Who redecorates their patio after summer is over? Those of us who live in San Francisco or near enough to it, where summer hits after Labor Day. For the entire month of August it was foggy, cold and windy, keeping us from grilling and eating outside, and enjoying our patio as much as we wanted. Mr. R and I were about to mourn the end of summer when September hit and all of a sudden the sun came out!
Since we realized it wasn’t too late to enjoy our dinner alfresco, we decided to rapidly clean up our patio and grill area, and create a little outdoor bistro setting where we can enjoy our meal and watch the sunset with a glass of wine. I was so thrilled that Ajna Living reached out about helping me with my outdoor space, as they are a local company that wants to encourage everyone to live better outdoors, which being in the Bay Area is basically our motto.
I didn’t know how to plan the space at first, as we have a long skinny deck that sort of zig zags, so I couldn’t fit a dining table, loungers or any seating that is too large. However, Kristin at Ajna Living introduced me to the Fermob line, which I had never heard of, but now I realize is EVERYWHERE. Basically, Fermob is the manufacturer behind all of the green chairs that you see in Paris’ outdoor spaces, most notably in the Luxembourg Gardens. Since I lived a block away from the Luxembourg Gardens in my semester abroad, I was sold!
In addition to the traditional metal chairs, they offer a wider range of woven seating, fold up bistro tables and lighting as well, all in a wide range of fun colors to really personalize your look. I decided to go with a mix of green and white tones, so I selected the woven Sixties chair in cotton (SO COMFORTABLE), the 30″ Round Bistro Table in Cactus, and the Bistro folding chairs in Rosemary. My favorite part about this set up is that the Sixties Chairs stay out for Mr. R and I to use on a daily basis, but the Bistro chairs fold up and mount on our outdoor wall so that we can take them out when we have company. The 30″ table is big enough for 4 to eat, but not so big that it takes up too much space when it’s just the 2 of us.
The finishing touches of the space are what make it cozy. I selected this grey and white indoor/outdoor rug from World Market to add a bit of softness underfoot, and then added in a throw for warmth and some faded green pillows to add depth to my ‘shades of green’ palette. My absolute favorite item and complete game changer to enjoying the space are the Fermob Balad lanterns. These re-chargeable lanterns have 3 lighting modes, are super lightweight, and give off a ton of light. We love the ambiance the lights give when we play a heated game of chess on our patio at night!
While we still need a few things to finish off this patio, it’s amazing what a few simple items can do to completely transform a space. This mini deck went from a space we never used to where I have a morning coffee, where the nanny sits outside to feed Marina, and where Mr. R and I spend our evenings. We are so thrilled with our Fermob pieces and loved working with Ajna Living to design the perfect space for us!
