Aside from landscaping
(at which I'm no expert) selecting the right furniture is probably the biggest decision when designing your outdoor space. You want it to be functional, comfortable, stylish and able to stand up to whatever weather it may encounter. With so many possible directions to go in
(bohemian, modern, retro, classic....) the task can be quite overwhelming, as I've discovered! So, here are just a few of my current favorites and sources that I hope will help you on your way...
No matter what your space looks like on the inside, the outdoors is a chance to mix things up a bit! Choose some more funky pieces that pop like this
pod stool, or
cutout bench. Even without color, unique textures like this modern take on a
woven chair can inject a dose of originality.
There's no better place to go natural than the outdoors, and these pieces offer alternatives to traditional wicker or wood chairs. The
wood chair's open weave and rounded corners soften a modern shape, while the
egg chair lends a whimsical retro style. Prefer your natural textures in small doses? A
rattan pouf will do the trick nicely and can double as an ottoman or side table!
Forget red-hot. Orange is the color of the season this year! Whether it's in a simple frame like the
Missoni lounger, a classic
Marais, or a
simple modern chair it's the perfect pop to add to your garden setting - especially in these metal options!
If your in it for the long haul with your patio, then it's never a bad idea to invest in more traditional pieces. The
Hampstead Hill collection at Smith & Hawken
(a fabulous outdoor resource!) offers this preppy take on a lattice design - a pattern that has been making quite the comeback recently. Teak is always a fabulous choice for the outdoors, and searching online can help you find more affordable alternatives like the
St. Tropez chair. For modern lines,
West Elm always provides an excellent selection of options for outdoor pieces as well!
A few other sites to browse? Try
Curran for one of the most comprehensive selections out there, as well as
Brown Jordan. Don't forget about places like
Pier 1 and
Cost Plus as well! Happy patioscaping!
My living room could use a lovely little side chair. Something a bit more petite, but that still makes a statement. This gorgeous classic piece by Alexa Hampton for Hickory Chair would be an amazing option... I especially loved the detail in the back. And, because they'll do just about any fabric and any finish at HC, I'd get it done in a rich velvety signature green. YUM.
Of course, since many queens also have to think about their kings, perhaps I'd go with something to appease both of us. The chair on the left from Pearson is a perfect example - the tweed fabric and dark finish appeal to the other sex while the beautiful lines and smaller size appeal to moi. I also adored the lines of the chair on the right (also part of Alexa Hampton's collection for Hickory Chair). The way the wood curves through the side and back is nothing short of amazing. As Alexa informed us, it took many trials to get it just right - I'd say they aced it! (PS - I'll also take the bench just as it is, please!) 
However, out of all the chairs in the showrooms, this little slipper chair by the adorable and gracious Suzanne Kasler (again for Hickory Chair) stole all of our hearts. And, since I've just added a bit of orange to my living room, this would be perfection. In a warm orange leather, it's the ideal throne for any lady to perch on. As we like to say around here - yes, please and thank you!
Perhaps I will use it to stash magazines and my purse near the entryway? Or to lay out my dresses in the bedroom?
Piled high with books in the living room? Or maybe holding my abundance of throw pillows?
Better still, maybe it will hold my many piles of fabrics and trims for my current interior projects... or serve as a the perfect place for a serving tray? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...
How fun would it be to have heart button tufting in more pieces? I would love to some red hearts on an all-white headboard... oh, this has me dreaming!
I've been stalking them on Etsy for months now, and I can't believe they're still there... maybe it's a sign that it's about time I added a little purple to my decor? 
So many pretties. So little space. What's a girl to do?!
Because if you're going to be a corner chair, you should be beautiful. You should be made from vintage boucle fabric and Brazilian hardwood. And you should be at once solid and light as a feather and remind me of California living and mid-century modernism.
Most of all, you should be mine, all mine, so I can fill that empty little corner of my bedroom and pile all my beautiful clothes on you when I have one of those days where my very full closet feels incredibly empty because I have 'nothing' to wear. Pretty please? 
. 
