Outdoor living spaces should reflect a homeowner’s core values, preferred relaxation methods and entertaining priorities. This Zen-like design from Luis Caicedo encourages quite reflection.
Interior designer Luis Caicedo, whose work takes him from New York and Chicago to Bogota, Columbia, will soon offer high-end leather hammocks at his website, www.luiscaicedo.com. He calls it a “splurge” item; it’s made of a single piece of leather.
Brown Jordan’s Architect Series creates a high-style seating solution in any outdoor living area. And it looks so good, the designer, Richard Frinier, says that it can be used indoors, too. |
Creating an Outdoor Oasis
Finding an oasis used to mean leaving your home and checking into a tony ocean-side resort. For about the same price as a luxury vacation, however, homeowners today can create in-home oases that promise year-round rest and relaxation.
“An outdoor oasis is one of the best treats one can possibly have,” says Luis Caicedo, an interior designer and founder of Arborae, a line of recycled home furnishings.
“Regardless of its size and your budget, your oasis should be both a place and an environment that relaxes you and puts you in an ideal a frame of mind, either to be by yourself or spend time with your loved ones,” Caicedo explains. “Think of your needs and how are you using the space, and design and decorate it based on that idea.”
Here, Caicedo describes three popular outdoor oases for HomeYet.com:
A Zen-like space is ideal for practicing yoga and meditation. Be mindful of how much space you’ll need, Caicedo advises, and surround yourself with minimal objects to avoid distraction. Here, draw on nature and its calming properties—a fountain creates the sound of cascading water, for instance—or consider meditation music.
Want a place that’s designed for reading or to get work done? “Choose simple, comfortable outdoor furnishings,” Caicedo says. “I love creating tables by recycling pieces that can tolerate the inclement weather. It’s a great way to incorporate vintage architectural elements or found objects, be green and showcase your creativity. A great comfy chair with awesome pillows, or even a hammock, and your favorite refreshing drink will create the right spot on an easy summer day.”
If you like to entertain outdoors, treat your outdoor oasis as an al fresco room. “A big table, a cooking area, many chairs and music will create the perfect setting,” Caicedo says. “I love this idea because you can change the mood with your table decor, candles and few decorative elements. It’s the ideal adaptable room that always changes to suit your needs.”
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