Getting Wired: Outdoor Wire Chairs

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

Toby Scott for EST

In my quest for cushion-less chairs for our back deck, more and more wire chairs have been catching my eye. With their ability to withstand the seasons and the fact that they don't obstruct the views beyond, I'm on the hunt for at least two...preferably in a bright hue like yellow! While they may not be as comfortable as padded options, I wouldn't need to be running out to collect cushions with every rain shower and a seasonal change of colour would be a quick can of spray paint away...

 OWI

 Elle Decor. Photo by Nicolas Tosi.

Desire to Inspire

 Hive Modern

AB Chao

 For the Common Good

Alexandra Angle via La Dolce Vita

Not just for the outdoors, vintage wire Bertoia and Eames chairs mix and match easily with many a decorating style and keep the views open from one space to the next. If I find some similar wire chairs in my thrifting travels, I'll surely be bringing them inside and around my dining room table for the winter..wish me luck!

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

Weekend Project: Decorate Outside

Sunset's latest issue has a section on upgrading your yard �this clipping; a Santa Monica backyard updated by garden designer Jamie Durie.  One idea was to add acrylic exterior wallpaper to a garage wall.  Although I haven't found any product like that - they also mention oilcloth would work too (suggesting retro floral or bold patterns �like Marimekko). Paint, wallpaper, oilcloth - whatever the medium it's a fun weekend project we think. (Image from Jamie Durie's The Outdoor Room (2; Harper Design) via Sunset Magazine.

Also love these single pot container gardens they featured where they're ditching the idea of using annual flowers and instead using succulents, shrubs and grasslike perrennials.  By Julie Chai | Set Styling: Birte Walter | Photo's by Thomas J. Story.

Cool outdoor sign (that also serves as a light).  From San Francisco branch of H.D. Buttercup.   By Kathleen N. Brenzel | Photo by Thomas J. Story.

I purchased my Sunset magazine using the Sunset app for the iPad available here.

Communal Dining: Feasts + Fields

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

Beth Helmstetter Events via Style Me Pretty

The school year is drawing to a close and I for one am counting down until the dog days of summer! Late dinners, leisurely mid-week get-togethers with friends and lazy mornings all spell vacation to me (although the novelty could very well wear off by week 3!) and some of my favourite memories have always been those last minute meals shared with friends. You know, the ones where everyone just grabs what they already have on hand and come together for a potluck of sorts. It seems I'm not the only one with such fond memories and there has been a revival of communal bread breaking lately. Organizers such as Feast to Fields and magazines like Kinfolk celebrate locally grown food, farmers and chefs while bringing people from all walks of life together at one table. I would love to attend a similar event one day, especially one hosted in a picturesque field, orchard or venue like the following...

Design*Sponge

 Rue. Photo by Jose Villa.

Casa Vogue Brazil via Trend Tablet

Hans Blomquist

 100 Layer Cake. Photo by Jackie Wonders.

Stacey Van Berkel via My Paradissi

Kinfolk. Photo by Parker Fitzgerald.

Whether celebrating a special occasion like a wedding or spending a casual evening with friends or family, there's something to be said for the simplicity of joining together at one long table to share food and conversation. Meeting new people, tasting new foods and learning where what we eat actually comes from are important habits to learn and teach to others, would you agree? And I'm seriously dreaming of owning at least one of these gorgeous harvest tables!

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. 

Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. 

You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

Light it Up: Outdoor Lanterns

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

 Ikea Canada

Candlelight sets the mood for just about any occasion, warm summer nights included. Whether hanging from a tree or used as a table centrepiece, lanterns are the perfect way to light up your outdoor space...and everyone looks better by candlelight, wouldn't you agree? Lanterns have more impact when grouped together and here are just a few of my favourites...

 Style Me Pretty. Photo by Stephanie Hogue.

Stylizimo

Terrain

DIY Lanters + Vases from Ruffled

Huniford

No need to break the bank for your next dinner party, simple Mason jars can be found at any thrift store for 10 cents apiece. Leave them as they are or give them a quick coat of spray paint for an instant colour boost. And they make great gifts too! Is it happy hour yet?

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

Hanging Around: Hammocks + More

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

2 Friends & 2 Cities

Father's Day is only a few short days away and I'm on the hunt for a hammock to give to my husband. We have the perfect spot to hang one, between two large fir trees in our backyard, and I know he'd love to have his own space to stretch out and unwind once the summer sunshine finally arrives. It should be nice and peaceful too, only a few feet away from our trampoline, ha ha!

Alexandra Angle

Serena & Lily

Hans Blomquist for H&M Home

Elle Decor. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

Tropicalia Hanging Nest via Apartment Therapy. Designed by Patricia Urquiola

Annixen

There's something so peaceful about hanging hammocks and chairs, don't you think? Shady afternoons spent swaying in the wind with a good book seems like the ultimate in relaxation...unless you suffer from motion sickness, of course! I have a feeling there may be some serious competition for the "money" spot once our new hammock is strung up! Which style would you choose? My budget is small so odds are pretty good I won't go for the $8500 hanging nest by Patricia Urquiola in the second to last picture! I'm leaning towards something very similar to the one in the second image but preferably with a canvas body....and hopefully some stripes. Wish me luck!

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

At Leisure: Outdoor Lounge Chairs

Guest Post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

 Better Homes & Gardens

Summer may have been slow to start here on the West Coast but she sure is making up for it in a big way! Sun, sunshine and more of the bright stuff is in the forecast for the week ahead and the kids and I have been soaking it up (with the right amount of SPF, of course) as much as possible. While I did end up finding my husband a great hammock for Father's Day, I like nothing better than stretching out with a new magazine or good book in my trusty lounge chair. But I think I could be just as comfortable in one or two of these relaxing outdoor spaces too...especially poolside or oceanfront!

Dia Rao via Design*Sponge

 DIY Cushions by Martha Stewart

 Jean Randazzo via Cococozy

Ian MacDonald Architects  via Desire to Inspire

 Lonny

Day Bed Tutorial by The Apprentice Extrovert

I bought a new red and white striped lounge chair cushion in the As-Is section of Ikea at the end of the season last year and couldn't be happier with it. Isn't the DIY day bed above so inviting? Looks like the perfect perch for the end of a long day...although I'm pretty sure my kids would immediately take over! Enjoy the sunshine and be sure to get some R&R in!

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

Family Living: 9 Backyard DIY's

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

1. Build a table:

 Better Homes & Gardens

The summer weekends are slowly ticking away and I don't know about you, but we haven't checked off nearly as many little projects around the house as we had planned! We've got a lot on the go for the next few weeks too so I have a feeling that we'll just have to save them for the fall (or next summer!) but here are some great outdoor DIY's that I would love to accomplish at some point in time...

2: Plant a fairy garden:

 The Gardeners Anonymous

3. Build a fort for the kids:

Lowes Creative Ideas

4. Make stump stools:

Photo by Tonya McCahon for Natural Home and Garden 

5. Build a half pipe: (my husband actually built one for our last house but it didn't come with us)

Photo by Prue Ruscoe of Inside Out

6. Pretty up the driveway:

 Better Homes & Gardens

7: Host a movie night:

Prairie Hive

9. Hang a hammock: (ok, so not exactly a DIY but this is one project that we actually did do!)

Birch + Bird

You might remember one of my earlier guest posts featuring hammocks so I thought you might like to see the one I chose and also get a little sneak peak of our backyard. While not much of a DIY, it has been the perfect place to rest and daydream about the next projects on our list! What outdoor plans do you have in the works?

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. Lily is also opening a new storefront in Abbotsford later this Fall. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.

Broad Horizons: Outdoor Rooms with a View

Guest post by Lily Ellis of Birch + Bird.

 Style At Home. Photo by Stacey Van Berkel-Haines

Summer seems to have some commitment issues with our corner of the West Coast and it's hard to believe that our furnace is still in regular use! All of this torrential rain does have at least one upside though...our whole town and valley is incredibly lush and green right now and we can almost watch our backyard plants growing. On my evening walks with our dog, (damp though they have been) I can't help but feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful place, nestled amongst the hills and mountains. From the countryside to the coast and plenty of cityscapes in between, here are some views that I would be perfectly happy to take in during on a balmy evening with friends...

 Janne Peters

 Elle Decoration Germany via On Blue Pool Road. Photo by Solvi Dos Santos.

Skona Hem 

 Canadian House & Home. Photo by Stacey Brandford.

 Home Life. Photo by Prue Ruscoe.

My Home Ideas. Photo by Tria Giovan.

Has summer already arrived in your neck of the woods? Or are you wistfully dreaming of hot sandy getaways like I am? Whatever your summer plans may be, hopefully they include at least a few warm sunsets and wide horizons like these!

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Lily co-writes with Rachel over at Birch + Bird. Together they organize local handmade + vintage markets and run a small Etsy shop. You can follow Birch + Bird on Facebook and Twitter.