Summer Outdoor Living Tour – Michelle’s Home

Hello! Welcome to my first Summer Outdoor Living Tour!  I’m so glad you are here. My name is Michelle and I am the person behind Diamonds or Pearls blog. I am so excited about this tour that showcases the outdoor living spaces of six other talented women.

There will be a variety of styles ranging from Traditional, Artistic Vintage Farmhouse, Lakeside, and so many more. I hope you get inspired and gather many creative design ideas for your outdoor space!

Summer Outdoor Living Tour

As I’ve mentioned before, we moved to Northern Virginia about a year ago from Hawaii. In Hawaii, outdoor space is available year round and you learn to use it as an extension of your home. We try to bring that same feeling to our home in Virginia, the outside of our home is just as important as the inside and, when styled into a comfortable space, it tends to be enjoyed so much more.

Our home is in a residential neighborhood and sits on a corner lot, which makes our backyard a lot smaller. Virtually the entire backyard is taken up by our deck.  Thankfully, the previous owners and our neighbor grew an amazing hedge that creates the illusion of green space.

This spring and summer have been spent getting the yard and landscaping right and adding our own personal touches.  We have a lot of big ideas for our yard, but we also have to exercise some patience.  We plan to stay here for a long time and know that adding a little every year will get us where we want to be.

My home is very traditional but I’m still inspired by my time in Hawaii and I try to bring that Hawaiian color and character to my outdoor style by adding torches, a tabletop fire pit, and lots of light into our back deck. These pieces give it a laid-back feel, yet still functional for entertaining guests or just lounging in the evening.

Back Deck

Our back deck is our favorite place to retreat in the summer evenings as a family and we also love to entertain here on the weekends.

When planning out the furniture placement, I decided to break it up into three sections. It is divided into the grilling section [kitchen], the lounge area [family room], and then the dining area. The flow works out perfectly!

(Grilling Section)

This little area is just off of our family room. It is a perfect place for the grill since it is the closest door to the house.

Thanks to some of the other ladies on this tour, I got the idea to add this cute picture.

I just recently painted my doors Cyberspace by Sherwin Williams. I wanted to pull the color of the shutters to the back side of my home. It definitely warms up this space and I love how they turned out.

My little sidekick who follows me everywhere! Our 13-year-old Husky named Eagan!

(Lounge Area)

Our outdoor family room is the perfect spot for morning coffee or sitting after dinner.

I would eventually like to get a bigger rug but decided to go ahead and use the one I had in Hawaii. It definitely adds a pop of color to this space.

I find a lot of my planters at HomeGoods and Wayfair.

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My weathervane was given to me by my father-in-law. I always wanted one and this one reminds us of where we came from, Missouri, which creates character and a little nostalgia.

(Dining Area)

When the weather is excellent, we love to sit outside and dine alfresco just like we did almost nightly in Hawaii.

We placed tiki torches all around to give it that cozy feel and keep away the pesky mosquitoes.

Tabletop firepits were common in ski towns throughout the American West.  We were especially impressed by one we encountered dining in Telluride, Colorado and wanted to bring a little ski town to our home in residential northern Virginia. We use this tabletop fire pit often and Joseph loves any opportunity he can get to make s’mores, just like in T-Ride. To see this exact fire pit click HERE.

I always have a pitcher of lemon/lime water on hand during the summer months. It’s tasty and replenishes those nutrients lost in the summer heat.

I was on the hunt to find a swinging chair when we moved here and found this one at an antique store called Lucketts. With a little glossy paint, it looks like brand new!

I don’t always have the best of luck with flowers/plants, but I at least try…haha! My favorites are potato vines, ferns, and petunias.

Tip: If you feel like your outdoor space is lacking in personality, buy some pillows! It is such an inexpensive way to add a pop of color and texture to your space.

(Side Yard)

With our side yard being the largest outdoor space it is used a lot by the kids catching lightning bugs & playing games. My plans for the future are to build an outdoor firepit and rock patio that we could enjoy year round!!

It can take years to get a home exactly how you want and patience is the key. It is important to start enjoying what space you have now no matter the size or even if it is not exactly how you have it envisioned yet. I’m excited to keep adding to my yard/deck and making our outdoor space cozy & inviting. Thanks for following along on my outdoor tour;  I hope you continue to gather ideas for your own outdoor space.

My one tip would be to have great outdoor lighting!  I love for guests to relax with the glow of the torches, hanging lights, and blazing fire pit.

Tomorrow on the tour is Lisa Brenneke’s Home and be prepared to be wowed!  She has a farmhouse filled with vintage collections and some of the most creative planters I have ever seen. Trust me, you are going to be inspired after seeing her outdoor space.

You may also like to get inspired by 20 Beautiful Porch Planters Ideas.