Tag: outdoor fun

2020 Outdoor Furniture Design Trends For Your Lake Home

Posted on Camille Smith
navy and white coastal theme - outdoor furniture decor inspiration lake house
Photo courtesy of Martha Dayton Design.

With Spring quickly approaching, revamping your lake house decor might be on your mind. Of course, warmer weather means hosting family and friends on your outdoor patio, and as such, you may be wondering if your current outdoor furniture is sufficient or if it’s time for an upgrade. If this is you, we’ve got you covered with the outdoor furniture design trends of 2020.

Leaders in the outdoor furniture industry such as Brown Jordan, Sunbrella, and Summer Classics have all shared their cutting-edge insights about these trends on their respective blogs. We’ve synthesized the top trends from these companies’ reports and are here to share with you the latest color, material, product, and design trends for the year. We hope these inspire you to get started on redecorating your outdoor area at your lake home!

Color Trend – Say Goodbye to Saturation

While bright, bold colors were in style a few years ago, the theme that’s been emerging over the past few years is color-infused neutrals. Rather than aiming to wow your guests with bright neon pillows, you’ll instead find that fabric trends are headed in a more muted direction.  These faded shades create a softer look that complements the outdoor furniture’s material, rather than overshadowing it.

neutral wicker patio farmhouse style - southern living decor inspiration
Photo courtesy of Southern Living Magazine.

To highlight this trend, Brown Jordan named Peche (French for “Peach”)– a dusty pink color, similar to rose gold– the color of the year in 2019. This color has also featured prominently in 2020 designs. Of course, peche is not the only neutral color that’s trending this year. Blue, especially a bluish-gray color called chambray, is still a classic, can’t-go-wrong color for pillows and cushions. Further, luxury umbrella retailer Shadowspec has named dark green as another trending color in 2020. Especially at a lake house where grass and trees abound, featuring green fabrics in your outdoor designs creates a look cohesive with nature.

Material Trend – Create Texture Variety

This year, don’t be afraid to mix different materials when it comes to your outdoor furniture. Whether you’re combining a concrete dining table with wicker seats or a teak sofa with an aluminum end table, the goal is to evoke an exciting, textured look. However, it’s best to be cautious about which materials you choose to combine. To avoid a junky, haphazard situation, start by focusing on two elements and exploring different combinations.

lake house boat house - outdoor furniture decor inspiration
Photo courtesy of John Bessler.

Currently, some of the most popular products in 2020 are natural materials such as wood and wicker. Lucky for lakeside dwellers, these materials fit seamlessly with the shoreline in your backyard. They also create an exciting sense of texture that already exists in nature. Another popular content to mix into your designs this year is concrete. On its own, concrete appears strictly industrial. However, when combined with contrasting materials like fabrics and wood, it takes on a more dynamic look.

Product Trend – In Keeping with Comfort

The trend of outdoor kitchens has been on the rise for the past decade, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. As lake homeowners continue to host gatherings in their outdoor kitchens, whether it’s a small family get-together or a large party of guests, furniture manufacturers have kept up by creating large dining tables to accommodate the lifestyle of entertaining. This way, every guest can have a comfortable seat at the table.

daybed hayneedle summer - outdoor furniture decor lake house
Photo courtesy of Hayneedle.

Based on this trend as well as other popular products, it’s clear that comfort is the name of the game in 2020. Luxury furniture retailer Summer Classics lists barrel chairs as a new outdoor furniture trend this year. These chairs, designed with a broad, curved back rather than a traditional box frame, are made for ultimate relaxation. If you’re looking to dive right into the comfort theme of 2020, consider investing in a daybed. Hayneedle, an online home furnishings retailer, names daybeds as one of the top outdoor furniture trends this year. What better place to relax and take a nap than on a plush daybed surrounded by your beautiful lakefront property?

Design Trend – Stick to Simple

modern luxurious sofa outdoor inspiration
Photo courtesy of Summer Classics.

Quoted in the luxury lifestyle magazine Arizona Foothills, the chief brand curator for Brown Jordan notes that furniture with modern, clean lines is the trend for 2020. This simplistic style has been recently popular in interior decorating, and now, it’s making its way to outdoor designs as well. High-end retailer Summer Classics agrees, and they have incorporated this style into their 2020 collections Elegante and Claro. Both of these lines showcase unembellished elegance, underscoring the beauty of a simple, linear design. Additionally, Shadowspec names minimalism as a big outdoor furniture trend in 2020.  Especially in the outdoor space of a lake house, choosing a minimalistic style will beautifully blend with your natural surroundings rather than overshadowing them.

We hope these 2020 outdoor furniture trends give you inspiration for your lake house designs. The use of stylish color and content will add fashion to your home and your life!

Outdoor Fun At the Lake: Cornhole

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

Cornhole is a fun recreational activity similar to a bean bag toss game. It is played on a lawn and requires players to throw bean bags at raised platforms. This has become a very popular game to play at picnics, tailgating, and other social events.

The great thing about cornhole is that you can build a cornhole set with just a few supplies. Also, it takes hardly any time at all. In fact, you can build your set and start playing as soon as this weekend!

Regulations

The American Cornhole Association states that platforms must be 48 inches by 24 inches in a rectangle shape made from plywood of about one half an inch thick.

The front part of the platform will be about 2.5 to 4 inches in height, and the back will be about 12 inches or so off of the ground. Bags, according to regulation standards, need to be made out of a duck canvas filled with corn feed and can only be 6 inches wide.

Corn Hole BoardYou are able to purchase these bean bags online for about $30. There are also ones that are filled with plastic and that are weatherproof, so if you leave the bean bags out in the rain, they will not be damaged.

Fun to Play Anywhere, Anytime!

Cornhole has taken off in popularity thanks to its simplicity and ease of transport.

It is common to see cornhole sets while tailgating for sports, at local breweries and pubs, and is even commonplace in your typical backyard.

Cornhole also pairs well with grilling. Particularly at the lake, you are provided spectacular views while the game is being played!

Supplies That You Will Need

The following is a list of basic supplies to give you an idea of what you will need:

  • Two 24 inch by 48 inch plywood sections for the bean bag landing zone
  • Four 2×4 x 21 for the frame
  • Four 2×4 x 11 and a half pieces for the legs
  • Circular saw or jig saw
  • Drill
  • Router
  • Hardware for the frame

For fully detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to construct your own set, visit the Cornhole How-To website. In addition to the free information on how to build a set, the site also offers an e-book for $4.99. This book details advanced game techniques as well as step-by-step picture instructions.

Whether you’re having a picnic or a cookout, or simply a fun Sunday afternoon, cornhole can be fun for everyone involved. It should not take more than a day to build your set, and then you will be able to enjoy it any time you want.

For more family fun article, check out our stories about geocaching and the hottest summer must-have lake toys of last year!

Fun Ways to Utilize Your Screened-In Porch

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

If you are fortunate enough to have a screened-in porch, then congratulations. This will likely be the most popular room in your lake home!

There are a number of ways you could go about this, depending on what your interests are. Maybe you are looking for a quiet place to get some reading done or maybe a place to entertain guests.

No matter what you enjoy, there is bound to be a fun and exciting way that you can create a screened in porch space that you will treasure for years to come.

Create a Hobby Room

Depending on what you enjoy doing in your spare time, you could create an area designed around your hobby. If you work from home, you could use it to create the world’s best home office for your business.

If you enjoy playing video games, you could turn it into a game room by placing arcade games (be sure you are 100% positive they are in a position rain will not reach them) and maybe throw in some table tennis. Not only would this be a good hobby room for you but for your guests.

If you enjoy knitting, you could make it into your very own knitting room to keep your supplies and new projects.

You could also turn the room into a room for a specific item that you collect. Maybe you collect model cars or baseball cards.  However, you may not want to put anything too valuable in the room. It can be seen from outside, and may experience strong gusts of wind from time to time.

screened in porchA Place for Entertainment

A screened in porch would be an excellent place for you to entertain guests. In the summertime it could be where you put your grill and lawn furniture so all of your guests are able to enjoy the sunlight while enjoying a home cooked barbecue.

To keep  things comfortable year round, have a ceiling fan installed for the warmer months and a propane patio heater for the colder months.

You could even add a mini fridge so you or your guests will not have to run inside to grab a cold beverage. Adding a TV would also make things fun. Especially when there is a sporting event like the Super Bowl or March Madness.

While you’re at it, go ahead and grab an outdoor couch. You can turn your porch into a man cave with the world’s best view!

Kids Play Area

A screened in porch could also be used as a children’s play area. This is a great way for children to get some fresh air while also getting to play with their favorite toys.

You could decorate with all of their favorite items and make it a fun place for your children to relax. As they get older, you can let it grow up with them, change it up a bit.

These are all fantastic ideas if you have a screened in porch to utilize. No matter what it is that you decide to do, make it fit around what already makes you happy. That is the easiest way to create a porch that you will love for years to come.