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Six Ways to Furnish Your Home From Your Backyard
by Pamela Cole Harris
Do you need to furnish your new space but your budget is so
tight you can't squeeze a nickel between the paycheck and the checkbook? Then
bring the outdoors inside! Outdoor and garden furniture and accessories can make
your room look bright and cheerful without spending a fortune! Here's how:
1. A rustic redwood picnic table makes a great dining room
table! Paint it or leave it natural. Cut foam to fit the benches and upholster
with a cheery plaid or bright color. Attach with fabric ties and voila!
Comfortable seating!
2. Wooden Adirondack chairs (the inexpensive type!) from the
garden center (or your own backyard) can be painted in bright colors. Just add
matching pillows for comfortable family or living room seating.
3. Want a window seat? Just place a garden arch with a built in
bench in front of the window. Upholster a foam cushion to provide more comfort
and add ivy and a small reading light to the arch.
4. Faux stone garden benches make great coffee tables. Place in
front of your wicker furniture for a romantic look. Or use a small wooden bench
for a more rustic look!
5. You can make a beautiful folding screen out of garden
trellis! All you need is a piece of scrap trellis and wood. Just make a frame
out of 1 by 1 inch wood slats. Staple or tack trellis which cut to fit the
opening to the back of the frame. Paint white or let your imagination run wild!
6. Have you seen the new white (and inexpensive) resin rockers?
They would be a bright addition to any room. Imagine them with red and white
striped or gingham cushions!
You don't have to spend a mint to decorate! All it costs is a
little imagination and a trip to the backyard!
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Pamela Cole Harris is an editor, writer and eco-decorator with over 35
years experience. Her website,
http://www.homeandgardenmakeover.com is full of her unique
decorating ideas and "how-to"s. Her new book, "100+ Wildly Imaginative
Ideas for Creating Your Own Coffee Table - a Handbook for the Creatively
Deficient Decorator " is available through her website or at http://www.lulu.com/pamelacoleharris
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