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Ways to Create More Space in the Garden

March 29, 2012 in Creativity with 0 Comments

Today I have a guest post from Nisha Sharma. She loves to write on tips for designing and decorating the home, including speciality items like spiral staircases.

Many people these days live in homes with limited yard space, but they nonetheless enjoy gardening as a hobby. Some people use even small gardens as a way to supplement their grocery bills with fresh vegetables and culinary herbs. Small gardens need not appear cramped and overgrown, though. There are ways to make small spaces appear larger as well as to maximize available space to get the highest yield of vegetables.

Creating the impression of more space in a small garden involves the use of a few basic optical illusion techniques. Warm colors always seem as if they are closer to the viewer, while cool colors appear farther away. Plants with warm-colored foliage and blossoms such as red, yellow and orange should be planted towards the front of the garden. Cool colors like white, green, blue and purple should be placed in the back. This will create an illusion of distance, making and it seem as if the garden goes back farther than it actually does.

Dark colors recede, so a dark wall at the back of the garden will also make a small garden look larger. Over-sized, cumbersome outdoor furniture can be replaced with smaller-scale items to better fit in with compact yards. The old trick of using mirrors indoors to make tiny rooms look bigger is applicable to outdoor living spaces as well. Placing a full-length mirror in a strategic location in the garden will create a reflection that gives the impression that the garden has more space. The mirror should be as unobtrusive as possible; concealing the edges with plants will help to accomplish this.

Trees can draw the eye upwards, making small areas seem bigger. The trees selected for this should be appropriate for the size of the garden. Climbing vines and trellises can also be used to create height. There are many varieties of climbing roses that are more than suitable for this purpose. For those who like to change the look of their gardens on a yearly basis, annual climbing plants such as morning glories, nasturtiums and blue-potato vine are all excellent, sturdy climbers that provide strong, long-lasting seasonal color.

Well-placed hanging baskets are another way to create height. Hanging baskets can also be used to plant vegetables in. Cherry tomatoes do especially well in them, and they also keep the plants high off the ground so that household pets or wandering neighborhood animals won’t be able to relieve themselves on them.

Pathways should be constructed with smaller tiles than what might be used in a larger area, and non-plant areas should be kept well-defined but minimized to avoid a cluttered look.

If the object is to simply have more available space rather than making it appear so, the homeowner with only a small garden has the option of partially or completely foregoing having a lawn. Lawns can be time and labor intensive, and while they can look nice, they have little practical function beyond providing play areas for children and pets. Adult-only, pet-less household should consider using more of their yard space for the garden and having a minimal lawn or even none at all.

Smaller homes with smaller yards are a trend these days, and many ways exist to make them appear more spacious.

7 things that should be on every patio

July 26, 2010 in Art, Creativity, Outdoor furniture, Teak patio furniture with 0 Comments

So you’ve built yourself a magnificent outdoor area, a patio the envy of the neighbourhood and now you are wondering what you should put on it.

Well rest easy. Here at Patio Furniture Info we have some sound advice for you.

# 1 Dining table and chairs

When the weather is far too good to stay indoors you will want to be eating outside on your patio. So it’s vital to invest in a durable and stylish outdoor dining set. You will use this setting to enjoy cool of the morning breakfasts, family meals, lazy lunches and a whole array of gatherings. So ensure you research this item well and purchase what you are really going to enjoy.

# 2 Hammock

Hammocks are for lazy people. And in the frenetic pace of today’s world couldn’t we all do with some moments of pure indolence? Go ahead and spoil yourself with a colorful hammock that will become a private retreat for you and that novel you’ve been meaning to read forever. The work will wait.

# 3 Outdoor lights

Carefully placed outdoor lighting creates a mood and ambience that will both relax and enrich. It’s very important to get the design right so do your research, get some sound advice and invest wisely in outdoor lighting.

# 4 Art

Art is often the missing element in patio furnishings. We often furnish our home with paintings, sketches, photography and son on but we often neglect to bring our art outside into our entertaining and relaxation zones. It’s not compulsory to make patios art free zones so insert some flair into your outdoors with art that complements you and your tastes.

# 5 Outdoor lounge

When those gentle summer breezes are blowing what better to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon than lay on your outdoor lounge. If you have teak patio furniture make sure you add some brightly colored cushions to your lounge to give that lift and sparkle that patio furniture often lacks.

# 6 Patio umbrella

A vibrantly colored patio umbrella can be a dramatic addition to any outdoor area. Its color will immediately a sense of life and verve to your outdoors. Visitors will comment on it. You will love it. Make sure you aim for bold primary colors that feel fresh on a summer’s day. Trust me, an umbrella will enhance your patio furniture.

# 7 BBQ

I state the obvious but a BBQ is an essential item for the great outdoors you have created.

So there you have it seven items that should be on every patio.

Wicker Outdoor Furniture to create an artist patio

March 6, 2010 in Art, Creativity, Outdoor furniture with 1 Comment

If enhancing the comfort of the patio is your prime motive then patio cushions play the most important role in doing so. The first thing that you should do is search for the right kind of the patio cushions that adds on to the style of the patio furniture and creates a unique aesthetic appeal in your patio. The bench cushions, lounge cushions, swing cushions, chaise cushions and wicker cushions are the most common forms of patio cushions. The type of furniture you have in the patio influences the type of cushions needed in the patio.

Suppose you have wicker furniture in your patio, you can compliment this furniture with a pair of wicker cushions. It also gives you a chance to match the shapes, for example: you have furniture with rounded edges, and then you can choose the rounded cushions. It is also easy to get the customized versions of the patio cushions. Selection of the right type of cushion is very important because the cushions should complement the furniture not dominate them, it should create a subtle harmony in the arrangement.

When speaking of patio theme, your patio furniture plays the key role in setting the right tone for achieving a particular kind of look and feel in the patio. You can choose teak patio furniture to create a near-artistic natural appeal in the patio and complement the feel with the help of matching accessories in the form of furniture covers and patio cushions. For a more affordable option with authentic feel of wooden furniture for its natural appeal one can opt for wicker furniture as a useful option.

The furniture should be protected well enough with a stylish outdoor umbrella which meets your individual requirements. You can opt for a standard outdoor umbrella or an offset outdoor umbrella which offers greater convenience of use. Usually, wooden frame umbrellas come easy on maintenance and lend a unique artistic feel to the patio setting. Outdoor umbrellas should preferably be weather-resistant to afford better protection to the furniture. The canopy should be made of a material perfect for withstanding weather and is also known for its stylish appeal.

If you are looking for durability at a low cost then Aluminum frame umbrellas as the outdoor umbrellas for your patio are the best option. Even the fiberglass umbrellas are a good option as they are more attractive and also provide a good durability. The only problem with such types of umbrellas is their high price. If you are looking for some innovative element in your outdoor living space then you can also get the customized umbrellas made that also gives you the option of having a signature patio umbrella. Choosing the right kind of patio umbrella compliments the outlook of the patio settings.

It is very important to make the guests feel at home, and to do this you need to ensure a higher level of comfort to the guests. This is the time when the patio heaters are in picture. Using these heaters enables you to provide your guests a warm and cozy ambience. There are various reasons of having the patio heaters installed in the patio, just make sure that you don’t select the heater as per the taste and preference rather check for the other factors also. In case you have a large patio then you should go for a larger heater so that it accommodates everyone present there.

Buying a large size heater is always not the solution, in case you have a medium-sized or rather small patio then you can go for the average-sized patio heater. In case you keep shuffling the patio setting or even relocating the patio then you should always go for the portable patio heaters. However, in most of the cases, a fixed installation would come handy. No doubt about the fact that there are various different outdoor heaters available and you can choose the heater depending upon the fuel that they use. Out of the various heaters the Propane outdoor heaters is the most common one that is preferred by the majority because of the easy maintenance and the affordability.

You can also select the finish of your patio heater in accordance with your preference and lend a creative touch to your outdoor heating. It is also very much relevant because the finish of the heater determines its level of resistance to weather to a large extent. If the finish offers a good level of protection from sun and moisture, it would make for just the perfect choice for your patio heater. Usually, patio heaters are employed to keep the guests warm and cozy. However, you can also opt for a portable fireplace to lend an even more authentic feel to the environs and explore the true aesthetic potential of your patio.

Kenny Leichester is a foremost expert in the interior design industry specializing in the outdoor or patio settings using outdoor patio furniture, patio heater, outdoor cushions, patio lighting and so on to create exquisitely beautiful layout. His work on patio umbrellas designs and so on are widely distributed and is a regular contributor to PatioShoppers.com.