Summer Pleasures
(
Patio Preferences
Proper outdoor furniture
turns yard into extra room
BY CARON GOLDEN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ID
5899 W Ma le .WestBloomfield
113 Mile Wesl of Orchard Lake
1-800-500-5522
810-851-5440
Your complete
party outfitter
■ Complete Dinners
■ Complete Alcoholic Beverages
■ Banquets
■ Party Tray For All Occasions
■
■
■
Hors D'oeuvres
Buffets ■ Hot and Cold
Delivery and Service
•
CATERING FOR GROUPS FROM 20-500 PEOPLE
FOR EVERY OCCASION!
■ Banquets
■ Barbecues
■ Bar Mitzvahs
■ Cocktail Parties
■ Garden Parties
■ Grand Opening
■ Meetings
■ Open House
■ Proms
■ Rehearsal Dinners
■ Retirements
■ Reunions
■ Seminars
■ Showers
■ Weddings
Featuring
J. Lohr Estates
Monterey - Chardonna
and
P aso Robles Cabers
-
258-5188
Ask for Sally
Gracious Dining & Off Premises Catering
S32
190 N. Hunter Blvd. • Birmingham
258-5788
BEER • WINE • SPIRITS
7
ado furniture has come a
long way from the flimsy
aluminum chairs with
the fraying plastic straps
that I remember from my South-
ern California childhood. With fam-
ilies treating their yards and gardens
as outdoor rooms, more attention
is being paid to the look and feel of
the furniture — and there is now
a wide range of styles to choose
from.
"More and more homeowners
are extending their living space to
their decks and yards," says Deb-
orah Durham, an outdoor enter-
taining expert "And decorating the
deck or patio as you would any in-
door room will enhance its ap-
pearance, ambience and,
ultimately, the overall enjoyment
of the back yard."
Each year, Americans spend al-
most $6 billion on yard design and
renovation. If you are planning on
adding your two cents — or more
— here are some suggestions for
creating as comfortable a world out
of doors as you have within your
four walls.
Wood classics. A low-slung
Adirondack chair made of teak, a
Mission-style rocker, a Chippen-
dale-style glider swing. These are
the pieces that invite us back to
slower, more contemplative sum-
mer days. Since durability is a fac-
tor when purchasing outdoor
wood furniture, look for pieces
made of teak or mahogany. These
weather nicely and don't split or
splinter. Teak is also rot- and ter-
mite-proof.
Manufacturers of wood outdoor
furniture, like Wood Classics of
Caron Golden is a writer with
Copley News Service
New York, recommend letting the
wood weather naturally to a soft
gray. But they recognize that not
everyone finds that color right for
them. While many paints eventu-
ally peel or chip, they have found
some exterior house stains that
work well on their mahogany fur-
niture. And even if after letting your
chair or table weather naturally for
a couple of years, you can still
change your mind and stain it with
products sold at your local paint or
hardware store.
If you are ambitious and want
to make your own furniture, there
are two books out with practical
designs for the home builder: Sum-
mer Furniture by Tom Carpenter
(Camden House) and Docks and
Projects from Cottage Life (Cottage
Life Books). Each is well illustrat-
ed with step-by-step instructions.
Precious metals. If your taste
leans toward the more delicate,
take a look at chairs and tables
made out of wrought iron or alu-
minum. A sweet rose design with
flared legs makes for perfect seat-
ing on a stone patio for a twilight
espresso or early breakfast Set two
chairs and a small table on a bed-
room balcony surrounded by pot-
ted flowers. Or place a bench along
a garden path. If you like the ele-
gance of the metal look but want
to add some color, make sure your
furniture is coated in a waterproof
enamel finish.
If your taste runs to whimsical,
catalog retailer David Kay has a
bright, springlike chair and table in
a sunflower design. Forged out of
iron, it's hand-painted for use in a
sheltered area.
Plastics and other materials. If
PATIO page 53
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