Think Outside the House

A few weeks ago my partner, Jo Ellen, showed me a picture of her friend’s home in Vermont covered in a blanket of snow, like a Christmas card. IT’S MAY, for snow plow’s sake! How lucky are we to be living in the perfect weather of San Diego!

When was the last time you factored in an extra 45 minutes in the morning due to weather? Uh… NEVER! Every year weather-weary Americans abandon their homes and migrate to So Cal so they, too, can wake up under blue skies at 72 degrees. It’s unacceptable for us San Diegans not to embrace, enjoy and respect our sunny coastal climate and move it outdoors.

The way we live has changed; not just inside, but outside in our yards and patios. We are now absorbing inspiration in a beautiful garden setting by soaking up the greens in a peaceful place to relax, in a shaded gathering spot for conversation, or with the alluring ambience of outside dining.

Okay Designers, you need to think outside the house! Take this newfound respect for your environment and expand your projects by helping your clients, still unaware of their outside assets, see the lifestyle waiting just outside their door. Now, if any of you have a client with a view like the one below, and they do not have an outdoor living space, feel free to use the “Shame on you!” method of selling.

Then show them the picture of Jo Ellen’s friend’s house in Vermont. For everybody else, unless your client is in a high rise without a balcony, all homes have room for at least one perch to view a beautiful day. Help them see where and how.

Use your designer’s eye to see the potential for your client’s outdoor living area. If they don’t have an ocean view, look for the “focal point” outside their home. Remember, second only to sailboats is the beautiful garden. Someone worked long and hard to create this magical nature space and it should be enjoyed!

There is also the valley view, the foothills, a pool, pond or lake, the green belt or the spotting of trees on a stretch of lawn… not long for our neighborhood!

Maybe an interesting covered area or pergola  and, lest we forget, the small space required to house the big enjoyment of an outdoor eating area!

Maybe their view is a wall… or a tiny patio. Show them where flowerbeds could be created or help them create a stylish pot garden or design a unique canvas awning! 

If all else fails, this is where the “Good Weather Guilt Trip” comes in and how the joys of the out-of-doors are many and should not be denied. Morning coffee or “happy hour” after work, candlelit dinners, Sunday brunch, an afternoon nap, a quiet reading spot, thinking spot and party spot! It’s a whole other room and X-amount of additional square footage of living space in our land of good weather!

If your clients are smart enough to have figured this out and they have outdoor furniture, maybe it needs to be refreshed. Show them the new Duralee outdoor fabric collection. Or maybe it could use some pillow accents—bring the Elaine Smith catalog over. Or they don’t have a fire pit. Tropitone does! Show them!

If the rug is faded, we have rugs.  And ceiling fans, outdoor artwork, hanging chairs, lights and lanterns and all sorts of outdoor furniture!

Let us help you help your client find their outdoor living space! There is a project waiting for you to find, Designers!

Learn all about the versatility and style offered by Sunset West outdoor furniture at our Lunch & Learn scheduled for May 21, TAKING IT OUTSIDE!