Outdoor Living Ideas

If you live in a warm climate (or just wish you did) and do a lot of outdoor entertaining, you might get a kick out of this bamboo tiki hut bar. Definitely reminiscent of some tropical island, the covered bar has plenty of storage for drinks, glasses, and snacks. You could hook up outdoor plumbing and electricity if you wanted to have a full service bar. Imagine the relaxation potential: string up a few hammocks around the yard, put on the Hawaiian music, and have your personal man servants (i.e. the kids) bring you drinks from your tiki bar.

The tiki hut comes in two sizes 6′ x 6′ and 8′ x 8′ with counter widths of 18″ and 24″ respectively. You can have your choice of tropical grass or Asian bamboo tiles for the roof. More details over at the retailer’s site:

http://www.mastergardenproducts.com/tikihutbar.htm

Though I like wooden tables for outdoor entertaining, metal can be easier to maintain, especially when it’s a high quality steel such as this Inox expandable table offers. The tabletop is all steel, and the legs are galvanized, powder-coated steel. Available from Design Within Reach, the Swiss-made Inox Collection features “highly polished steel café tables with a distinctive engine-turned scallop pattern on the warp-resistant, weather-resistant, solid steel tabletop.” I just like the industrial metal kind of feel.

Since outdoor furniture usually does best if it’s stored indoors during the winter, it’s especially nice to find pieces that fold or can otherwise be broken down. The Inox table tilts vertically and locks into place to take up less room in your garage/shed/basement when entertaining season is over. The price is a little more than your local K-mart special though: you’ll pay just under $1,500.

DWR

I’ve always enjoyed hammocks (who doesn’t?), especially in the summer when there’s just a slight breeze wafting through the trees and you’ve got a glass of lemonade in hand… It’s a relaxing, idyllic setting. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to install a traditional hammock in my own backyard, because we’ve never had the trees to support it. Oh, I know you can get hammock stands that bypass the trees altogether, but you don’t get the same swinging action from something that’s mounted on the ground.

That’s why I like the idea of this hammock chair from the Gardeners Supply Company. You can mount it to the ceiling of your porch or deck (no trees required, thank you very much), and it hangs so you can swing gently in it (or vigorously, if that’s your style). Of course, you can’t lie down as you can in a traditional hammock, but it looks like a pleasant alternative. The cost is $90:

Deluxe Hammock Chair

If you’re looking for an outdoor bench or garden seat that is a little more elegant than most, the Spirit Song may be the answer. It’s made by a company called American Eco-Teak, and they specialize in furniture made from top-quality Costa Rican teak, which is sustainably harvested so as not to impact the environment.

As the product description says, the wooden bench makes a “dramatic sculptural statement that defines an entire garden.” There are lots of piece of cheap patio furniture out there; this isn’t one of them. You’ll pay handsomely for the teak bench, but the high-quality of the piece is enough to turn it into an instant family heirloom. Over time the teak will weather and turn a beautiful silver-gray.

The Spirit Song is available from Gardeners Supply for $4,320 for the straight version and $4,990 for the curved version.

American Eco-Teak Bench

Who says you can’t buy outdoor furniture online? The 7-piece Burma patio furniture set can be used indoors or outdoors (it’s specifically designed to withstand the wind, water, rain, etc. of the elements, though you might want to cover it in the winter if snow and ice will be gathering on your deck).

The set comes with a glass-top coffee table, 2 chairs, a loveseat, and weather-resistant back cushions for all the seats in order to make them comfortable. The whole set comfortably seats 4 and gives you room for drinks, food, and whatever else you want outside when you’re relaxing. Made from strong, rust-proof aluminum, the Burma outdoor furniture is lightweight and (according to the product description) easy to maintain.

Though the set requires some assembly (something you’re going to run into whether you buy online or at a local department store), the review on Amazon says it wasn’t very difficult to get everything together. The patio set costs $700.

Burma 7pc Outside Deep Seating Patio Set

Shopping around for a bench to add to your outdoor furniture collection? It’s always nice to have a seat that’s suitable for two, especially if you have a view or a water feature, something that draws you outside in the morning or evening. You can sit and enjoy the scenery over a cup of coffee or tea.

The “broomSTIK” bench from The Terence Conrad Shop combines “traditional and modern elements to form an unusual but practical seat.” The bench is made from pre-aged pine wood that’s supposed to age to a handsome silver-gray color. The price is $775, and it should last for many seasons.

Conrad Shop