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Living in sunny Southwest Florida, both seasonal and full-time residents are lucky enough to call the beauties of Mother Nature their personal backyard. Whether you live on a local preserve, acres of untouched forest or on a sandy beach,

creating your own little oasis in your outdoor living area is just what you need to accent your perfect view.

Knowing where to start and how to bring your ideas to life can be a little tricky, so we checked in with a local favorite, Elegant Outdoor Living, to fi nd what you need to know to get started.

A recent winner of the SWFL Choice Awards for Best Outdoor Furniture Store, and a recently named fi nalist for the national Apollo award, Elegant Outdoor Living has called Southwest Florida home since they opened their doors in 2010. Since then, they have expanded to four locations all over the region, including Naples, Fort Myers and Sarasota.

As a locally-based company, one of the nicest perks they o� er is personal attention to detail. The sales associates at Elegant Outdoor Living o� er more than just product information. As design

consultants, they o� er a free service where they go out to your home to check out the space and give you tips and pointers for how to get the most out of your outdoor décor. While it’s always nice to get a designer’s perspective, it’s also a great way to make sure that your interior home décor fl ows smoothly into your outdoor area, creating a natural transition for your enjoyment.

According to Stephanie Stegman, merchandising manager and buyer for Elegant Outdoor Living, keeping up with trends is only a part of the process of creating your perfect outdoor space. For the stores, Stegman visits national design shows to stay hip to what’s coming on the market and what’s in for the season, but uses that information as a jumping o� point. She then takes what she’s learned, and what she thinks will fi t in with the Southwest Florida climate, and adds a personal touch to create what she calls a “designer eclectic” look. This ensures that Elegant Outdoor Living o� ers clients more than just a uniform style, but instead allows clients to mix-and-match to create a unique space for their home.

Creating an outdoor oasis

all your own

Creating an outdoor oasis

LIVING INElegance

Trends for the season:• Colors. Add colors to your outdoor décor like tans, blues

and corals. • Traditional décor is making a comeback. Skip the

contemporary pieces and try adding some wicker pieces to your space.

• Mix it up. Don’t be afraid to mix materials when choosing your furniture and accent pieces. A popular mixture is woven wicker and ipe wood.

Want to revamp your space but keep some of your current outdoor furniture?

Here are some tips from the experts:• Replacement cushions. A great way to give your outdoor

living area a little makeover, especially if your furniture is still looking and feeling great, is to keep the frames but update the cushions.

• Accessorize. A few accent pieces can go a long way when it comes to décor. Think about adding some tabletop pieces to your area, maybe a trendy new color in the shape of candles and glassware.

• Rugs. Adding a new rug to your outdoor living area is a great way to update the look and feel without changing too much.

• Take climate into consideration when choosing your outdoor pieces, and always stick to the highest quality materials when shopping for outdoor décor for your Florida home.

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by Jennifer Lima

PHOTO: Nicole Raucheisen

PHOTO: Nicole Raucheisen

JANUARY 2 0 1 7

PHOTO: Nicole Raucheisen

PHOTO: Courtesy of Elegant Outdoor Living

PHOTO: Courtesy of Elegant Outdoor Living