2019 Summer Outdoor Living Tour – Amy’s Home

Happy Summer! Welcome to my home’s outdoor space in Northern Virginia, where I try to make it an extension of our home where we can comfortably spend the summer months outside together! My name is Amy, and I have a lifestyle blog, Blonde Charm. I am just so excited to be a part of Michelle’s Outdoor Space tour this summer. I had so much fun participating in her 12 Days of Christmas Home Tour last year. I am just so thankful to be back again sharing another aspect of my home! Not only am I looking forward to sharing with you, I’m even more eager to see all of the other homes in the tour for new ideas to incorporate in my own space. I hope you enjoy my outdoor spaces!

Summer Outdoor Living Tour

Screen Porch

Our first addition to our home was the screen porch. I grew up with a screen porch and always wanted one of my own one day. I am also not a fan of bugs! The screen porch is not bug proof but it sure helps. We wanted the porch to have both a dining and sitting area, so we made sure it was built large enough to accommodate both. I love “mood lighting” inside my home, so when building the porch, we had sconces installed on the columns. These, along with lanterns with faux candles, give a soft glow to enjoy relaxing summer evenings.   

We eat almost every meal we can outside when the weather is nice from Spring till Fall!

I use all melamine dishes for our outdoor space. They have so many options to pick from but I wanted neutral colors so it would always match almost any color theme I went with.

 I love to find fun summer napkins at HomeGoods each summer that tie in so nicely!

Flower arrangements are by City Celebrations.

These flowers were at a baby shower I was honored to attend. After the shower, they were cleaning up and asked if anyone wanted the arrangements. Needless to say…I said yes!

After dinner, the kids will often sit on the love seat and read a book. 

I love the color combination of navy blue and coral. I wanted to incorporate these colors not only on the screen porch but on the patio as well. Even our landscaping and flowers coordinate! These two colors really pop against the grey decking material as well as our patio. I feel like it provides a beach vibe without being ‘too beachy.’  

Patio

Our patio was a later addition after having the screen porch and we are loving it! It is so nice to now have a place for the grill, more seating for company and my favorite feature, a firepit. 

One of my favorite things about the patio is the landscaping. We get a lot of sun for at least six hours a day. I had always wanted a hedge of French hydrangeas like you see in Southern Living magazine at least once a year! Well, our consultant said I could not get the French hydrangeas BUT I could get the BoBo hydrangeas! They have given me the look I wanted and then some. They start out as a beautiful white flower and then will turn a beautiful faded pink. I also love my coral knock out roses. They are just gorgeous and match my coral pillows! The arborvitaes provide privacy and I love how they stay green year-round.

The large umbrella is key to enjoying the main seating area. Not only does it provide shade, it creates a room outside.

We love to enjoy apps on the patio and then will move to the porch for dinner and back to the patio for dessert…usually s’mores by the fire. 

While grilling, we can look out into the yard and watch the kids play badminton, climb on their Ninja Warrior ropes course or swing away in their hammocks.

A fire pit is such a fun addition to your outdoor space! Before we had our patio, we had purchased a firepit at the local hardware store. We set up chairs around the firepit in the backyard and would sit there in the evenings with our friends and family for hours! Once we designed the patio, I really wanted to incorporate a firepit. I love how it is separated from the main seating area. We have enjoyed this feature more evenings then we ever thought we would! The kids (and adults) love making s’mores. We throw together a s’mores bar and they eat them up until their bellies are full! A fire pit also extends the season of your outdoor space. We enjoy sitting out by the fire throughout late spring, all of summer and into the fall months when otherwise we probably would not be sitting outside. It’s such a fun place to share stories with one another. 

Tomorrow on the Summer Outdoor Living Tour is Cindy Hulsey.
Cindy’s Missouri cottage is charming and inviting. She has a talent for blending thrifted and new pieces for an eclectic look. Her outdoor space says welcome all over it. Don’t forget to check it out.

 If you haven’t been following along, you can catch up on the “Summer Outdoor Living” Tour below:

Michelle’s Home – Summer Outdoor Living Tour

Angela’s Home – Summer Outdoor Living Tour

You may also like to tour Amy’s Home at Christmas.