Outdoor Living Accessories In 2012

Antique Garden Tools (See Vintage Below)

Well it may be the holidays but I say it's never too early to start thinking about your outdoor living space for the upcoming season. Believe me, you'll want to be ready when the warmth comes back. Enjoy it form start to finish this year instead of working on it all spring. I'm guilty as charged myself! I'm usually too busy designing outdoor living products to ever get a chance to enjoy any of it. I'll work on that for this spring. :)

So I want to focus on the space accessories in this post. Furniture, patio's and landscaping are done to death so you don't need to hear that from me. Let's talk about details! Your personal taste and the style you like will help determine what things you should consider adding. Let's go through some of the more popular one's.

Traditional
The traditional genre is as stable as ever in it’s dominance of the market. I would propose using a modest blend of Victorian Era design and simplified modern traditional. In addition, you should lace your personal collection with other elements of trending styles to keep it fresh. For example, choose items with light non-specific scroll work and muted ornamentation. The simplification allows the piece to blend into other traditional styled items taking away a lot of guess work. Here are some accessory items you should think about.

Examples of Traditional Outdoor Accessories

● Decorative Bird Cages
● Armillary
● Freestanding Clock or Gauge
● Hanging Chandeliers
● Hanging Pendant
● Hanging Candle Lantern
● Table Top Candle Holders
● Cloche
● Vintage Stool/Table
● Wall Mount Weather Gauges
● Jeffersonian Style Gauges

Vintage or Found Object
The up trend in vintage goods it apparent but by no means a recent development. I am proposing clocks and gauges reminiscent of classical instruments as well as decorative accessories that speak to the romance and spirit of the period. Create a overall feel of inspiring creativity and thought in a lost age. The accessory items to think about fall into the same buckets as the Traditional above but with that vintage twist. Consider worn furniture or vintage garden tools. It's hard to go wrong if you troll your local antique shops for classic pieces.


Modern
Clean line geometric forms with raw finishes such as natural concrete and oxidized metals characterize this style. This is an emerging trend that you can capitalize on now. Consider cast concrete planters, urns and fire pits. In addition, I suggest a variety of wall art, candle items and clocks.

Modern Accessories

● Outdoor Room Dividers
● Wall Art/Shelving
● Decorative Wall Candles
● Table Top Candle Holders
● Large Floor Candle Holders
● Wall Clock
● Table Top Tea Light Pillars
● Wind chimes
● Fire Pit
● Planters

Natural Examples

Natural
We have all been aware for a long time that natural forms (particularly in outdoor) are on trend and still growing. I suggest using branch forms in candles, wall art and clocks. Introduce related leaf and vine forms in your space with wind chimes, trellis and other accessories.



Coastal
Richly textured elements and fabrics such as linen, weathered wood, distressed paint, and stone make up the coastal trend. Accents are rich in color and inspired by coastal foliage, birds, found objects and nautical creatures. Use some slim metal lanterns like those shown and listed below. These lanterns are awesome by the way. You can use these in most categories we covered.

● Natural/Distressed Mirror
● Table Top Candle Holder
● Slim Metal Lanterns
● Shepherd’s Hook Floor Lantern
● Table Top Candle Lantern
● Woven Candle Pendant
● Natural Fiber Table Lamp
● Cloche
● Woven Containers
● Glass Vessels
● Stone Planters
● Nautical Clock/Gauge




I know we didn't cover every style out there but I just wanted to get you thinking. I'll come back to this around March and we will get REALLY SERIOUS then. In the meantime I hope this little blurb gets the gears going.

Quick note about mirrors: Use these in every style category to add depth and space to your outdoor living area. I'm talking about BIG ONE's if your budget allows it. This will be big in 2012!