All decked out. Part trois.

So do you remember this past May when I first shared with you how ugly my deck looked?

Yah, it wasn't that pretty. Being a rental, it had been neglected for a few years before my arrival, followed by a few more years of neglect after I moved in. No coin + no idea how to make the space usable = ugh.

But I've been busy over the past month or so (and may have spent a little bit along the way). Check it out - 

Not too bad, huh? How about from this angle?

Or if I focused in on some of the greenery?

I had a lot of fun putting this space together. Though I had pots on the deck last summer - successfully growing two tomatoes and a bunch of strange tasting lettuce, the space never really felt like it was living up to its full potential. In a lot of ways it kind of felt like that wasted space that a lot of people have - a catchall for all of their crap.

My goal in putting the space together was to create somewhere where I can come and kick my shoes off, sit, relax, have a drink and just forget about the world. Somewhere where time stands still and I can just enjoy my plants, the birds, the sun and my white-trash neighbours in the apartment below yelling at each other.

I had a few of the components when I first started - my BBQ and the tin star that I picked up at Winners years ago. The rest of the pieces came along slowly but surely. With each pay cheque a few more elements arrived. First the big pieces like bistro set from JYSK, cushions from Real Canadian Superstore, followed by the hanging baskets & plants also from Superstore and the black plastic urns from Canadian Tire.

Once I'd pulled the major pieces, I added in some eye candy like the candle sconces that I picked up at Value Village for $1.99 each, the cylindrical vases on the table - also a Value Village score and the coloured bottle tea light holders - snagged for $2.00 each at Dollarama.

I love how my planters turned out. I'd originally planned on going with ferns for the hanging baskets, but when I started to realize how much they cost I figured that it would be cheaper to go with flowers and trailing greens. In reality, I'm pretty sure that I spent way more on the plants for the hanging baskets, but they look gorgeous.

I went with a fairly basic colour pallet for the plants - red geraniums, salvia (I  totally thought about Miley Cyrus when I was buying it....), blue lobelia, a really cute trailing plant with yellow flowers - similar to that of a petunia and lots of fillers. I love plants, but I'm the first to admit that I can't remember their names to save my life. As long as they grow and look pretty then I'm happy. Oh yah - three types of mint & some other herbs....

So there you have it. Deck done. Now, time to just kick-back and enjoy. It's finally feeling like summer out there (two months later than usual)....time to cram as many mojitos in (complete with my own fresh mint....your choice of spearmint, peppermint of actual mojito mint). Bring on the sun (and fake *cough, cough sick days)!

The final rundown - 

Bistro Set - JYSK

Cushions - PC Home Collection @ Real Canadian Superstore

Wire Baskets & Coco Liner - Real Canadian Superstore

Nexgrill BBQ - McDiarmid Lumber

All Plants - Real Canadian Superstore

Black Plastic Urns - Canadian Tire

Cylinder Vases & Candle Sconces - Value Village

Coloured Glass Bottles - Dollarama

Candles - Zellers

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Dan's do's and don't for outdoor entertaining.

Last night Mister and I had a chance to enjoy the new bistro set for the first time. Mister made his feta chicken burgers and I burnt grilled some asparagus. It was awesome to just enjoy being out in the sun and kickback after a long day in the office. 

While eating, we started talking about all of the things that we'd like to do this summer. And while we've got loads of ideas and adventures planned for the next couple of months, the one thing that we're both dying to do is entertain our friends on my deck - nothing formal, just a couple of good ol' fashioned BBQs / poker nights. This got me thinking about what goes into making a great evening outdoors and some of the do's and don'ts of making the evening enjoyable for everyone involved.

Therefore, I bring to you my official list of do's and don't for outdoor entertaining.

Do take seating into consideration. Your guests might enjoy milling around the food and drink table for awhile, but at some point they're going to want to sitdown. Consider picking up a couple of cheap folding chairs, or hit up someplace like Canadian Tire that carries folding benches that can seat two or three guest. Plus when you're done that take up little space.

http://www.mcdiarmid.com

Don't forget that it is summer and that there's mosquitos and bugs all over the place (especially if you live on the Canadian prairies). Nothing kills an evening faster having your guests sitting around swatting at mosquitos. It can be the nicest night outside but if your guests are being eaten alive don't expect your party to go into the wee hours of the morning. 

There are several options available - from candles and torches, to electric zappers or fogging a few days before your event. It's worth the time, energy and extra coin to do so. Your guests will thank you.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Do invest in plastic or acrylic dinner and serving ware. While I love my friends to death, there are few that can be a bit clumbsy from time to time (or after they've had a few glasses of wine), so I'm definetly investing in some acrylic stemware this summer to prevent breakage of my good stemware.

There are loads of options available at a number of different price points. I'll be hitting up my local Real Canadian Superstore for some tumblers and also some wine glasses. They look awesome and I can continue pouring drinks without worrying about cleaning up glass shards later in the evening.

http://www.houseandhome.com

Don't forget about lighting options for when it gets dark. Have you ever tried playing cards in the card? It's not that easy is it? If your space comes equipped with exterior light fixtures, consider putting in a stronger wattage of bulb for the evening of your event - it can easily be switched out to a lower wattage unit for when you don't want to see every square inch of your space. Also, consider adding accent lighting to your space to create a more intimate feel. It seems like each season retailers are coming up with more and more options for great outdoor accent lights - everything from lanterns and rope lights to candles, lamps and chandeliers that can be used with tealights.



http://3.bp.blogspot.com



And while there are loads of amazing pieces out there that you can spend oodles of money on, there are also some great ideas that are very inexpensive. Paper lanterns with battery powered tealights can be had for under a couple of dollars each, tealights that you can place in glass juice tumblers that you already have are a dime a dozen. Or consider something unique and different like using lightweight wire to hang clear glass canning jars from a tree or from the beams of your covered deck? This idea might take a bit of time, but who beautiful would a scene like below look at your next gathering? That and your guests will be raving about how creative you are.

http://www.narratives.co.uk

Do consider non-alcoholic drink options for those of your guests who may not drink, or those who wish to limit their alcohol intake. Most people have the usual 'mixes' out for their guests, and while this is fine and dandy, it can get a bit boring. Check around online to find different 'mocktail' recipes. Also, next time you're wandering around the supermarket pickup a sparkling water like Perrier and flavoured syrups to create Italian sodas. Or look for sodas in glass bottles or choices from abroad.

http://www.designisms.com

Don't rule out the idea of creating a themed evening. As your guests arrive throw a lei around each of their necks and let the shenanigans begin. I'm not saying that you have to go all out and come up with a whole Bollywood theme, complete with dancers, but hey, why not do something a bit out of the ordinary. Come up with some goofy centerpieces or some funky background music to keep guests moving around.

http://www.centurynovelty.com

Do make sure that you've got some great music going on - be it by bringing out the satellite radio, hooking up your iPod to a set of speakers. Some good tunes puts your guests in a relaxed mood and can help set the pace of the evening. Think about who you're entertaining and try to come up with a mix that's appropriate for them. And if all else fails and your guests have no sense of musicality at least you'll be entertained.

Don't forget to have lots of good eats! When I'm coming over to your house for a party, I want something to eat....something besides potato chips that is. Don't worry, we don't expect you to make appetizers from scratch (unless you're known for your culinary skills then chop chop....back in the kitchen you go). There are a lot of great ready-to-go options available at your local grocery; from fruit and vegetable platters to cheeses, meats, skewers, crackers, etc, etc. Keep it easy, keep it fun, keep it tasty....no strange stuff. You don't wanna scare your guests with some sorta strange idea that you found in a random dust covered cookbook that you've recently unearthed.

And lastly, do remember that you're there to enjoy yourself as well. Don't worry about everything being perfect - your guests are there to enjoy themselves and have a good time with you! Kickback, enjoy the company of your guests and most importantly bring on the food and drink!

Now let's start planning!

D-

All decked out. Part deux.

This past weekend, we (collectively speaking for the residents of Winnipeg) finally saw some spring like weather. All I can say is it’s about time! I was this close (imagine my fingers almost touching) to digging through my winter clothes this past week to find a pair of gloves.....it was that cold.

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks wandering around online and in store to see if I could hunt down a bistro set that would work with my deck space. I’ve seen a few that have caught my eye, but nothing that had really wowed me; both in terms of style and also retail. I wasn’t ready to blow the bank on a set, but at the same time I didn’t want to be bringing home the same $69.00 three piece bistro set as everyone else in Winnipeg.

As luck would have it I was wandering around JYSK (poor man’s Ikea for those of you not in the know) this afternoon and stumbled across the three piece teak set that I’d previously written about. I’d checked the set out briefly about a month ago when it had first arrived but hadn’t really decided whether or not I liked it enough to invest in it. Flash forward to this afternoon, it was on sale for $159.00, they had it in stock, and I loved it from the get-go!

http://www.jysk.ca

Not one to just settle for the set itself, I hit-up my local Real Canadian Superstore where I picked up two PC Home indoor / outdoor cushions in vivid yellow and white for the princely sum of just over $11.00 each. I love the look of these cushions –they’re very fashion forward without the scary price tag of similar pieces. I’ve raved about the PC Home line before, but seriously folks, if you haven’t checked it out, you really don’t know what you’re missing. Cheap chic, trendy housewares at killer retails. Seriously, every time I head to Superstore for groceries I end-up coming home with another piece of serving ware or some sort of gadget or bath towels....

Anyways, back to my story. The bistro set assembled very quickly and easily. The chairs came two to a box, and were pre-assembled; the table took all of three minutes to piece together. I love that the table has some snazzy levellers. My deck has a concrete base, and though fairly smooth, the levellers did come in handy to prevent it from rocking.

I haven’t figured out the final layout for the space yet, but I gave the dining set a test run this evening when I made the best (I’m not lying) burgers ever for dinner. And I’m not going to lie; I did jump around my deck with excitement when I realized just how good it looked.

I’m a ways off from completing my deckscaping project. There’s still the small matter of hunting down plants, accessories and lighting for this space. I did wander around Rona’s greenhouses this afternoon and was intrigued by a number of displays that I saw, but it is still pretty early. I’m thinking that I might make the journey back over there later this week to see what they have for ferns. I love the idea of adding a lot of green and also introducing some shape and privacy. While checking out Michael Penney’s blog, I noticed that he’d purchased a number of huge ferns for his own home and I love the idea.....they love heat, can take the rain and get really big, really quickly.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com

I’m thinking that the cedars might be a no go. For some bizarre reason I had the assumption that there were smaller cedars that you could pot, without having to worry about them getting huge.....and that’s apparently not the case. I talked to a few greenhouse workers who said that at best, I’d be okay for two seasons before having to worry about them getting too big for their pots. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be here (hopefully less than two years), and it kind of seems like an expensive adventure...I’m thinking at least $100. I’m going to wander around some evening  this week after work to see if I can find some annuals or perennials that do well in pots that also achieve some sense of height.

Paper lanterns are also on my mind! I found some really nice white ones at Michael’s that I’m thinking about going back to pickup. They were under $1.50 each and will really add to the space. I’m thinking that they’d look great hunt as a large grouping above my bistro set....say 9 to 12 of them?

Regardless of how much work is left to complete the space I’m excited that it’s finally warm enough outside to be using it. No seriously, you have no idea....after what seemed like seven months of snow it’s nice to be finally able to enjoy an evening out on the deck with shorts, bare feet a burger or three and a good bottle of wine. That my friends, is what a Sunday evening during the summer should be all about...

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Meet Gavin.

A while ago I introduced you to my love of sketching out furniture design concepts. It was fun letting you in on this love and figured that it was time to introduce you to another collection that I've come up with. Meet a little collection that I've nicknamed Gavin.

When I envision the pieces that are within this collection, I view them as both stand-alone pieces, and also as pieces that makeup a rather nifty grouping.  Composed of an armless one seater and one seater units with either left or right arm and a cushioned top ottoman, this collection has endless configuration options.  Create a three seat sofa, a sectional, a sofa with chaise extension, etc, etc.  Let's take a look at the different pieces and a few options -

It's one thing to have my chicken scratch drawings, but let's kick it up a notch and come up with a couple different finishing options for this grouping.  How about we start with the frame work - 

http://www.bigcityimages.com

I love, love, love the look of brushed chrome. And I think that it would be 

the perfect fit for the frames of any of the Gavin pieces.

http://www.google.ca

Obviously, we can't leave the frames as they are - they'll need to be dressed with a sexy ebony faux rattan like the example above.  I like the look of a thicker weave, it adds some character and draws attention to the pieces.

http://outdoorfabricconnection.com

And topped with plush seat and back cushions in fun colours, say something like 'Mist' from Sunbrella's 'Spectrum' series....or maybe -

http://outdoorfabricconnection.com

'Kiwi' also from the same Sunbrella collection? 

Or how about a sexy yellow or burnt orange...maybe a bold white?!? Like configuration options, the upholstery options are endless!

Not too shabby huh? If it were possible, this collection would trump any of the bistro set contenders that I discussed the other day. Who wouldn't want to crash on one of these bad boys with a couple of brewskies on a long summer afternoon?  I know it's an opportunity that I wouldn't pass up!  A guy can dream.

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All decked out.

I'm lucky in the sense that when I moved to the city I found a great place. Seriously. When I paid my first month's rent, I kind of gasped at the amount that I was forking over, and wasn't sure if I was making the right decision; but after talking with colleagues and friends I realized that I'd stumbled across a gem that I was excited to make my own.

While I've taken a lot of time to focus on the indoors, I've failed to really do anything with one of my favourite spots - my deck. I've got an 8' x 13' piece of heaven. Well okay, maybe not. It's more like a cement pad complete with peeling paint on the railing, but hey, it's mine.

So here's the thing - with the exception of my sexy Nexgrill BBQ that I picked up last spring, it's pretty boring. The goal for this season - to spice it up and turn it into a space that we can actually enjoy (and on a budget to boot)! I've had all winter to look outside and  mentally picture how I want this space to look and how I want to use it and what I'd like to include.

I love outdoor spaces that are multi-functional and are thought of as an extension to indoor spaces.  I want to be able to grill, entertain, enjoy some greenery and just kickback throughout the summer.  Also, a bit of privacy is a must.  Right now this space basically says "hey, look at us, we're grilling asparagus."

Being a rental, I can't really do a lot to the space physically (that said, I can't stand the ugly jam jar light and even the most basic of coach fixtures will be a vast improvement) and really don't want to spend a lot of coin. Here's what I'm thinking that I'd like to do on a budget....

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com

First off - some planters!  McDiarmid Lumber, a local hardware retailer in Winnipeg has similar fibreclay planters on offer from $24.99-$49.99.  I'd love to see a few of the larger units on my deck filled with -

http://ecx.images-amazon.com

...some small cedars! How fun would that look?! I love the idea of potted cedars. I really haven't figured out how I'd get a couple of these guys into my car - I guess that they'd have to be smaller, but I love the idea of something that has some real size to it. Plus, how cool would two planters look flanking the door on my storage room?

I also like the idea of outfitting my deck with some flower / herb planters as well - I've got a couple of plastic planters that I picked up a couple of years ago. They're your typical 'faux terracota' style units, but I'm thinking that I can jazz them up with some Krylon Fusion paint in a sexy espresso tone. Fusion is an awesome spray paint made specifically for plastics. Rather than sitting on the surface of the piece being painted, the paint actually eats into (don't be scared!) the piece leaving an amazing finish that won't peel off right any time soon.

http://www.thegardenerseden.com

Mister doesn't know it yet, but I might buy this bistro set when we head down to Grand Forks in a couple of weeks.  Target is offering this sweet set for $99.00....with our exchange rate the way it is, I'll be able to pick it up for a song.  That is unless I find something else that catches my eye....like this little set from JYSK for $79.00 - 

http://jysk.ca

Hmm....how does a guy decide?

While I might need a couple of days to ponder what I'd like to sit on, I do know that this space needs some lighting! I've already decided that this space is going to need some paper lanterns. I'm waiting to see if my local dollar store ends up with some nice white ones (no pink or purple thank you). But if all else fails and I can't find them, I'm going to pick up some from Ikea or Michaels. Or, maybe I should go with some mini lanterns complete with little lights. I'd love to find something like in the picture below - 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com

I love the idea of added some funky galvanized buckets filled with herbs and flowers.  You can easily pickup galvanized buckets at farm supply stores, thrift shops and also in the back of my Dad's shed (he won't miss them).

http://www.google.ca

Lastly - what's a good deck without a couple of brewskies?  I'll take a bottle of 67 any day of the week and will be on the hunt for my summer wine choices this weekend when we hit up the Winnipeg Wine Festival.

http://www.molsoncoors.com

So that's the plan.  What do you think?!  How cheaply can I put this together!?  We'll see as I source everything out!

D-

Spring where are you!?!

This weekend saw snow in Winnipeg.  Should I really be surprised?  I guess not.  After all, this is Manitoba.  That said, I figured that I was finished with with boots, shovels and windshield scrapers.  We've had an early spring here and the random sleet / snow combo that came down Friday night was an unexpected, and unwanted surprise.  That said, I decided to make the most of the weather outside, but doing what I do best - window shopping at Superstore!

While wandering around after work on Friday I came across the new PC Home assortment of outdoor furniture for this coming season.  I'm a huge fan of the whole Joe Fresh / PC Home / Everyday Living mix of products.  Who'd of thought a couple of years ago that you'd be buying cashmere sweaters, Christmas decorations and trendy housewares from the same place where you're picking up bananas, Cheerios and toothpaste.

I went into the store looking for lunch ideas for the coming week, and came away with my toothpaste and bread, but also with a wishlist of cool, vibrant, vintage inspired pieces that would look awesome on my deck this coming season (once the snow has finally disappeared....).

http://www.facebook.com

http://www.facebook.com

Wanna know the best part?!  Everything that I've shown is available for under $30.00 a piece!  I can't wait to see how I can tie a couple of these pieces into my outdoor living space.  Toss in a couple of snazzy adirondacks?  Perhaps a bistro set?  Maybe some white paper lanterns and some cool planters?  Hmm....I think that I might be on to something.

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