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Styling Outdoor Spaces for Summer

What home furnishings do you need for cozy outdoor spaces? Interior designer Laurence Carr shares ideas.

07/02/2020
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Laurence Carr Summer Outdoor Style
Laurence Carr shares her tips for spectacular summer outdoor style.

Summertime is best spent outdoors, drinking in fresh air, soaking up vitamin D through the sun’s nourishing rays, dining al fresco, and… well, I would say socializing, but this summer it’s better to keep things socially distant. 

In fact, because of the pandemic, and the necessity of staying at home much more than we are accustomed to, sprucing up your outdoor space, no matter how big or small, has become more essential than ever. Even the tiniest balcony becomes a natural refuge when you’re used to being indoors all day.

Time spent outdoors does wonders for our mental and physical health, so consider your investment in a homey, welcoming space as part of your self-care for summer.

The season has only just begun. This is the perfect time to give your outdoor space a little love. Whether you’re in need of a full redesign or modest yet meaningful improvements, and no matter your personal style aesthetic, there are a multitude of creative and stylish ways to enhance your space. 

As always, I encourage you to focus your search on companies using responsibly-sourced materials and sustainable practices as often as possible.

Creating welcoming living spaces outside gives you more flexibility for regenerative time alone or (when the pandemic is over) hosting seasonal events. Thanks to modern technology, you can create the best of indoor spaces outdoors as well, from natural kitchens to dining and living rooms, and beyond.

Tables in teak or aluminum make lovely choices for outdoor eating arrangements when paired with the perfect dining chairs. You’ll be wanting to dine al fresco as often as possible once you have the perfect outdoor eatery set up! Utility tables or consoles  make handy buffets or beverage stations. 

If space permits, I adore an outdoor living room set-up, which truly brings in the indoors out. Sofa configurations come in every size and shape imaginable, ready to be paired with weather-friendly and stylish coffee tables and side tables to create inviting and comfortable spaces.

For other occasional seating, you can choose from a seemingly infinite number of styles. Gone are the days of being limited in the outdoor design world. Whether you prefer rocking chairs, loungy chaises, dreamy daybeds, barstools, armchairs, cozy swings or playfully eccentric styles, there’s something for everyone. Or, for a more bohemian vibe, hammocks made from recycled fabrics make an undeniably comfortable and chic selection. 

Create enhanced comfort and add interesting textures to your design with outdoor-friendly rugs, pillows and blankets.

 

Lighting for outdoor style

 

There is no limit to creative and visually powerful ways to light your outdoor space, making it welcoming even after the sun sets.

Choose from dramatic wicker lanterns, modern table lamps, wind-resistant candlelight, earthy hurricane lanterns, futuristic garden lamps, or a romantic fire pit to warm up your surroundings and make them glow. 

Biophilic elements such as carefully curated plant displays or beautifully blooming gardens bring more serenity to your surroundings and provide many health and wellness benefits.

Whether in a more traditional planter box or dramatic living walls, playfully stylish twists on terra cotta or chunky oversized planters,  however you choose to bring more greenery forward, it always has a wonderful, feel-good effect. 

I hope this provides some inspiration for ways to take your outdoor space to the next level and give yourself more breathing room and connection to nature through time outside. 

Laurence Carr Outdoor Summer Style

 

Laurence Carr Beyond Aesthetics
Laurence Carr joins the Furniture, Lighting & Decor blogging team with Beyond Aesthetics.

 

Meet Laurence

Laurence Carr is the CEO of the eponymous award-winning design boutique NYC firm, Laurence Carr Design Inc. focused on holistic and sustainable residential and hospitality interiors. 

Laurence Carr is widely recognized as an influencer and a pioneering voice in the movement toward sustainable and wellness-centered interior design. Born and raised in Europe, she has an inherent appreciation for art and design — she is a natural aesthete and she is widely recognized for her application of wellbeing principles and ancient techniques.

As part of her focus on combining sustainability with quality, Laurence is a GREEN Leaders Accredited Professional and a Member of the Sustainable Furnishing Council. 

Laurence Carr is a leading voice in the field of Holistic Interior Design. With current features in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business of Home, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Sotheby’s Home, House Tipster, and podcasts A Well Designed Business, Style Matters, and The Chaise Lounge. Laurence is shaping our cultural dialogue through her work, her blog “Beyond Aesthetics” and her speaking engagements. In 2019, she won the BUILD awards from Homes and Gardens UK and was nominated for the ASID National Awards 2019 for “Design for Humanity.” Laurence revealed “The Restorative Room” at the Hampton Designers Showhouse 2019 in Southampton NY. She is active on industry panels such as New York Design Center What’s New What’s Next, DDB Market, KBIS, Circular City Week New York and Architectural Digest Show. 


Blog

Laurence’s blog " Beyond Aesthetics” was created in early 2018 with the mission of educating on the significance of holistic, sustainable interior design to our own wellbeing and that of our planet. “Beyond Aesthetics” marries Laurence's global citizenship, well-trained eye for luxury and passion for raising awareness about eco-friendly design, providing a unique voice that is vital to the future of the interior design industry. Her blog has been nominated for the Amara Interior Blog Awards in the UK and Laurence was hand selected for the 2019 High Point Market Design Blogger Tour and is a Designhounds Influencer for KBIS 2020 in Las Vegas to highlight sustainable products and design trends.

To learn more about Laurence Carr visit her blog (https://laurencecarr.com/blog/) her website (https://laurencecarr.com/) and follow her on social media @laurencecarrdesign 

 

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