Kick Off Summer With An Outdoor Reboot
If you live on the East Coast, you’re probably as frustrated with the recent weather as I am. The cold and the rain make it feel more like late fall than spring. All I want is to get my outdoor cushions out, and sit in the sun! Is that too much to ask?
Ok, now that I got that off my chest, let’s talk about outdoor cushions. This is the time of year I make a lot of them. Let's face it, the sun, wind and rain can really do a job on our outdoor stuff. And that means sooner or later we have to replace things. Sometimes fabrics fade, or dry rot and sometimes the foam degrades. Other times, it’s just about updating or upgrading to breathe new life into our outdoor living space; it’s not that different from what we do indoors.
That’s exactly what I did for one my clients, who has a great covered porch along the back of her entire home. She has three different sitting areas. The first has a sofa and two chairs. The second area consists of a table and comfortable high-back chairs. And finally, the last area has a bar with high stools.
Almost everything needed to be redone. My client opted to keep things simple and choose a color inspiration from a stylized floral print pillow she found. Not only did we take our color inspiration from it but we found the fabric in print and used it to make more pillows. Mixing solids and prints added interest to the new covers. The results are terrific!
We changed the shape of the back cushions on the chairs, which updated the look without buying new inserts or foam. At the bar, all the chair pads were replaced. This included the foam but as you can see from the before and after pictures it was well worth it.
Below, top left, the before photo of the chair. And, top right, the after. A subtle change to the back cushion instantly updates the whole piece. And isn't that fabric just gorgeous!
Above, left, the bar stools BEFORE the redo. And top right, the updated cushions. Notice, the difference in the chair pads.
Finally, at her table we didn't do anything. Her existing cushions were in great shape, and the golden wheat color was in the pattern of the print we choose. So, it all worked together. Hopefully, they can get out on their porch soon and enjoy the summer!
