Decorating

Outdoor Living – FIRE UP THE ISLAND GRILL

By Ann Kendall ⋅ July 15, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Outdoor living is a pleasure enjoyed year round by those fortunate to live in the tropical and temperate climates like South Florida, Southern California, Hawaii and Arizona in particular, but there’s no reason why you can’t create a beautiful outdoor living area anywhere in the country regardless of the climate. Now that Spring is upon us, this is the perfect time to clean out that porch, paint the patio and plant beautiful foliage to make your yard a showplace – you’re going to do that anyway, right! Forget about the hum drum scene that you repeat year after year…. While we are all feeling the money crunch many of us won’t be taking that tropical vacation we so long for… you know the one where you sit at the sand bar with the gentle breezes blowing as you sip your tropical drink and laugh the day away… Well, take it a step further… instead of dreaming about the turquoise blue water and white sand of a secluded tropical isle why not transform your porch or back yard into a beautiful and relaxing ISLAND GRILL… You could even incorporate a detached garage…

So crank up the Jimmy Buffett, plant some potted palms & colorful hibiscus, throw down some glistening white sand (you won’t have to mow the grass) add a few tiki torches and mix that margarita… Well, that’s just a start. The rest is simple and cost effective….

You probably already have a grill… create a focal point & for about a $100 worth of bead board (less than all that grass seed and fertilizer) you can easily build a simple wooden bar surrounding the grill on three sides add a few wooden stools from the local consignment shop or unfinished shop…. Don’t forget the plastic chairs from the local hardware store for $10 – just so you can sit back with your toes in the sand while the “cook” fires up the grill and blends your favorite concoction. Oh yeah, grab those multi color LED Christmas lights and wind them through the trees… Voila invite the neighbors and enjoy. If you are fortunate enough to have a pool, you can float candles at night for a romantic atmosphere…

For plans to build a simple tiki bar contact me @DesignSecrets on Twitter.

Check back next week for more on Outdoor Living …..

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