Hi, Friends! Summer is finally upon us! To say that I'm excited to start outdoor entertaining (something that I have NEVER had the pleasure of doing in my whole 29 years of life) is an understatement! Since we bought our place a little over a year ago, I've been itching to get furniture on our deck. We knew that we wanted something a little different from your typical table and set of chairs, so we took our time, saved our coins, waited for a few spring sales, and went for something a bit more unique.




Brandon and I decided that we ultimately wanted a space where we could lounge and relax versus sit up straight and eat proper meals. So the idea of a sectional turned out to be perfect for us, and our style of entertaining. But we definitely didn't want to go with your run-of the-mill sectional. We chose a round one... 'cause we're cool like that. Plus, it's totally modular! Here's my hubby graciously putting it all together with an Allen wrench!

Of course I couldn't stop there! What's a sectional without coordinated textiles and accessories? So naturally I started scheming (or creating a scheme board, but I think scheming sounds like I have more of a sense of humor, so we'll just go with that). Below are just some ideas that I threw together. 




Anyone who knows me, or has simply looked around my blog knows that I'm no stranger to color, so when thinking about possible color combinations, I decided to narrow it down to two color schemes - cool and warm.

Just in case you're curious...
Sectional (bought during the super spring outdoor sale) / Chairs (bought separately in-store) /  Bench / Outdoor pillows: here and here / Wheel (similar) / String lighting / Wall Planter / Outdoor rugs: A / B (similar) / C

I knew which color scheme I was feelin', but I still let my hubby weigh in because I really do value his opinion. Brandon chose C., which was obviously my choice, but it feels good to know that we're on the same page!




Part of the sectional gets full sunlight most of the day, and the other gets full shade, so this is something we'll have to address if we want to use it the entire sectional during the hottest part of  the day. There are umbrellas large enough to cover the entire sectional, but because of the deck width, the behemoth of an umbrella base would have to sit in front of the sectional (or the sectional would have to move forward at least three feet to accommodate it from behind). I'm still contemplating my options, but for now it's okay. Thankfully we chose neutral sectional cushions, so possible fading shouldn't be that noticeable. We also like to keep it covered when it's not in use with this, and a little bit of twine tied to the decking and legs of the end tables.  

By the way, the description for the Rio mat says that the color is red, but it's actually a deep, burnt orange, which I love. The next step was to proceed with textiles. I took a chance and ordered about $60 worth to try them out. 




Turns out, I loved all of them. I don't know where there'll be room for butts, but hey, those pillows sure are adorable. :)




We also picked up come patio chairs to replace the sad folding chairs that we had previously. The end table is a remnant from the balcony in our old apartment.




As you can see, I haven't gotten around to styling it yet, but I think it's quite charming so far. I still want to figure out how to hang string lights, and address the bare wall against the house. We've toyed around with a few different ideas - a huge clock, wheel, or star, a few wall planters, or even an outdoor television (you can probably guess who came up with that last one).




Oh, and here's my tiny balcony umbrella the day before (and a few daisies that were obviously on their last leg). It doesn't provide nearly enough shade, but for now, it's what we have to work with.




Next we'll be tackling the other side of the deck. I would love to create an herb garden on the privacy wall, and of course we have to get a grill! I can taste the grilled hot dogs right now! I can't wait to see how the rest unfolds! We're taking it slow, but that's cool, right?




So how are enjoying your outdoor digs? Bought anything new? Is your outdoor entertaining in full swing? Have a drink alfresco for me! :)

*This post was not sponsored in any way. I just love Target and World Market. (Can you blame me?) And their reasonable prices align with our first-time-home-buyer budget.