms ho-hum spaces into works of art. Her creative designs can be found in many fine homes, restaurants and businesses. Her work has been featured in national magazines, on HGTV and has been sold through retailers nationwide from True Value Hardware to Nordstroms. She proudly offers such professional services as design, staging, color consultations and fine art.

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