UPGRADING YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE WITH ARTICLE

It has been a hot (or shall I say cool) minute since I sat in my swimsuit or threw an outdoor dinner party. I couldn’t be more excited to be outside in the summer sun, especially now that I have some gorgeous pieces from Article.

To put it simply, Article seriously stepped up their game this season with their newly expanded outdoor collection. Not just in style and value, but also in how easy they’ve made it for you to upgrade your outdoor space — no matter your style.

They’ve curated three distinct looks to choose from: Garden Scandi, Boho Patio, and Industrial Pop. So there’s something for everyone. They even have a QUIZ you can take if you need a little extra help defining your style. For me, I was so drawn to the modern, clean lines and timeless, neutral qualities of their Garden Scandi collection.

You all know how much I adore Article. I have a sofa and two green velvet chairs from Article that I cannot stop raving about. Well, now my outdoors look like my indoors.

The Teaka dining table is SOLID. Solid in style and make. The teak wood comes raw. You can seal it if you would like or you can let it weather. I would recommend sealing it if you live in Arizona because the sun can be super harsh.

I chose the Svelti white outdoor chairs to go with the table because they are easy to wipe down (it gets dusty in AZ) and they won’t burn you when you sit on them. They are very comfortable and light-weight, which makes them easy to store in a garage or indoors during the cooler months. Pro tip: The armed versions of these chairs stack if you need to store them during the off-season.

I styled the table with blue, vintage earthenware that I grew up eating on. Blue is a hot color right now, and it looks beautiful outside with the blue sky or near a blue pool.

Because we live in the pool 12 hours a day during the summer, I thought a sectional that I could easily wipe down and lie on would be nice to have. I like the shape of the Tezra sectional, and I felt the darker gray would show less dirt. It’s SOOO comfortable. My friend Pete likes it too.

The Toba Driftwood Gray coffee table was the perfect shape to balance the rectangular design of the sectional and the color coordinated well with the solid teak table and dining chairs. The wood also comes raw. So, if you want to avoid water rings, I would recommend coasters or sealing it.

Elle, Levi, and I are set for summer thanks to Article. If you’re in the market for affordable, modern outdoor furniture, I highly recommend checking out Article’s expanded collection. Be sure to also see how Vintage Revivals and No Whey Lady styled their pieces.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; location Lexi Grace Design

ARIZONA OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING

This post is sponsored by Hayneedle.

The best thing about living in Arizona is the weather. It's dry and sunny almost every day of the year. Even during our high temperatures we find ourselves outdoors because we have a pool, and also because we have a backyard that feels like a sanctuary. Last year, we got patio furniture so we could enjoy the space more, and this year we finished decking out our outdoor grill area thanks to Hayneedle. 

Hayneedle offers the best outdoor decor and entertaining essentials and great prices. You better believe we will be enjoying some margaritas and carne-asada this week for Cinco de Mayo. We love using our grill, and we are able to sit and enjoy each other's company while we cook using these woven bar stools. I selected these because they appeared durable, more heat resistant than metal, and brought texture to the space. I freshened them up with some color using outdoor pillows with blues and aqua. 

We also put up a living wall to cover the ugly block wall we have, as well as to have a space to plant herbs and spices. Since the area gets sun all day long and the hot days are coming, I planted lavender and rosemary for now. They will grow in almost any weather. 

We also added some green with our big planters and covered some of the boring beige stucco with our log hoop. It's functional and it adds some interest to the space.

I thought adding some lanterns to the area was a pretty way to make the bar come alive. It's also functional for evening entertaining, and the lanterns won't blow away (something to think about for outdoor styling). 

Shade is important in Arizona, so we ordered an umbrella for the bar. I like the striped pattern for interest, but I stuck with the white and tan so it didn't over power the space.

Being able to eat poolside is amazing, but safety is important too. I ordered some durable plastic plates and other entertaining essentials. You can see the rest of my selects on the Hayneedle's blog. 

Photography by Rennai Hoefer

HOLIDAY PATIO DECOR

This post is sponsored by Hayneedle.

In Arizona we use our patio the most starting in November and going through April. The visions of snow covered pine trees and crisp cold nights with a fire don't really apply to us. Instead, it's blue, sunny skies, 80 degrees and t-shirt weather. So, to make the outdoors feel more like the holidays I partnered with Hayneedle to spruce up our patio with some simple holiday cheer. 

About six months ago we finally got patio furniture after being married for 9 years. Having a nice seating area has been so nice for our guests and our family (click here to see the our summer design). We chose very simple, clean and modern pieces to work with, and that has allowed us to easily change out the color scheme when we want. 

I never have decorated over the top for the holidays. I'm pretty minimal when it comes to decorating our tree, our front yard and even our backyard. So, for our new-ish patio I simply added a pop of red here and there with boho red outdoor pillows and some pretty lanterns. 

I also placed faux evergreen topiaries in white pots and hung a wreath on our blanket ladder. Geraniums are also a nice pop of red for your outdoor patio. Of course, succulents an also add that pop of green that you might be missing. You can find non-traditional planters to place them in such as this drink bin. 

At night we like to take out our fire pit and cozy up with blankets. In fact, this past weekend we even roasted s'mores with our friends. 

To read more about this makeover and see more photos, visit Hayneedle's blog. You can also find my style board featuring all of the products. 

GET THE LOOK:
Bench and chairs
Fire pit
Blanket Ladder
Wreath
Topiaries
Red lantern
Area rug
Moroccan poufs

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; this post contains affiliate links; product was given for this post.

BACKYARD MAKEOVER WITH HAYNEEDLE

Even though it's a record 120 degrees in Phoenix, we still enjoy being outside and living in our pool all summer. This is the first summer in our new suburban home, and it's the first time we have been ready to invest in some outdoor furniture. I was delighted to get to partner with Hayneedle to create a modern, comfortable outdoor living space. They offer all different design styles at affordable prices. Do you want to see how it turned out?

Because our suburban home has a traditional style of architecture, I wanted to honor that and insert some modern, clean lines that are true to my style. I think it's important to try and balance the integrity of the exterior space because all modern would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

The color palette was kept simple with off-white, wood and pops of blue thrown in. I picked blue because of the bright blue skies and blue water from the pool. 

On our furniture wish-list was a big dinner table that could seat our whole family, as well as different areas we could lounge outside and watch the kids swim and play. Hayneedle offered so many modern conversation sets. It was really easy to find what we wanted.

Coley and Lindsey, stylists and founders of Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market, helped me put the final touches on the makeover project. You can see more of the design process and reveal photos on Hayneedle's blog. Click here to check it out. Shop the entire space here.

Also, be sure to check out Coley's boho outdoor spot and Lindsey's industrial modern makeover with Hayneedle on their blog. Here's a little peek below.

Lindsey's backyard is amazing! This hammock looks so dreamy!

Coley's backyard is a boho oasis. I love how she combines old vintage pieces with new furniture.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer