Create a dreamy outdoor room in next to no time
by Teri Seidman

Summer is almost here—and with it come opportunities to create fun, lighthearted outdoor spaces in which to dine and entertain. Casual and carefree, like the season itself, these al fresco areas should represent your lifestyle. Using thrift shop and flea market finds means you can keep the budget low, thereby encouraging you to be as playful with your decorating as your imagination will allow.

Getting Started
During most of the year, interior walls define our spaces. Come summer, it’s fun to create a room without boundaries, where the full-blown beauty of the outdoors is your wraparound mural. Your setting can be a deck or patio, a tree in the backyard, even a beach or lakeshore. Better yet, find an unpredictable spot and create a tableau: simply place a rug down to mark a sense of place (much as a beach towel stakes your claim on the sand). The carpet may be a threadbare Oriental or an inexpensive indoor-outdoor rug, depending on the mood you are going for. Rather than the customary outdoor furniture, you might use pieces one would expect to see indoors. However, instead of your prized Queen Anne tea table, this is the place to use flea market bargains, lessening the concern of weather damage.
Pictured here is an outdoor dining area I set on the edge of a pond surrounded by flowerbeds and a green lawn. The whole set-up was created using finds from a resale shop. An old pine table that got more “antiquey” the more it weathered is surrounded by odd chairs, which are unified by cushions covered in an all-weather fabric. (Mix and match chairs add serendipitous charm.) Even the throw pillows are
impervious to a passing shower.

Inspiration
While rummaging in my local Hospice thrift shop, I spotted curry-colored ceramic dishes; these would serve as the inspiration for the rustic palette. In the same store was an incomplete set of crystal wine glasses with blue stems. Instantly, blue became the ideal accent color. On a shelf nearby, I noticed small, carved bluebirds, which picked up the hue perfectly. Using an outdoor birdhouse for a centerpiece extended the motif. I tried out several glass vases, and a blue one was the perfect match. Detailing the table with an odd lot of wooden serving plates and straw-colored napkins in raffia rings linked the textures and colors. Giant, fresh sunflowers in an amber pitcher made it all come alive.
When searching through thrift shops, keep an open mind. Work with what you discover, because you might not be able to fulfill preconceived notions. Imagine items used in a way not originally intended. Quirky is OK. For example, ship models, lighthouses or decoys can spark a theme—as can vintage toys or sports equipment. A large globe as a centerpiece is a fabulous trigger for a travel theme. Say “Aloha” with hot tropical colors; add pineapples and orchids for Hawaiian punch! Watermelons welcome summer and suggest a palette of luscious pinks and reds.
It’s fun to create places and spaces that you haven’t been to—especially when they’re right in your own backyard. •

(Above) Teri Seidman's outdoor dining “room” at the North Fork Showhouse in Jamesport, New York, uses thrift shop finds to create a carefree summer space.
photo:Janet Mowat