Take A Break From the Economy & Market Watch

Don't let the news of home prices continuing to fall and the housing market which shows a decline in home sales get you down. The New York Times (5/28, C1, Bajaj) notes on the front of its Business Day section that there are "few signs of a turnaround emerging. ... While Wall Street is growing hopeful that the economy may dodge a recession, many economists warn that the pain in the housing market may last for several years." The Financial Times (5/28, Bryant), the Los Angeles Times (5/28, Hong), the Washington Post /AP (5/28, D3), and the Christian Science Monitor (5/28, Trumbull) also cover the story. Instead do something constructive that will add hours of pleasure to your life.

So what can we do to lift spirits? We need to encourage people to make a place to go to work and play, a place to relax and retreat from the increasingly worrisome news of the nations current economy. What better place to do this but in your own back yard? Create a landscape that blends into the architecture of the house. Choose plants with interesting shapes, and sizes. Make a statement by planting multiple rows of tulips or an unusual grouping of succulents. Add bamboo or fruit and flowering plants to achieve the aesthetics that are pleasing to your soul.

Create a focal point and work from there to achieve a thought-provoking enclave. It is important to pay attention to color, texture and design as you make a new room to live in outside.

Since people are choosing to stay at home rather than pay the exorbitant prices at the gas station. Suggest that they invest in their home, buy or upgrade their outdoor furniture and accessories. Don’t just advertise sales, tell them why it is so important to invest in themselves. Let your customers know that by investing in their homes they will attain many hours of pleasure, not just a snippet of time that is over before you know it when you go elsewhere on vacation. Promote the idea of vacationing at home. Vacation in your own backyard!

Simple Ideas to Make Your Patio Feel Revived!

Are you looking for some easy and inexpensive ways to update the look and feel of your patio? A very simple idea utilizes a little bit of time and energy but not too much money.The first step is to move the existing furniture pieces to a different location or place it in an alternate arrangement. This is the simplest way to accomplish a new look and feel. This past weekend while I was home with my family, we decided to reverse our deep seating pieces to create a fresh and new look. We simply moved the 3 seat sofa to the opposite side of the firepit, then moved the loveseat to the right of the sofa on the side of the firepit, previously it was directly facing the sofa, and lastly we changed the position of the two spring based club chairs.

This change did not alter the amount of space that we previously were using for this setting. The area now appears to be more spacious, however, this is just an illusion. Yet, it accomplished so much. Now when you look outside you see a completely different outdoor living space. The sofa is welcoming and the space between the club chairs opens up the area for people to enter. Of course we also rearranged the colorful outdoor throw pillows on the sofa, love seat and club chairs and VOILA!! A new room was designed with the greatest of ease.

This is such a simple idea that can be utilized in your backyard. It is nice to move things around, to shake things up a bit. It makes you feel as if you spent a fortune on new furniture, because all of a sudden you see the furniture in a different light. It also allows you to see parts of the furniture that may have been hidden before.

There are other simple ways to make changes, such as changing the color or style of the throw pillows. Or take that a step further and change the fabric on the cushions. All of these are ideas that will give you added pleasure in your own backyard.

These are a few of my ideas. write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake

Don't Let the Gas Prices Get you Down, Fight Back!

The rising cost of gasoline prices are pushing people to stay at home. In a reaction to the accelerated pace of daily life a movement formed called the general slowness movement. According to Chris Welsch of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “ …slowness took off as a concept in 1989 in Italy with the advent of the slow-food movement. What started as a local revolt against fast food has evolved into a philosophy with followers worldwide. The idea that fast isn’t best has now crept into other arenas: Slow Design and slow cities have their own movements. Slow travel refers to traveling at a pace that allows the traveler to fully appreciate the place he or she has traveled to, says Geir Berthelsen, a Norwegian activist who started the World Institute of Slowness in 1999. The idea is to relax more and not return after a vacation feeling like we need another.” There has never been a better time to join the slow travel movement as today.

Perhaps we should take this concept one step further, and rather than considering the process of slow travel, why not no travel. Stay at home this summer and enjoy life in your own backyard. Create an outdoor living space that will provide you enjoyment, relaxation and many hours of fun. Start your day enjoying a hot cup of coffee and reading the news in the paper or on your laptop while sitting in the luxury of your own backyard. Next take a nice long walk or bicycle ride with your partner, child or simply by yourself. Take the time to feel more a part of the landscape, instead of rushing around, notice the scenery, the trees, flowers, birds and beautiful architecture that surrounds you. Discover the little things that go unnoticed in our accelerated culture.

After you return home from your adventure, take a book or magazine that you have been wanting to read for a very long time, but never found the right time, and sit in your comfortable outdoor furniture relaxing against outdoor pillows that add comfort and style to your setting and spend a couple of hours reading to your hearts contentment.

“The slowness movement is all about quality over quantity” says Chris Welsch. Time moves too fast, one moment we are young and carefree and the next we are deeply entrenched with responsibilities and expectations. Let’s take this time in our life to make a change. Don’t spend the exorbitant price of gas to take a trip, instead stay at home.

You can use some of the money that you would have spent on travel to create the outdoor living space that will provide you with hours of pleasure. Buy deep seating furniture to sit back and relax on. Build a structure to enclose or separate a particular space. Add accents in the way of outdoor pillows, drapes and throw blankets. Perhaps install an outdoor television for your viewing pleasure. Add outdoor speakers for you to play your favorite music. Blur the space that separates the indoors from the outside by creating an outdoor living room.

End your day with candlelight or flames from a firepit, while enjoying the company of loved ones and friends in the best place on earth, your outdoor living room under the stars. Simplify your life, downshift your plans, stop and smell the roses and relax. Don’t let the cost of gas get you down, fight back in a positive manner by reducing your consumption… stay at home!

Write and tell me what you are doing about the rising gas prices.

Inspiration

How do you achieve design? It is through inspiration.

You do not need to be creative or a designer to be inspired by some person, place or thing. You just need to be able to identify what it is that inspires you and then either work with a designer or yourself to build upon your inspiration.

Design must be inspired. The first step you take is to decide what your inspiration is. This is really a very fun task. You can think about whether a particular color or an accent piece such as a painting or perhaps a fun or interesting fabric interests you. Perhaps it is a book that you just finished reading or a movie that you saw long ago or recently. Maybe a vacation or a business trip to a new city or town provided the source of inspiration in the landscape or the architecture or the people.

There are an infinite number of possibilities that can stand out in your mind. Take for example some things that inspired me over time like the beautiful antebellum estate in Gone With The Wind







Or the fabulous color of the dress that Amy Adams wore in the recent movie Enchanted






And the impressionist painting by Claude Monet called Water garden and the Japanese Footbridge,



Or the breathtaking views of Tuscany.





Each and every one of these things has given me a source of inspiration for design projects.

Once you identify which particular item you are going to use as your inspiration then you can start your planning. If it is the architecture in the antebellum mansion then you can utilize parts of the home in your design. If it is the color in Amy Adam’s dress you can create a palette that will complement the turquoise fabric and use it as a paint on a surface or within a fabric on the furniture. If you use the impressionist painting you might consider getting a copy and using it as focal point to your setting. There are outdoor pieces of art that withstand the elements from Mother Nature. Once you determine where the painting will be hung you can design around it.

My recommendation to you is to take some time out of your day and consider some of the things that inspire you so that you will be ready for your next design project.

These are my insprations…write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake

How To Add a Focal Point to Your Yard, Garden or Property

Do you want to add a focal point to your garden setting? Consider a gazebo to enhance and brighten a sensational garden scene. These gazebos are manufactured in sections made out of cast stone and come in a variety of styles, sizes and colors. A source for these gazebos is A & M Victorian Decorations, Inc., in El Monte, California. www.aandmvictorian.com

Placing a gazebo in your yard, garden or estate adorns your property with glamour, effortless beauty, elegance and appeal. This is a place where you can retreat to after a long day at work, or entertain on weekends, a haven and refuge from your hectic work day.

This special place can be set with comfortably chic deep seating sofas and club chairs, or a private dining table to accommodate one person or a party of 4-12 depending on the size of your table. You can also use this space for a particular event such as a wedding ceremony, a graduation reception or any other celebration.

The optimal way to decorate this gazebo is with alfresco drapes. Each opening can be enclosed with a drapery panel, or you can accent the gazebo with drapes pulled to the side of the opening with a decorative tie back. The outdoor drapes serve form and function, you can protect against the sun, wind and rain or add that warm cozy feeling of entertaining inside your home wit the luxuriousness of a room adorned with drapery.

These outdoor drapes add color, texture, a beautiful element of design and function. Some companies line their drapes so they look beautiful from both directions. Powder coated rod kits specifically designed for use outdoors are available and can be painted to match the color of the stone or the color of the furniture.

Be innovative and add extraordinary elegance to your yard or garden and be one of the first to embellish with Outdoor Drapes. Bring the indoors out and create the sanctuary that you deserve.

Marcia Blake








Gazebo GA5 - 12' Inside Diameter - Private Residence - Coto de Caza, CA

TREND REPORT!

Trend Report

Have you been OUT & ABOUT lately? Have you seen all of the advertisements in the magazines, newspapers and online? Just take a stroll through Target or go to www.target.com to see that upscale designer fashion for the outdoor room exists just about everywhere you look.

Target has joined forces with Pottery Barn www.potterybarn.com Williams Sonoma www.williams-sonoma.com Crate & Barrel www.crateandbarrel.com Frontgate www.frontgate.com Restoration Hardware www.restorationhardware.com and many more who have jumped feet first onto the band wagon! Now you do not have to go very far to find outdoor living solutions. From the low end to the high end you can find exciting fabrics, throw pillows, outdoor trims, outdoor drapes, outdoor throws, a variety of outdoor furniture and it all looks impressive.

A visual delight that compliments your home can be designed by a homeowner as easily as a designer. Flowing alfresco drapery will add warmth, as well as color, drapes can also add privacy or simply a beautiful and graceful design element to your home and backyard. Plush courtyard pillows add a very strong design element, utilizing texture, trims and color to accent the furniture.

Now you may be asking what you can do to differentiate your outdoor living space? You can be your own designer! Always try to be a little different, not ordinary. Outdoor Interiors offers a design experience for your home. Outdoor Interiors, can help you create an EXPERIENCE that you cannot find elsewhere. We can show how you can transform a setting into an extraordinary scene. We offer the ability for you to design and build your own outdoor throw pillows and drapes which can be down to earth or tres chic.

All it takes is a little help to create the perfect outdoor setting. You cannot walk into Target, Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware and choose the fabric that best suits your space. If you are a savvy shopper understand that you can do it with flair so why settle for less. Design considerations are very important when you are planning a lifestyle space. Don’t settle for less, EXPERIENCE the difference, there is a choice, pick the fabric, trim and design that complements your home, to choose the best!

Don't settle for someone elses choice of fabric and design create your very own dream outdoor living space. These are my outdoor views, write and tell me yours. Marcia Blake

Celebrate Life with Style!

Celebrate Life with Style

Close your eyes and imagine the perfect gathering place. Make your dreams a reality by reaching beyond the ordinary towards the extraordinary. Understated elegance blends with impressive to create a welcoming atmosphere. Whether your dreams are hip & modern or dramatic & classic you can live your dream…make it a reality. It just takes a little inspiration, imagination and passion.

Make it your own is as simple as expressing yourself by choosing the color, fashion, and accessories that reflect your style. The first step is your vision, what do you see when you close your eyes and think of your perfect gathering outdoor space? Take time to realize just how you want to make your house a home. What inspires you? Is it something you find in nature? Is it a certain painting, photo, song or special place? Find the elements within your inspiration that you can translate into the look and feel of your home. Do you want to affect your mood in a soothing natural way or do you want to evoke spirit, fun, laughter and festiveness? Once you determine the feeling that you want to embrace you can begin to choose your color.

The color that you select brings your space to life. Mix and match furniture and accessories with lots of textures and tones of color. Build your favorite gathering place from the bottom up, choose a rug that suits the style that you have chosen, and add to the space with the very important finishing touches. Pillows, pillows and more pillows, candles, trays, artwork and statues add the details to your finishing touches. Be playful and bold or calm and cool, add a hint of nostalgia from your personal style. Make this outdoor living space your destination of choice. Add something very personal to this place to conjure the source of your inspiration instantly. Incorporate the use of outdoor drapes on your open-air room to produce a luxurious yet cozy look and feel.

Always remember to surround your outdoor space with lots of life in the form of trees, plants, vases filled with blooming flowers or branches and twigs to accent a tabletop or table setting. A stylish outdoor throw will complete the look and function well on a cool crisp morning or when the sun sets at the end of the day.

Creating your favorite gathering place and making it warm and inviting enables your creative juices to flow. Share your inspiration in with your family and friends in the best way that you know how by inviting them to enjoy your personal outdoor living destination.

These are my outside views…write a comment and tell me yours. Marcia Blake