CG's Annual Outdoor Furnishing Faves!

Hi friends! I don't need a calendar to know it's that time of year again. All I have to do is check my blog stats and see that a large surge of hits are coming through the outdoor dining posts published from the past two years, (here and here)! I had the same surge of hits at this time last year from the outdoor dining post I'd done the year prior. This only means one thing: Spring is coming and it'll soon be time to take our entertaining outdoors!

The past two years I've compiled a list of favorite pieces that caught my eye from the new Spring collection at IKEA. Matt and I had wonderful luck finding exactly what we wanted there a few years ago after our brand new deck was ready for furniture. Typically, their Outdoor line is colorful, affordable, and fun -which was exactly what we were looking for when we decked out our deck! This year it seems to be lacking a tiny bit in personality. There is definitely not as much color as in the past few years. So this year I'm going to expand a bit to include World Market. I love what they have to offer, although they are pricier. So I've combed through what both stores have to offer and come up with my own list of favorites based on affordability and personality!

Kicking things off is this colorful table from World Market. The metal base is such a cool punch of color, (and also comes in red)!

World Market Blue Beer Garden Dining Table
$229

A fresh and affordable pairing with this colorful table, (which I would consider a bit of a splurge), is the IKEA FEJAN Folding chair in white. Easy to wipe, easy to store. 

IKEA FEJAN Folding Chair
$10

These two together with World Market's Orange Glass Wasp Catcher

Next up is this rustic wood table from World Market. Love the proportions of this and the slats on the top!

World Market Catalina Dining Table
$249

And back for the third year in a row is my favorite outdoor dining chair, the IKEA ROXO chair, (we have four in yellow around our grey FALSTER table, also by IKEA)

IKEA ROXO Chair
$20

Aren't they great together?! (Tin planter from IKEA)

For a more industrial, modern look I love this ENHOLMEN table from IKEA. And the price is not too shabby, either!

IKEA ENHOLMEN Table
$159

For such a simple table I paired a slightly more interesting chair from World Market. Also comes in blue, black, yellow, red and green!

World Market Koi Orange Cadiz Metal Chair
$119.98 for set of two

What a fun contrast between table and chairs! Tin planters from IKEA.

Trying to fill a smaller space? No problem! You can still squeeze style into a smaller outdoor space. This end table from World Market is clean and simple and won't make a large footprint.

World Market White Durresi Metal Side Table
$49.99

Now here's a chair for the long haul. I have a feeling once you park your caboose in this cutie you're not gonna be getting up anytime soon.

IKEA PS 2012 Easy Chair - Yellow, (also comes in white)
$149

I could spend a long evening out with this set. Green glass jars from World Market.

Another space saver, this stool from World Market would make a fun little table for a small area.

World Market Yellow Lailani Stool
$79.99

This funny IKEA chair really just made me laugh. But I like it! It looks comfy!

IKEA PS VAGO Easy Chair - blue, (also comes in white)
$29.99

Morning coffee would taste even better with this set, (or your evening drink, whatever it may be)! Paper lanterns from IKEA.

And lastly, for our loungers. This is an IKEA hack idea for anyone interested in a little DIY fun! IKEA hacks are basically transforming IKEA pieces into something a little different by use of paint, and/or minor reconstruction. Start with this cozy, cocooning sofa...

IKEA ENHOLMEN Sofa Combination
$308

...and spray paint it with your color of choice by Rustoleum exterior spray paint! Finish it with a bunch of outdoor pillows, (this handful is from World Market), and you've got yourself a uniquely boho outdoor lounge! I would totally throw a bright sofa in my outdoor area. Actually, I'm really digging this idea...Somebody, please do it!!!

Here is what we put together for our own deck two years ago from IKEA. 4 yellow ROXO chairs, 2 FALSTER armchairs, and a FALSTER table. We've loved how they've held up, how the yellow pops against the gray, and that it's a set we mixed together ourselves. Those are the best kinds in my opinion.

Hop over to see what IKEA has here. Check out what World Market's got here.
**(This post was not sponsored in any way. All thoughts and opinions are uniquely mine)

There you have it! Love anything you saw? Despise them all? What kind of look do you like to see in an outdoor space?

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

~Chelsea

This post was originally published on Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Decking the deck

Last weekend I went on a date with Matt...to our deck! I wanted to have a fun date-like evening without actually getting all prettied up and paying a babysitter. But, to make it feel like a legitimate date, I decorated our deck to give it a cool outdoor cafe vibe. 

Since I wasn't sure how night pictures would turn out, I took a few when there was still a good bit of sunlight left. Since it is staying lighter longer, I wanted to bring some color to our deck before the candles and white lights worked their magic in the dark. Using some construction paper and twine from past projects, I made a little flag banner. Not too perfect - I didn't trace my triangles or hang them the same way. Just on the right side of imperfect how I like it. :) It's already rained on my banner since the weekend and while it softened the colors just a bit, the banner is still in tact! Think I'll keep it around through the 4th of July at least!

I wrapped some mason jars in floral wire to create handles and then filled them with small unscented votives

White lights, my disco ball from Home Depot, (one of their Christmas items), and gold beaded garland from the dollar tree, (used in one of my kids' crafts last season). I like anything shiny near white lights for added sparkle! 

 I like the look of smaller, intimate spaces within large open ones. I pulled up the wicker chair, added a few throw pillows to the built in bench, and a colorful little side table, (with a bucket of Root Beers underneath), and made a cozy little 'nook' on our deck for chillin'.

And when the sun went down, everything glowed!

(I roped a rag garland that Shire and I made a while back using scrap fabric over the banister - also still in tact after our rain)

The darker it got, the better it all looked. We played Jenga, Rummy, (twice), and Golf, (twice) - I lost every single game. 

Did you know cigars repel mosquitoes?! And I hate mosquitoes.

Sitting under glowing white lights, playing our favorite games and listening to our favorite tunes - a perfect date with my guy if you ask me.

Thank you for reading!

~Chelsea

This post was originally featured under Chelsea's Garage, now affectionately known as StyleMutt.

Ikea, all the way

**IMPMORTANT** This post was written in April 2012. Please see my favorite IKEA picks in their 2013 collection here!

Hello friends! It has been a few days since I've posted and I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Thanks to my brother coming over and watching the twins for several hours, Husband and I, (and our littlest one, Mason), got to take a trip to Ikea! We have had great luck at Ikea in the past, so when our deck was finished last fall we thought we'd check there for deck furniture. Of course, it was the end of the season so they didn't have anything in stock, but we really liked what they had offered! About a month ago I called to ask when they would be getting their first shipment of outdoor furniture and they told me first week in April, so we marked our calendar and made a day of it this past Saturday.

What I love about the ourdoor furniture at Ikea is that you can mix and match things to make your own set that matches your style. We had looked extensively for sets elsewhere but just decided that a matchy-matchy set was not so 'us'. We wanted something simple, colorful, casual and low maintenance.

We used the Falster table with the Falster armchairs on the ends, and 4 yellow Roxo chairs along the sides. Remember my love of gray and yellow from this post? It's still a favorite :) We love that the chairs don't take up a lot of space, they're stackable, and easy to wipe clean. We have already enjoyed a couple evenings out here since Saturday!

This striped yellow rug is another purchase from Saturday - $3.50! They had a variety of colors including red, olive, and navy!

Another score were these three prints that finally complete an empty wall in our Dining Room. We have lived here for over a year and a half but I had not yet found anything for that wall that was 'just right'. When I saw these I knew they would be the finishing touch I'd been keeping an eye out for.

And I have to throw this in; my sweeties all dressed up for Easter on Sunday.:)

I hope you are having a great week so far and thank you for stopping by!

~Chelsea