Deck-Ready for Spring Summer

 

Maybe your space is smaller than you'd like, making it a challenge to include gardens and a deck. Perhaps your yard is awkwardly arranged, leaving you little room for formal outdoor areas. Or possibly you have plenty of flowerbeds but little leftover space to place an outdoor table and chairs.  Whatever the reason, if you find yourself with big-deck dreams but small-deck constraints, we've got advice. To make the most of small-deck design ideas, rethink your square footage with smart ideas to make the best use of the space you have.

 

 

1. Evaluate your needs. Your lifestyle can and should play a huge part in any small-deck design ideas. Before you do anything, think about how you currently use your outdoor space and how you'd like to use it. For example, if you regularly gather family and friends for meals, then you'll want to maximize deck area for seating as well as include a spot for a grill. But if you have a large lawn for playing and relaxing, a deck might serve a whole different purpose in your daily life -- solitary reading of the paper, for example.

 

 

2. Maintain the proper scale. Before you begin sorting through small-deck designs, think about scale. Your small deck should feel as though it maintains consistent proportion to both the yard and your home. Too small or too big, and either landscape or the small deck will feel overwhelmed.

 

 3. Establish a connection from house to deck and deck to yard.

Nothing makes a small deck look more awkward than a design that looks out of place with its surroundings. One of the keys in successful small-deck design ideas is to ensure that the style, materials, and shape feel in sync with both your home and your landscape. You'll also want to create a small-deck design that encourages an efficient, natural flow between inside and outside. For example, if doors to your kitchen lead to a side yard, that unexpected spot might be the best place for a small deck.

                    

4. Think in levels and curves.Often times, homeowners let difficult yard situations, such as an awkward slope, discourage them from including a small deck. But decks, even in a minuscule yard or space, can be a great way to conquer those landscape demons. For example, a stepped-down small-deck design can provide multiple levels for gathering, serve for different functions, and help you get rid of grass that never grows or cover a slope that always erodes. A curved small-deck design might help you squeeze a few extra square feet (as well as a secluded nook) out of a tiny landscape.

 

 

5. Provide visual relief. On small-deck designs, there's less space to distract the eye, so the details take on heightened significance. Think overhead, on the sides, and underfoot. Try an arbor to create a cosier structure (and provide supports for flowering vines). Distinguished rails offer visual relief, as do rail planters and metal accents. A deck floor in a pattern such as basket weave or one set on a diagonal creates interest.

6. Offer storage.Just because your deck maybe small doesn't mean it shouldn't work hard. Much like shelves, hooks, and drawers in the tiniest linen closet, there are multiple ways to put your small-deck design to work. Think of built-in seating with lids that flip up to hide outdoor cushions and toys. If your small deck is elevated, try hidden storage underneath for seasonal furniture.

7. Include plantings.Whether they're in containers or between the small deck and the rest of your landscape, flowers, trees, and shrubs are key to melding deck with yard. Use small shrubs to disguise footings, posts, and corners; trees to offer shade; and flowers to connect with gardens elsewhere in the yard.

 

 

8. Finish it off. Just because your deck may be on the small size doesn't mean you should pay less attention to the final flourishes. Plan for convenient outlets. Choose complementary fabrics and furniture that enhance the design of the small deck and your outdoor living space. Do what you can to create a space that feels comfortable and welcoming.

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So here's 8 Great Deck Ideas to help you get your deck ready for spring summer for some fabulous entertaining & relaxing over the upcoming longer warmer days.

Spend a couple of weekends getting it right & you'll enjoy it for the long run!

 

Enjoy,

 

images via pinterest and sub text via daily inspiration bhg.com

 

Long Time No-See ...

 

Hi There! Long time no see!

Wow, a break away from PL has seemed way to long - now I am back and it's like an old friend that doesn't count the time. The best kind. How have you been keeping?

Loving this Hampton's inspired pool house here - with Spring about to go into full steam ahead I thought it's be refreshing to look at this gorgeous pool scape.

Enjoy,

 

 

images via pinterest house and garden

A Hint of Spring...

Nothing like a spot of colour to make oneself a cheerier! And with a hint of Spring for those in Australia [Southern Hemisphere] the lawns are growing fasted and greener, new bud on trees and flowering plants are peeking through ready for an explosion of natural colour! Not sure if there's still a winter bite left in the weather forecasts- but today is one of those picnic park days where you could fall alseep with the tweeting of birds in the blossom trees and the warm kiss of sun on your cheeks! Too much to be in the office today!

Enjoy,

images via pretty stuff via crush cul de sac, via ys voice, via matchbook mag,  via the love shop, via kate spade

Happy Weekend!

I had a great time last night at the ISCD trends evening - and promise to make sense of my scrawled notes to share with you next week, I'm sure you'll find something amongst them noteworthy! For now it's one of those things I get when I have been surrounded by fabulously creative & successful people that I begin to get a headache of ideas!

So for now it's a BIG Happy Friday & Happy Weekend whilst I get a chance to mull over all these ideas that seem to be enveloping me at the moment - hopefully procrastination won't win!

 Hope you have a wonderful weekend - thanks again for stopping by at Palatial Living, I hope that a small corner of your life this week was a Palatial one! Take care & Enjoy. S xxx

image via vi.sualiz.us from Everythingfab

Happy Weekend!

There's nothing like the 1st Spring Picnic...it's like a promise for summer. Here in Sydney it's gloriously beautiful warm sunny weather, and spending an afternoon in the park is such a wonderful thing to do when combined with family, friends and a delicious smattering of food & drink!

This weekend we're cheering BIG for my sister-in-law Kylie [Verity] who is running in the [Blackmore's Sydney Running Festival] Sydney Marathon. She's trained amazingly hard and gone through some excruciating physio therapy & point therapy. Tomorrow it's on - she's running for a fantastic non-profit charity organisation called 'CanToo' who raise money to help researchers find a cure for cancer. If you or your family has been touched by cancer, or you'd like to sponsor Kylie in the Sydney Marathon please CLICK HERE and enter her name. You can sponsor Kylie up to 1 month after tomorrow's event. Thank You! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend... Enjoy. S xxx

images via vi.sualize.us

Spring!

Doesn't it just scream Spring - with Jacaranda's out in full bloom in Sydney, a vintage lilac car complete with NSW number plates, and not to mention my new passion for purple!

I found this fabulous image from gorgeous blog 'Space for Inspiration' by Charlotta Ward, [ in turn from by Corrie Bond found via Santa Barbara Chic] .

Early Spring? Or Just Spr-inter...

Apple Ice Tea

Today in Sydney it was unseasonably warm at 23/ 24 C and I think it took us all a little aback, from the cool windy weather we had over the weekend, today I scrambled to pull out something cooler to wear, and to drink - the water went down fast! But I also came across this delicious recipe on Country Living for Apple Ice Tea I though I'd share with you. I love any Ice Tea [especially Long Island ones!] at the best of times - but I thought this was a nice twist. Ice Tea is definitely a great 'Palatial' drink to serve your guests! Here's the recipe below if you'd like to give it try... Enjoy x

Apple Ice Tea
Serves: 4
Total Time: 10 min

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 5 min


Ingredients in Metric
4 [darjeeling] 'Lipton' black tea bags
2 tablespoon(s) honey
480 mls apple juice
1 lemon, sliced

Alternate Recipe - Add 2-3 shots of Apple or Citrus infused Vodka for a Grown-Up After 4pm Ice Tea version!

Directions
1.Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Pour ½ cup water over tea bags in a large measuring cup. Steep for 5 minutes; remove and squeeze tea bags. Add honey, stirring well.
2.Add enough ice so tea reaches the 1-cup mark. Fill 2 tall glasses with ice. Add ½ cup tea, ½ cup apple juice and several lemon slices to each; stir & enjoy!

Image & Recipe via Country Living

It's Coming Up Pumpkins... Halloween Lead Up.

Halloween - Although it's not as big in Australia as it is in the States & Europe (maybe that southern & northern hemisphere climate thing has something to do with it!). So this week I wanted to celebrate all the fabulous decorating ideas that come with 2 (maybe 3) of my favourite times of the year - Halloween, Autumn [Fall] - even though it's Spring here in Oz, and my Birthday [it falls on Halloween!]...

Here are some amazing pumpkin stencil & carving designs that are a little less traditional, stylish and quirky. Using the pumpkin skin colour as a positive space and the black stencil as the negative space - simplicity reigns when achieving maximum impact for these decorative pieces. Here in Sydney you can find some fantastic stencils at the Stencil Gallery, Glebe to try out on a butternut pumpkin! Enjoy x

Image from Country Living

Glad to Be Back Home...

Well I have missed you all to say the least... and it's so lovely to be back home!

I had limited access to the Internet & very limited time whilst I was travelling through Europe to be able to blog... so I do hope that you will join me again at Palatial Living. I saw some amazing & beautiful places and things throughout Europe, & having studied art, history & architectural styles it was such a treat be a part of it all and be able to place it all into scale & perspective. So in the next few weeks as I gather together my couple of [thousand] photos I will post & share with you what I found and saw through my travels....I know you will love what I found

Coming back home it seems that Spring has definitely sprung, and in Sydney, as with much of the east coast of Australia, my garden suffered from the red dust storms and I am desperately trying to resuscitate a few plants that have been 'suffocated' with the dust's oxidisation! So with that I want to 'channel' healthy - happy outdoor & garden spaces in the positive view that with some TLC, Seasol and Garden Gold we'll get there! Thanks again for coming back to Palatial Living I know we'll share some gorgeous images & fabulous ideas over these Spring Summer festive months.. Enjoy! S xxx

Image from Country Living

1st Sept - Spring on our Door Step...

For some it's the 1st Day of Spring - 1st September {southern hemisphere} some would argue the equinox is the turning point but here in Australia it isn't all that obvious some days hit high 20's some mid - teen's. But what is obvious is the the fresh lime green for new buds on Japanese maples, Chinese Tallowood, and my flowering Crab Apple tree, and not to mention the white full buds of the juicy creamy white Gardenias!

Image from Country Living