SPACE SAVERS

LIFESTYLE EXPERT COLLEEN MULLANEY’S HIGH DESIGN ON A LOW BUDGET

SUMMER ENTERTAINING

Summer is the season that finds entertaining moving outdoors, offering you, your family and
friends the perfect chance to live life alfresco. When it comes to get-togethers, consider hosting
everything from margaritas to Sunday coffee to a backyard barbecue. Whatever your style, a few
simple details can make your outdoor space the perfect place to be morning, noon or night.

So just how do you get your space in tip-top shape while keeping your budget in check? Just follow my eight outdoor space-saving tips.

SpaceSavers_SummerEntertaining 1. Clean it up! Discard any old broken furniture, pots, etc., and give the ground a good sweep. To create an outdoor room, paint the floor with a fresh coat of paint or put down an indoor/outdoor rug to lay a base and define the space. Pier 1 has a good selection.

2. Use what you have. If you’re looking to throw several dinner parties, a dining table and chairs or benches are in order. If you’re into casual cocktails and easy gatherings, go with comfortable chairs for guests to sit on and smaller tables for drinks and snacks. I often put out an old wooden farmhouse table on the patio and cover it with a tablecloth for an elegant look. If I have extra guests, I pull out my folding table and use that, covered in a few tablecloths and fun table settings. No one ever realizes what’s underneath. Target has a good selection of chairs and side tables for the patio.

3. Keep it shady. Umbrellas are key for shade and privacy. Ones with single stands can be moved out of the way for entertaining in the evening. Retractable awnings are a great investment for a space that is used often, especially for daytime entertaining, but they add to the budget, so keep that in mind.

4. Privacy, please. Plantings, either in-ground or in big pots, add privacy and intimacy. Arborvitae are my favorite for their hardiness, color and fabulous screening capacity. Check out garden centers in the large discount home warehouses for the best buys. Tall grasses or small shrubs that fan would work well, too.

5. Go for flower power. To finish the space in high style but on a low budget, add to the privacy plantings with pots of flowers in bright hues. Flowers add fragrance and the pops of color can set off a space. Speaking of color, throw pillows on the chairs and sofas to add color and warmth.

6. Light the way. Good lighting makes all the difference. I love twinkle lights or mini string lights. Add pillar candles in glass globes for extra flickers of light. If your yard gets lots of sun during the day, get a bunch of the solar lights—you can save energy while doing something positive for the environment.

7. Choose a theme. Do you want a colorful bohemian flair, a modern chic scene complete with white and muted frosted tones or a retro yard sale feel?

8. Get the goods. Make sure you have everything you need to serve your guests. I love HomeGoods for fun, stylish barware, trays and platters. Keep a bucket of ice and a pitcher of cocktails next to a small tabletop bar, set out some snacks, turn the music on and presto, let the low-cost, fuss-free party begin.

Colleen Mullaney has enjoyed a long and dynamic career devoted to style and entertaining. Whether it be through her many published works or with her friends and family, Colleen has made it her passion to bring style to the world through floral design, home decorating and crafting. Colleen is a former editor in chief of Family Circle Homecrafts, FTD In Bloom and Jo-Ann magazines. Most recently, she partnered with Chris Madden on the launch of her magazine At Home with Chris Madden.

Her books include Shells, Faux Fabulous Florals (Sixth&Spring) and her popular Punch (in its third printing with Chronicle Books; more than 30,000 copies have been sold in such outlets as Williams-Sonoma and Anthropologie). Colleen will celebrate her take on bridal with One-of-a-Kind Weddings (Creative Publishing) as well as the global entertaining landscape with It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere (Sixth&Spring). Colleen has created interiors for residential and commercial spaces, and she’s designed cottage gardens and floral arrangements for clients up and down the East Coast. You can also see her work in full color on HGTV’s Insider’s Garden and soon on the web with a yet-to-be-announced project. Colleen lives in Westchester, N.Y., with her husband and three children, where she is constantly hosting playdates and dinner parties, toiling in the garden, and working on future projects.

For more from Colleen, go to www.colleenmullaney.com.