patio Archives - A Million Lives

June 24, 2019 by Greg Underwood

The Dos and Don’ts of Creating the Perfect Patio

The patio is one of the most desirable additions to home especially in warmer climates like in the Middle East. It can be a good place to gather your peace of mind or to entertain your family and friends. Therefore, it should be designed in a special way just like the rest of your house.

Here are the dos and don’ts of creating a perfect patio

Do: create seating groups

Just like in the interior space, the focus of any patio should be the seating. Even though most people try to incorporate as many seats as possible to accommodate more guests, it is good to take a different approach. Instead, try to arrange the seats in distinct groups that feel and look purposely set.

To make it look better, you should choose a focal point such a table or rug. Then, arrange the furniture in a way that each piece is facing the focal point.

Don’t: over accessorize

Most people complain that they feel their patio is always unfinished. One of the main reasons is that patio furniture is plainer than indoor furniture. This is because they are meant to withstand varying weather conditions. Luckily, the plainness of the patio can be solved by adding a few accessories. For instance, you can add a few throwaway pillows. For the biggest impact, you can try to choose brightly-coloured or patterned pillows.

Do: Extend the usage of the patio

Most people assume that the patio can only be used in favourable weather seasons. In most cases, the patios are rarely used when the weather turns colder or overly hot. However, it is possible to extend the length of your patio season with a little planning.

If you want to provide some shade, you can add a covering over the patio. On the other hand, if you would like to use the patio even in the colder seasons, consider adding a fireplace or another heat source.

Don’t: overlook dining options

When creating a perfect patio, it is good to add some dinning solutions.

This is a good way to open up entertaining options to your patio. Also, adding an outdoor kitchen to your home can significantly increase the resale value.

If you are planning to buy a villa in Dubai, it is good to check out on the top real estate brokers in Dubai. There are different types of villas for sale in Dubai which come with enough space to accommodate a patio. Alternatively, if you would like to live in the Jumeriah region, you can consider City Walk apartments for sale or the villas within the area.

November 2, 2018 by Greg Underwood

Great Ways To Make Your Home Summer Ready

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Now that summer is almost here in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s time to start thinking about great ways you can begin to freshen up your home for the summery weather ahead. Summertime always conjures up images of spending the days outdoors on the patio or in the backyard, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather alongside friends and family. If this sounds like the kind of summer you have planned, read ahead to learn about some top tips for making your space a place to remember.

A Touch Of Paint

Undoubtedly when it comes to doing up a space, painting is the first thing that comes to most people’s minds as a way to freshen the entire area without having to break the bank. It’s an easy task in most instances to just whack a coat of paint on the walls and enjoy your new vibe, but for a truly unique and bold change, why not go with a cool feature wall in a different colour than you normally would go with? Deep plum colours, ruby, jade or sapphire shades are popular options, depending on your tastes and the ambience you want in a room. Otherwise, consider using wallpaper for cool and funky patterns on smaller feature walls such as in alcoves.

Tell Tale Textiles

For an instant makeover why not consider using a cushion with bright red colouring on it? Red always brings focus to a spot in a room and will make any old space look new again. These linen cushions are the perfect example of a textile that can really make a space whole again and look like new. But if you want bright outdoor cushions, you can rest assured that it will really make your patio pop for all those summer barbecues you have slotted in throughout the season. So what are you waiting for? Bring everything to life again with fresh, fun textiles.

A Bit Of Brightness

Ever notice how lighting can really set a mood? We have! If you’re looking for a great way to change up a room or a space, consider adding hanging candles, lanterns, fairy lights, tea lights and other forms of lighting to create new and wonderful vibes that work well together. Lighting can elevate any space from zero to hero purely by lighting some candles in old mason or jam jars and placing them strategically around the area – especially on patios, balconies, decks or in backyards. For an added bit of pizzazz, consider painting the jars beforehand to really create a superb vibe everyone will want to emulate.

So if you’ve been looking for a great way to ignite the summer season this year, consider some of the top tips mentioned above. With so many cool ways to really make the summer nights shine, there’s no better time than now to get prepared for all the festivities the season will bring. So what’s on your list to do this season and how will you get ready? We’d love to hear from you!

June 7, 2018 by Greg Underwood

8 tips for choosing patio furniture

After going through months of enduring the cold winter days, everyone is looking forward to the warmer weather. People are now coming out to the outdoors to enjoy the sun. Instead of entertaining their guests indoors, hosts are shifting to the patio to entertain their guest with hot tea and snacks. It is a wonderful place to get the warm of the sun, and to enjoy the blooming flowers in the garden. So, the first thing we should do is to invest in high quality outdoor furniture to make our patio a comfortable place to entertain our guest.

There are many options to choose from and since patio furniture can be a big investment, we want to make the right choice. Here are 8 tips to help us make our choice.

First, we need to take stock of our patio space, whether we are planning for a comfortable, shaded space to relax and read, or a space to enjoy our tea or coffee with family and friends. Look out for great ideas online by Palm Springs interior designers and others.
Before shopping for our patio furniture, make sure to take measurement of the patio space. We wouldn’t want to get an oversized furniture to make the patio appear crowded. If the patio space is big, then we will need substantial pieces of furniture to fill the space.
Always do our homework first before we start to shop. Check out the websites selling outdoor furniture to see the different styles, materials and compare the prices. Read customers’ reviews about the quality of the products and their services.

Plan carefully and try to keep to a theme for your outdoor furniture. Be consistent in your style of choice. Examples of outdoor theme can be found online such as shared by the Los Angeles interior designers, etc.
Make sure to select the most durable furniture as most quality outdoor furniture can be expensive. Consider the materials use and the cost of maintenance required.
Check out the quality of the materials and the workmanship. Make sure the joints are fitted tightly with no gaps. All metal furniture should be painted and power coated finished to prevent rust. Wood furniture should be sanded to a smooth surface. Wicker should be loosely wound on the frame. Tables should not be wobbly and the chairs should be sturdy and comfortable.
For more comfort, comfortable cushions with appealing colours and designs will be great. Choose fabrics meant for outdoors, especially fabrics that can resists mildew, fading, or staining.
Choose outdoor table with a hole in the centre to hold an umbrella to provide shade from the sun.