As summer comes to a close, here in Sarasota we can expect a slight decrease in temperatures, and an INCREASE in time spent enjoying our beautiful outdoor living spaces. Many Sarasota residents are lucky enough to live on or near the water, and relish any opportunity to take advantage of great exterior spaces.
The first question our designers ask is: What are your dreams for this space? Do you plan to host kid-friendly summer pool celebrations? Or coastal chic dinner/cocktail parties? With the purpose of your outdoor living project in mind, The Sarasota Collection’s outdoor design gurus can help you build the backyard, balcony, patio, lanai, etc. of your dreams.
We can work with your preferred landscape or pool architect to create an outdoor space that serves an extension of your home. The Sarasota Collection design team can assist with selection of lighting, materials, and other elements to blend style, comfort and function into a unique setting customized for your home and lifestyle.
Industry-wide, we’re seeing the revival of the courtyard, an ancient design technique creating an outdoor living space that is visible from many indoor points in the home. Courtyards and other outdoor areas increase the amount of living space in a home – and quite literally, the sky’s the limit when it comes to design.
Using natural (or natural looking) materials is a top outdoor living trend for 2017, moving away from an overly synthetic aesthetic. Many of our outdoor suppliers, including our friends at KANNOA, have products that appear to have been carved from the earth and complement your home’s natural surroundings. We mentioned in a previous blog article how much we love the KANNOA family of products because they reflect our own business principes: QUALITY, STYLE and HARMONY.
Unique fire features are also a trending element for fall 2017, and The Sarasota Collection designers can help you create a comfortable, stylish lounge area surrounding your outdoor fire pit to complement your vision. Heat things up with endless outdoor entertaining options like indoor-outdoor dinnerware and servingware. If you have a specific event in mind – like hosting Thanksgiving poolside – let us know and we’ll work with you to select the best products for effortless entertaining with style.
As for colors, we still recommend neutral tones for your furniture upholstery like sand, linen, or grey in any tone from light to rich. Also, we always recommend investing in Sunbrella fabric. While the upfront cost is a bit higher, over time Sunbrella will pay for itself in longevity when it doesn’t fade or mildew.
Please be sure to visit our beautiful urban garden at The Sarasota Collection Home Store located in downtown Sarasota’s Rosemary District, where we have arranged an expansive selection of outdoor furnishings for you to see and touch… heck, feel free to kick back and relax for a bit!
