Windsor Inspired Outdoor Furniture

Posted on | April 25, 2011 | 11 Comments

When we first bought the house the thing I was most excited about having outdoor space—even it was really small. I planted a perennial garden on the side of the house and have been brainstorming driveway surfaces that could easily turn into a garden patio in the summer months. This will be a third full summer in the house and we’re still not ready for the driveway, next year or maybe late this fall?

This morning a stack of new catalogs came in the mail and I was flipping through West Elm when I came across the new Dexter Collection. Spindled backs inspired by traditional Windsors but build for the outdoors using driftwood. I like the idea of mixing the collection with vintage pieces like an old trestle bench or metal chairs so it wouldn’t be too matchy matchy.

West Elm’s Dexter Collection Dining Chair, Bench and Fishbone Napkins.

Category: furniture, outdoor

Long Table For Outdoors

Posted on | May 27, 2010 | 13 Comments

I’ve decided on pea gravel as a temporary fix for our patio/driveway. I still need to call around for estimates to find how expensive my ‘temporary fix’ really is. Stay tuned…

I’ve started to think about outdoor furniture. I definitely want a long table not round. I have a ridiculous amount of festive rectangular tablecloths I’ve been dying to use—Yup, that’s me at the John Robshaw sample sales buying every pattern! I tell myself I will give them as gifts. Sorry guys, I’m hoarding them. They like living with me…

Some inspiration above and below. Love the top table discovered via {frolic!}. I’m thinking I want a white table with two benches and two cafe chairs. I saw a cute set on Pottery Barn but now it’s suddenly unavailable? Another cool and kinda affordable set over at West Elm caught my eye too. I wish I could make the table but we don’t have a table saw and it might take me all summer to finish. I’ll keep searching.

3633116506 6ec0fc0590 Long Table For Outdoors

Love the white, long benches, and cafe chairs.

mla102658 july07 figs centerpiece xl Long Table For Outdoors

Long table in a pea gravel setting via Martha Stewart.

3633116428 e61c72b53b o Long Table For Outdoors

I need a long table to display all my tablecloths via the haystack needle.

Category: garden, outdoor

Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

Posted on | May 25, 2010 | 12 Comments

I’ve been brainstorming driveway ideas over the past few weeks. We would love to put in a cobblestone driveway but we still have major work to do on the back side of the house. We need a temporary fix. I want to get outside and enjoy summer. The inside of the house is such a mess and unmanageable for guests. I really need a space we can entertain and bbq.

First off, we don’t have a backyard. We have a large driveway that could fit three cars but we only have one (The garage in the photo is our neighbors). We can park the car out in the street in the summertime but in the winter we have a parking ban. I would love to turn the driveway into a patio space for the summer and then back to a driveway in the winter.

We don’t have much storage in the house or room for a shed so furniture needs to be able to collapse or stay outside year around. Some of my readers have recommended a floating deck. I live in a historic district and a floating deck to me feels too modern.

So what about a peagravel driveway for now? Peagravel is patio-esque? My favorite inspiration is below. Love the driveway tripped with granite, a pretty fence, and peagravel in the middle. I could line the space with containers in the summer to soften up the lines. I think it would be a great inexpensive temporary fix. Maybe we will even end up keeping it?

Below more driveway inspiration from around Marblehead including cobble and brick driveways.

peagravel driveway Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

cobble driveway in marblehead Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

brick herringbone driveway Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

brick patio garden Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

brick driveway patio Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

peagravel patio Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

stone brick driveway Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

cobble driveway with granite steps Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

cobble and brick mix driveway1 Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

brick driveway Cobble, Brick, and Peagravel Driveways

Category: marblehead, outdoor

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