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Outdoor Ideas

Decor, Outdoor Ideas

Outdoor Design Ideas to Make the Most of Your Space

Make the most of summer by creating an outdoor living area where you can enjoy a barbecue by the poolside in the company of family and friends or take some time out to be on your own and enjoy a book in the sunshine. The first step to designing an inviting outdoor space is deciding what style you want the result to embody. For example, do you want a modern look with contemporary lines and minimalistic features? Or would you prefer a rustic look incorporating chunky furniture and embellishments that bring them to life? Either way, another important consideration is the functionality of design elements so that the space you set up is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. Follow these outdoor design ideas and tips to help you make your outdoor living space comfortable, functional, and cohesive. 

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Decor, Interior Design Ideas, Kitchen Ideas, Living Room Ideas, Outdoor Ideas

A Guide to Declutter Your Home Before Entertaining

Your job, family, social life, and other commitments can make it difficult to always keep everything around the house ship-shape. Many hosts have to pull everything together very quickly when it comes to wining and dining guests. Why do so many cherished furnishings and accents suddenly look so shabby and tired? What counts as clutter anyway? 

Here are some suggestions to help you declutter your house in time for the party!

women Decluttering bedroom
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Decor, Outdoor Ideas

Patio Pick-Me-Ups

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

Ready to kick summer living into high gear? Give some attention to your patio! This crucial living space functions as an intermediary between the indoors and the outdoors, making it the perfect shaded oasis for the season.

Whether your patio is where you dine alfresco or lounge after a dip in the pool, these are my five tips for making this a space you’ll want to use every day.

Create boundaries
Set your patio apart from the rest by creating some physical boundaries around the space. Depending on your style, you could use pots, shrubs or trellises covered in vines to create a clear division between the patio and the lawn or pool area. Once you have those boundaries, the patio will be easier to decorate because you can treat it as you would an indoor room.

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Decor, Outdoor Ideas

Gardening time = family time!

Hey there happy homemakers! What color are your thumbs?

If you answered, “Green!” well, good for you! But if you answered, “Brown!” well, that’s just fine, too, because I’ve got some tips for you to make home gardening easy peasy. Planning for a spring garden has many benefits. Here are just a few:

  • It brings the family together!
  • It’s fun!
  • You can get messy!
  • It beautifies the outside of your home!
  • You can grow your own food!
  • It’s inexpensive!
  • It promotes creativity!
  • It teaches kids about science!
  • It can provide floral décor for your home!

Ready to dig in?

Here are some simple ideas for quick gardening projects you can do with your family!

Head to the arboretum
Who knows flowers best? The folks at your local arboretum! It’s a great place to gather ideas for your own garden, so snap some photos and take note of your favorites during your visit.

Visit your local community garden
If you don’t have the space for your own garden at home, a community garden is another way to plant and grow! These are becoming more and more popular, so odds are there’s a community garden near you.

Sign up for produce delivery service
A weekly produce delivery service (like Greenling.com) can be an economical way to enjoy fruits and vegetables and even try new ones you may not have considered working into your weekly meal plans before.

Plant seeds on a windowsill
The simplest of gardening techniques, the old dirt-and-seeds-in-a-paper-cup trick will produce the results you’re after if you take care of your seedling.

The Urban Gardener: Indoor Window Gardens

Head to a nearby home improvement store
The simplest way to get from no garden to garden is by heading to Lowe’s or Home Depot and simply buying some plants or flowers and planting them yourself! Make a day of it and plant them as a family. Just be sure to make a plan before you start digging!

Do some kitchen scrap gardening
Odds are you’re throwing away some items that could easily be turned into plants. Don’t believe me? See for yourself here.

Grow some bulbs
Not just fun to say, bulbs are fun to grow as well! Check out this tutorial, which includes how to make a growth chart, too!

Remember, spring grows however and wherever you plant it. So if real, actual gardening with live plants and flowers doesn’t work for you, there are lots of other ideas all over Pinterest (check out our boards for examples) for ways to bring on spring. And at Home Zone, we have all the home furnishings you need for a fresh spring home. Come visit us today!

Bree