Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
58° F Dallas, TX
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On This Rainy Cold Day We’re Dreaming Of Pretty Patios

By Joslyn Taylor |
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patio

(Tracy’s patio picks: 1. Malm fireplace 2. RS Barcelona Paper Eiffel accent stools 3. Trina Turk pillows 4. Kettal Maia hanging chair 5. Shoji Modern solar-powered lanterns)

 

Sure it’s drizzly, and cold, and grey…but it won’t be for long. It’s Texas for the love of Pete, it could be 100 degrees next week. Rain be damned, it’s time to start prettying up the patio. Lucky for us Ryan did a little roundup of lovely pieces for eating al fresco earlier today on the D Home blog, and our D Moms design maven Tracy Martin Taylor is here to share her tips, tricks, and finds for creating a comfy and chic outdoor space.

Enjoy!

*******

By Tracy Martin Taylor

Here in Dallas, we have some clearly defined seasons. There’s football season, State Fair season, and duck-into-the-air-conditioning-and-hide-from-the-sun’s-punishing-rays season. And then there’s my favorite season of all – spring.

When spring fever strikes, and I find myself hungry for fresh air and greenery, I follow my instincts and head for the nearest outdoor space – my patio deck. Even though we’ve been neglecting these spaces for the past few months, it’s now time to celebrate the season in our very own pieces of backyard paradise. If your outdoor haven is in need of some seasonal sprucing, then I have a few recs to make your outside time more fab. After all, it should be party worthy, right?! Grab the littles, clear out the cobwebs, sweep away the old leaves, and pick up a few key pieces that you can put to good use before the Texas summer scares us indoors once again.

 

I like to think of my outdoor spots as extensions of my indoor living room: a great place for entertaining and a worthy home for a fabulous statement piece. You know the piece that draws the eye your favorite living room? Try to find that special something for your outside happy place.

Here are some of my faves:

  1. A Fetching Fireplace — Bring some mod flair to your clambake (do we even have clambakes in Texas?) with a Malm fireplace, or pick up a bold Modfire Urbanfire if you’re working with a small space.
  2. Some Pint-Sized Design — As a mama of a girlie, most of our shindigs include a gaggle of littles. Why not encourage a love of design among the younger set with Eames Elephant chairs or RS Barcelona Paper Eiffel accent stools? (Both also look fab in a playroom.)
  3. Pretty Pillows — If you’re not ready to commit to all new outdoor seating, you can easily update your existing patio furniture with a few colorful pillows from Trina Turk. Secret trick: I love to use these indoors as well since they are fun and the outdoor fabric is indestructible.
  4. A Swell Swing — The outdoor egg swing at Smink is a stylishly comfy way to relax in the sun. I love the woven twist on the ever-popular egg chair. (Plus, I’m a fan of any excuse to have a chat with one of my fave Dallas design mavens, Autumn Smink. Lovely lady.)
  5. Lovely Lighting — And don’t forget to toss your old smelly tiki torches and replace them with some solar-powered lanterns form Soji Modern. Your outdoor shindig can last well into the night, and the lighting will make your gathering warm, comfy, and…who am I kidding? You’ll look fab in the evening light!

 
Love your space,
TMT

 

For more design inspiration from Tracy, be sure to check out her blog.

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