Beautiful Outdoor Spaces for Entertainment & Rest
Beautiful outdoor spaces are like a retreat in your own backyard! Living in Michigan, we try to make the most of our outdoor living once the weather warms up. We’ve lived in our home for two years and are finally making our yard into a space we enjoy. Today I’m sharing two outdoor spaces designed with purpose: entertainment and rest!
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Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop
Joining me on this tour of outdoor spaces are talented bloggers each sharing their own homes! Make sure to be inspired by their ideas through the links at the bottom of this post.
Designing Outdoor Spaces with Intention
When we first moved in to our home, I wanted to use every inch of our outdoor living space. However, we were coming from 2 acres to 38 acres and with it came a ton of upkeep!
Right out of the gate I added outdoor furniture without pausing to think about how we would use the space. I enjoyed what we did that first summer, but I quickly realized it didn’t fit our needs. You can see how I started this process in these posts:
Now, two years later I know our land better, I understand how we use the space, and I am ready to make our outdoor spaces practical for entertainment and rest!
Designing for Entertainment
We love to entertain in the summer time. Our property is poised for it with a stamped concrete fire pit, large back patio, large deck, and lounging area by the pond. However, in the past when we’ve entertained we have rarely used the deck or lower patio area because they weren’t designed for entertaining.
So this year, I am tackling our deck DIY style with fresh paint. That project is coming soon so make sure to subscribe to the blog to follow along on the project! I want to make it into a space we enjoy entertaining on!
In the meantime, I set up our outdoor dining area with coziness and practicality in mind.
Outdoor Dining
The previous owners did a lot to make outdoor living feasible and enjoyable. I love that they built in this long bench. It is perfect to use with a large patio table. Plus, it adds tons of seating without having to store chairs.
In the past, I’ve always gone with wood tables and then regretted it because of the harsh weather elements we have. Our patio is surrounded by woods, so the patio always has sticks, leaves, and pollen dropping on it. Plus, it is heavily shaded so it does not dry quickly.
I was excited to find this metal patio table that looks like real wood to help combat some of those problems! In addition, I love these cute cadiz patio chairs that come in a set of two.
So, with this new all metal dining set, I am hoping the longevity and durability will be improved!
Next, I wanted to make the back patio a more welcoming space. I added this beautiful and durable outdoor rug from Well Woven Rugs. It is called Mani Oriental Medallion Indoor Outdoor Brown Flatweave Rug.
I’ve washed it off several times and it dries so fast. Most of the time I simply blow the tree debris off with my favorite handheld leaf blower.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, then you know I love Well Woven Rugs! I have several of their indoor rugs as well. I’m always so happy to work with companies that are quality and offer coupon codes!
Coupon Code for You!
Make sure to use code 15GRACEINMYSPACE for 15% off your order of $75 or more at Well Woven Rugs!
The last step in setting up this dining area for entertaining is to add plants. I try to keep my potted plants to a minimum so I’m not spending hours each night watering. I find that a few simple plants can go a long way!
Here are some of my favorite planters as well.
Designing Outdoor Spaces for Rest
The next space I updated this year is the small patio by the pond. It is just big enough for a couple of loungers and it is my favorite spot to relax while the kids are fishing or swimming.
Someday I’d like to build a pergola around this small patio, but it wasn’t in the cards this summer. Instead, we added this awesome cantilever patio umbrella from Abba.
It is a 10×10 and fully covers both patio loungers. I am so excited we’ve finally added shade to this area! Previously, it was so hot to sit here anytime of day. Plus, in the evenings this spot was blinding looking into the sun, so I rarely used this space for evening relaxation.
Now I can comfortably use this space morning, noon or night. Abba gifted me this umbrella and is also offering my readers a 10% off coupon code: Sy10.
Intentionally Restful
You may notice that this outdoor space is very plain. My first inclination was to add some beautiful planters and outdoor pillows. However, my intent with this space is for rest.
It is far from the house so to lug a watering can or hose down to planters would be very time consuming and laborious. The exact opposite of rest! So, I decided to let nature do the decorating and simply enjoy the views.
I think this will be my favorite spot this summer!
More Outdoor Spaces to Come
It feels good to get a few of our main outdoor spaces put together to enjoy this summer. Next on the docket is our deck and lower patio area. Stay tuned for more to come!
Stay Connected
Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and taking a tour of a few of our outdoor spaces!
This week, some of my blogging friends and I are sharing our summer outdoor spaces. Just click on the links below the images to be taken to see their full posts.
The Happy Housie // My 100 Year Old Home // Modern Glam // Cassie Bustamante
Craftberry Bush // Joanna Anastasia // Life is Better at Home // Inspiration for Moms
Clean & Scentsible // Finding Silver Pennies // Grace in My Space // Maison de Cinq
Life is a Party // House by Hoff // Zevy Joy // Two Twenty One
Taryn Whiteaker // Maison de Pax // Amber Tysl // This is Our Bliss
She Gave it a Go // My Sweet Savannah
Wow you have such a huge yard! Amazing. Love the built in bench in your dining area.
Thank you my friend! It’s definitely a lot of space!
i love that built in bench and your rug- such a great place to dine outside!
Thanks Cassie! It is a great space for entertaining!