Outdoor Cushions Have Arrived!
May 6th, 2008 by ariana
My new outdoor cushions from LL Bean arrived last night.. and guess what? I love them – not even a little bit of buyer’s remorse, which is highly unusual for me.
And.. they even fit the right way on, I don’t have to turn them sideways!
I love the combination of mango and aqua. Now I just need an umbrella.
So what do you all do with your outdoor cushions to keep them looking good? Do you put a cover on your whole set when you are not using them? Do you put the cushions indoors or in an outdoor storage bin or do you just leave them out all summer and take them in in the winter? I don’t want our new cushions succumbing to the fate of our old white ones. That wasn’t pretty!
Elsewhere around the outdoors…
The Lilacs are in Bloom
The deck and porch have been sanded and await a sunny weekend day to repaint/stain. Jeff also got most of the way through building (at long last) our picket fence. It still needs painting and a gate but here it is in progress:
I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something “off” about it. Obviously it will look better painted white and with a gate, but it seems to block too much of the rhoddies and greenery inside. Or maybe its just the proportions in general, but do you think its that it needs to be shorter?Â
My mother took the cushions in whenever we weren’t using them and they lasted for no joke- 13 years. We just bought a house and they offered us their outdoor furniture and cushions that we got when i was in 6th grade, which still looked brand new! It didn’t quite fit our patio so we had to decline, but you can make things last forever if you’re super crazy about it!
Enjoy!
Hmm… I see what you mean about the fence. I think shorter… OR remove every other picket and have more space BETWEEN the pickets. That one might be easier. :) Or reposition the pickets… remove 1/3 of them and even out the rest…
I like the cushions a lot.
The fence looks awesome and you’ll love how close the posts are when the baby starts to toddle around.
I think the posts look too high next to the pickets. Shouldn’t the post finial be the same height as the picket? or maybe split the difference.
Taking the cushions inside every time you arent’ using them will make the last the longest, but it makes spontaneous backyard lounging kind of hard. I would bring them in for the winter (for sure) and maybe if you know the forecast for the week is especially rainy.
The cushions look great…makes you want to celebrate.
Gee…that rhymes and I really wasn’t even trying.
We have had our cushions for over 4 summers and they look new. We bring them in in the late fall, put them out about now and also bring them in during big rain storm. An outdoor waterproof bin really is handy for impromptu sitting or when it rains.
The fence posts are too high. They would look better the same height as fence. White would look especially crisp and clean. Definitely leave the pickets as they are. You will have a little one poking his/her head thru or trying to escape sooner than you think!
This fence is probably more to your liking
http://images.google.com/imgre.....n%26sa%3DN
Here’s a link to a picture of my (now gone) fence, the posts were shorter than the fence on ours:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/i.....884853255/
You guys are the best, thank you so much for all your suggestions! I think you are right on all accounts, the posts are too high and maybe the fence a little too?
Either way I am extremely jealous of your picket fence. It’s going to turn out beautifully. And let’s just say how awesome it is having handy husbands, yes?
I think the fence height is fine, just the posts are too tall.
I love the picket fence as it is. I like a garden that passers by can see looks lovely, but still feels like it’s secluded. In a way…. hahaha, I hope you see what I mean.
My first time commenting here! I love your blog!
I think the posts are too high, as well, and the horizontal support beams on the back of the fence are too close together. The top one should be up higher — right when the pickets get wide — and the bottom one should be lower to the ground.
OMG, LeeAnn, you totally hit the nail on the head (so to speak!) I never would have noticed that, but you are absolutely right about the horizontal beam being too high.. damn though, i’m not sure there’s much Jeff can do about it now (or would be willing to do, he’s not big on “do overs!”)
May I suggest that the posts are too high, reducing their height and just squaring them off at the top (and sanding/painting them white) will make the fence more uniform. Also painting it white will make it blend in with the property. I’ll just throw it out there, but what about painting the red brickwork on the steps of the property? That would bring it all together and make the overal scheme more cohesive…. just a suggestion… If I have repeated anyone else’s suggestions, please forgive, I haven’t had time to read all the comments. Great Site – Bye!! PS: Also defining the path to the house with statement paving (which suits the house) might also help. Oh and what a beautiful house you have – I covet!! :) Bye!!
Oh and a line of grass in front of the picket fences – or more definition of the bordering between fence and the public pathway… Cathy x
You’re welcome!!! I’m glad my first comment was useful! :D
Wow, isn’t it tricky how getting something like the fence height right can be so tricky. Your husband is a saint!