Tying it all together

[Kat]

I mentioned on the daily frugals thread while back that I'd like to spruce up my deck for not a lot of money. I'm not a very creative person to begin with, and I am having trouble tying it all together. My house is dark blue stucco. I have a black and gray dining set and am looking at a dark wooden sectional with tan cushions (which would be a gift). What is bugging me is that these colors (dark blue, tan, and gray/black) seem to kind of clash with each other. I think it is the tan that does it--it's a warmer tone and the others are cooler. I was hoping to use some inexpensive accents to tie it all together--maybe make a few pillows and get a much needed door mat. But what colors should I use? I can't seem to find a pattern containing all of the colors. I was thinking maybe orange and navy? I wish I could find an affordable sectional in cooler tones, but havent had much luck. They can be CRAZY expensive, but other furniture won't fit.

Ugh. I am bad at this and don't have a ton of money to spend. Any ideas?

[Kat]

I thought it might be helpful to post some pictures of what I have to work with:

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/11/13/00/02/11/1113000211555_500X500.jpg

This is the dining set we bought on clearance a couple of years ago.

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/60/84/74/21/0060847421078_500X500.jpg

This is the sectional I am considering.

http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6E.aspx?GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=16dbe12&DeptID=80422&CatID=80432&SO=0&Ne=1031+878+1007+879+8+18+904+833+949&NOffset=2&shopperType=G&N=4294935211&Nao=0&PSO=0&CmCatId=EXTERNAL%7c80432&mscssid=61b0ffc424f26484b9cb04976d5f37a75xMnVNoV5a GoxMnVNoV5aGW200B9B338C0368921BE36B3CB176FD5967DA1 110911&CmCatId=external|80432

This is a rug I already own. It's in my basement, but I thought it might work out there.

[Mrs. Hermit]

How about a bright blue pattern, maybe with some tan as part of it? Some of the large floral patterns popular this year might fit the bill.

[Kat]

That's worth looking into. When I was looking for nursery fabric, I know I saw some lovely blue and brown floral prints...:-) I don't recall seeing anything with brown and blue and gray in it, though. Which is probably because those colors don't really go together.

I thought about making a slipcover of sorts for the sectional cusions (in a cooler tone). But that seemd kind of silly...

[Kat]

I actually decided not to get the sectional for now. I'm going to get a couple of black rocking chairs and all it a day. For whatever reason, this whole thing had me stressed out, and I don't want to be that person. I feel much better about this decision, and since the chairs cost less, I can get some pots and flowers, too.

[Valley]

Your view is beautiful no matter what....don't stress just enjoy!

[iris lily]

Can you tell me why you like the idea of fabric cushions? I know this isn't what you asked.

You are asking decor questions that are above me. At our house all outdoor furniture is black mesh and all of the color comes from plants and pots.

Me, who considers everything past the threshold of the back door Mother Nature's responsibility to clean, would not put cushions on anything. If you've got pretty outdoors views don't distract the eye from that vista.

edited to add: oh, I see that you scrapped the idea of a sofa with cushions. never mind.

[Kat]

Thanks, guys! I guess I should clarify that the pictures above were images taken from the internet (the store's website). I didn't take them myself at my home (though I would gladly take the view and the amazing photography skills if I could! ;-) )

Haha, Iris--the decor questions are above me, too--that is why I asked! ;-) I'm not really sure why I like the cushions. I guess I just got used to seeing them on everything in stores and thought they'd be more comfortable somehow. But I realized that the chairs that go with our dining set are mesh, and they are very comfortable. I started thinking about what a pain the cushions would be to clean (not just due to weather, but food and beverage spills as well) and how I'd be in trouble if I ever forgot to cover them and it rained. The rockers I am looking at are black mesh. They are comfortable, inexpensive, easy to clean, will hide stains, and go with what I already have. I have no idea why I was so stressed about finding a sectional. I think it is because it would fit the space well and the person buying it for me said specifically, "I would like to get you a sectional for your deck as a gift."

Anyway, it was dumb. The gift giver is fine with the cheaper black chairs, and I much prefer to be the "Please come over and spend time with us" person and not the "Everything in my house needs to look like it came out of a catalog" person. I don't mean to speak negatively about people who have beautifully decorated homes or imply that they cannot be wonderfully hospitable people. I wish I had the gifts that they have! But I do not and can quickly get too focused on the wrong things if I am not careful.

I have stated on this board many times that I am easily swayed by material things, and that I do not like that about myself. This is what I mean. I want my home to be inviting and warm because of the way that we treat people, because of the quality relationships that are formed. A perfectly matching deck has nothing to do with that.

Sometimes I wonder if this will always be a struggle for me. It is much better than it used to be, but every now and then, the "I want that!" rears its ugly, hideous head.

[rosarugosa]

Kat,
I'll second what IrisLily said about the cushions. My outdoor environment is very important to me, but I definitely go for a more rustic look outdoors, wood and metal furnishings and fixtures. Cushioned outdoor furniture always seemed like it would be a hassle, wet damp, musty smelling, and a magnet for earwigs! It sounds like you've made a wise choice. And I definitely prefer the color in my garden to come from flowers and plants.

[early morning]

I agree about the cushions! We have several chairs w/cushions (because that's what was in the trash, lol). I don't leave the cushions out, but hang them in the shed until we need them. I have a few plastic molded chairs (also culled from the trash) for impromptu sitting. New cushions are very pricey, even the cheap ones - so I have made long cases for them, which are easily removed to wash if needed. Believe me, if I ever considered buying new chairs - or find any being tossed - I would jump at the mesh/cushionless ones!!

[Kat]

Thanks, rosa and early morning. Your experiences help affirm to me that maybe I am headed in the right direction! I feel so much better about this new plan and it is more in line with simple living. With a baby on the way, I am going to have more important things to do than haul around/clean cushions. Why add more work for myself? Plus, I really enjoy gardening and had overlooked how much beauty plants can bring to the space.

Thanks, everyone for your thoughts! :-)

[kib]

Lol. I hope you don't take this badly, but I'm a 'views and gardens person' and when I looked at the pictures, my first thought was, "wow, apparently even living in paradise doesn't stop us humans from being discontent with life ." Not as a criticism of you personally, just as a feeling of amazement that we all seem to come with built-in ways to find stress. But I see that the views aren't yours. I'm sure whoever actually owns those gardens has no reason for unhappiness whatsoever. ;)

I'm glad you found a simpler and less stressful alternative that works for you. In my world, it's an ugly bathroom that is the source of all misery and malcontent, so wish me some of the same! :~)

[kally]

you know you said something that struck me , about being just a come over and hang out kind of house. That is what we are. It is always a bit messy here, there are always dishes somewhere around, books piled up, beds perhaps unmade. I too stress over getting a "look" and I think it is because that is not how I live.

Some people have much nicer houses than we have and I do envy them a bit; but I know they spend a lot of money pulling them together and even more time cleaning and setting them up.

So I just might give up on ever creating a house with a "look" and live in it the way it is.
It is all I can do to get the cutlery drawer clean.

Have fun with your choices.

[Kat]

@ kib--haha! I know just what you mean. I think for whatever reason, a lot of people struggle with discontent sometimes regardless of how much they have. And I am just as guilty as anyone else. If I were to post picture of the real view from my deck, what you would see is a small yard that is mostly clover, a grungy alley, and a small, crooked garage with a broken window and the stucco falling off. LOL I suppose it doesn't look pretty to a lot of people, but I am thankful for every bit of it.

Anyway, I felt kind of bad about the pictures. I should have made it clear that they were stock photos.

@ kally--I really appreciate your post. I think I have shared this before, but growing up, my dad always had a home that was small, cramped, and a little messy. He was a bachelor, so he didn't care a thing about decorating or matching dishes or anything like that. But his house was always *full* of people. They loved to be there because he has a warm and generous spirit. No one cared what the house looked like (and it was in pretty bad shape, to be honest).

Actually, when I was in high school, my dad's house was the hang out house. There'd be like eight people piled on the couch, laughing and eating cookies or whatever. I remember once that another parent expressed their frustration at their kids always hanging out over there. They had a large finished basement with nice furniture, a fridge full of pop and snacks, a pool. They couldn't understand why their kids would rather be crammed in a tiny little house on the poor side of town. But there was something special about my dad and his home. His hospitable nature made people feel welcome and comfortable.

I want to be just like him in that regard.