Designing the Perfect Outdoor Entertaining Space: Furniture, Layouts & Lighting

Summary

Designing the Perfect Outdoor Entertaining Space: Furniture, Layouts & Lighting

Dear Alice | Interior Design
Host/Author: Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall
Episode Release Date: June 5, 2025

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Introduction: Embracing Summer Outdoors

As summer reaches its peak, the allure of outdoor living spaces becomes irresistible. In this episode of Dear Alice, hosts Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall delve into the nuances of creating the perfect outdoor entertaining area. From selecting the right furniture styles to mastering layouts and lighting, they provide comprehensive insights to transform any exterior space into a serene retreat or a vibrant gathering spot.

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1. Aligning Outdoor Furniture with Home Exterior

Sue: "I think that people often don't know what their furniture style should be on the outside of their home. They have this midlife crisis moment about what am I going to do out there?" [01:26]

Choosing outdoor furniture that complements your home's exterior is paramount. Jessica and Suzanne emphasize the importance of aligning your outdoor decor with the architectural style and regional influences of your home. Whether you reside on the West Coast, the East Coast, or the South, your furniture should reflect and enhance your home's unique character.

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2. Regional Styles and Their Furniture Preferences

Stately Limestone Homes

Jessica describes the elegance required for stately limestone homes:

Jessica: "This really creates a formality and refinement that... show the integrity of the home and the homeowner." [09:02]

For these residences, black iron frames paired with wood case goods provide a polished and sophisticated look. The combination ensures that the furniture complements the grandeur of limestone exteriors without overshadowing natural surroundings.

California Coastal Style

Embracing the relaxed vibe of the California coast, Suzanne highlights the use of natural materials:

Sue: "Teak frames... there's something relaxed about it. It's the whole lifestyle of California – relaxed, natural." [18:13]

Teak and wicker are staples in this style, offering durability against coastal weather while maintaining a laid-back aesthetic. Fully upholstered pieces are also gaining popularity, seamlessly blending indoor comfort with outdoor resilience.

East Coast Traditional

For traditional East Coast homes, wicker and black iron continue to dominate:

Jessica: "Wicker on any coastline feels amazing. It has a nostalgic and relaxed feel without being fussy." [22:50]

This style often incorporates classic patterns and materials that evoke a sense of timeless elegance, perfectly suited for coastal living.

Southern Traditional

Southern traditional homes benefit from the charm of wicker and covered porches:

Sue: "Wraparound porches with screened-in areas and rocking chairs create an idyllic outdoor sanctuary." [25:01]

Ceiling fans and motion-based seating like rocking chairs enhance comfort, making these spaces perfect for long, leisurely evenings.

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3. Mixing Materials for a Cohesive Look

Sue: "You can't just bring a set and expect it to feel complete. Mixing materials like wood and iron adds depth." [10:26]

Combining different materials such as iron frames with wooden tables or resin side tables elevates the outdoor space. This blend not only adds visual interest but also caters to practical needs like setting down drinks and snacks during gatherings.

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4. The Allure of Fully Upholstered Outdoor Furniture

Alice: "Fully upholstered pieces offer the comfort of indoor sofas but are engineered to withstand the elements." [20:30]

Post-pandemic trends have seen a surge in fully upholstered outdoor furniture. These pieces provide unparalleled comfort and versatility, transforming patios and decks into luxurious extensions of indoor living areas. High-quality materials like Sunbrella fabrics ensure longevity and resistance to weather damage.

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5. Investing in Quality: Durability and Maintenance

Sue: "You really want to get what you pay for. Cheap furniture often fails after one season." [30:16]

Investing in high-quality outdoor furniture pays dividends in durability and appearance. Jessica and Suzanne caution against opting for low-cost options that lack proper engineering, emphasizing the importance of features like antimicrobial cushions and effective drainage systems. Protective covers are also essential to safeguard your investment during harsher seasons.

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6. Final Touches: Rugs, Lighting, and Accessories

Rugs

Alice: "Exterior rugs help define seating areas and add warmth to the space." [32:43]

Large, high-pile rugs made from synthetic materials like polypropylene can anchor your outdoor furniture, creating cozy and inviting areas for relaxation and entertainment.

Lighting

Sue: "Rechargeable light bulbs and outdoor sconces are game changers for evening gatherings." [39:28]

Proper lighting transforms outdoor spaces for nighttime use. Rechargeable lanterns and strategically placed sconces enhance ambiance while ensuring functionality, allowing for extended outdoor enjoyment under the stars.

Accessories

Sue: "Outdoor pillows and down-alternative fills add color and comfort." [41:57]

Incorporating vibrant pillows, decorative plates, and garden stools can personalize the space, making it more lively and appealing. These accessories provide the finishing touches that reflect your style and enhance the overall aesthetic.

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7. Listener Inspiration and Real-life Applications

Jessica shares a poignant listener story:

Alice: "A listener lost her home to fires and wished she had invited more people while remodeling. We responded with, 'Don't wait. Host tonight.'" [38:35]

This narrative underscores the importance of creating and enjoying outdoor spaces now, fostering memories that last a lifetime.

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8. Exclusive Offers and Community Engagement

Throughout the episode, the hosts promote their latest outdoor collection, offering listeners exclusive discounts and incentives to engage with their brand. They encourage reviews and participation in their insider program, fostering a community of design enthusiasts eager to elevate their outdoor living experiences.

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Conclusion

Dear Alice provides a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to enhance their outdoor living spaces. By aligning furniture styles with your home's exterior, investing in quality pieces, and adding thoughtful final touches, you can create an outdoor entertaining area that's both beautiful and functional. Embrace the summer and transform your outdoor space into a personal sanctuary or an inviting venue for memorable gatherings.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sue: "I think we need to provide some guidelines because you do have a little bit of an identity crisis sometimes about what am I going to do out there?" [00:54]

• Alice: "Live it now. Create that backdrop for yourself. Don't wait till it's finished to invite people over." [39:28]

• Sue: "You really want to get what you pay for. [...] It's all really high-end material." [30:16]

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For more design tips and exclusive collections, visit alisonhome.com and follow Dear Alice on your favorite podcast platform.

Transcript

[Alice]

Foreign. Welcome to Dear Alice, A lifestyle approach to interior design.

[Sue]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Dear Alice. Guys, we're in June. It's the sixth month. We're halfway through 2025. Does that feel weird?

[Corey]

It blows my mind.

[Sue]

I feel like I should say it out loud just to make it feel normal for a minute.

[Corey]

Yeah. And like, I feel like, yeah, I now I have like a son who's going to be in second grade. That just. It's crazy, my mind.

[Alice]

Fifth grader.

[Corey]

Wow.

[Alice]

All this is going to fifth grade. Anyway, we have months away from that. So let's not talk about school right now.

[Corey]

Let's enjoy the summer.

[Alice]

Let's enjoy the summer.

[Corey]

Yes. Live in the now.

[Sue]

Exactly. Well, guys, I will say everybody wants to talk outdoor right now and the work that we're doing and the collections we're making, it's all about being on vacation at your own home and just really dolling up the outdoors. But I think people oftentimes don't know what their furniture style should be on the outside of their home. And I think that people are faced with so many contemporary options today that they have this. They have this mid crisis moment, this mid century. What do you call it? Midlife crisis.

[Corey]

Yeah, midlife. Yeah.

[Sue]

Where you're like, I'm gonna buy a sports car. I feel like sometimes people buy contemporary furniture on the outside of their home because they're in a new mood or whatnot. So I just, I think we need to provide some guidelines because you do have a little bit of an identity crisis sometimes about what am I going to do out there?

[Alice]

It's true. Yeah, you can finally. You're. You can afford it. You're gonna like, you want to dine.

[Sue]

Out, you want to invest in it.

[Alice]

You want to dine al fresco. Because again, we've all been inside for all winter long, so we just want to be outside because that's where our kids are.

[Sue]

Also. Is there any more perfect weather than June? No, I think it's. It's. June is like our gift.

[Alice]

And it's not like you're not raining really anymore, like I think, or cold. I feel like at this point you. You planted majority of your landscape as far as just like your garden beds and things.

[Corey]

Stuff starting to kind of like bloom and get little. Get full.

[Alice]

Yeah, I know. Your vegetables are starting to like, show a little bit. So anyway, it is time to enjoy the outdoors and invite people over. I think it's a big entertaining especially it's a cool month before the hot months start to come.

[Sue]

Y.

[Alice]

So Again, a gift.

[Sue]

It's utopia.

[Corey]

Should we tell them about our, like, new pot sets?

[Sue]

Yes. Okay, guys, these just happened. These just happened to land at the perfect time. We just launched outdoor pots that we've created for your porches and your outdoor gathering areas. Those of you tuning in on YouTube or on Spotify will see the pots. They just entered the conversation. Yes, we did white pots, and we have this really, really beautiful sort of ribbed texture on the outside. This really wide spice spaced out. Guys, I just got this collection of white pots delivered to my porch. They are so cute. I. As you know, I painted my door warmed cognac a year ago, and so I've got this really dark orange glossy door and these white pots. I was gonna go for black because it's such a Daryl Carter move and so strong, and I love it. But then I was like, hold up. I painted my door orange.

[Corey]

A little too Halloweeny.

[Sue]

I can't put a black pot out there. So I went with the white. And I just have to say they come as a set. So your black pot set, you're gonna get four pots. This is the second to the smallest that's on the table. For the white pots, you're gonna get three in the set. And this is the smallest. So the big size is really generous, and you're going to be able to put a full, like, tree in it next to your front door. Maybe you have a topiary or something like that. Both really stately options. They're going to look good with whatever style of home that. Or even just outside on your back patios where you're going to layer in some lush pots just to bring some of that organic material in onto your patios, your decking, just to sort of bring your landscape onto that groupings of them.

[Corey]

I always love that. That's. Yeah, I'm slowly learning the. Yeah, the. I'm developing a green thumb.

[Alice]

Yeah, I know. The older we get, we're just like. We get so excited about just, like, things like growing from the thing.

[Corey]

I could have cared less about my yard 15 years ago. You know what I mean? You're 22.

[Sue]

Welcome to Middle age, Corey.

[Alice]

We're, like, usually, like, sitting. Now we're sending each other, like, plant memes and seedlings, and that's. That's who we are. Just.

[Sue]

I'm Marco poloing Sue on the weekend and showing her what I'm growing in my windowsill. I'm that lady now.

[Corey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

I'm like, what are you propagating?

[Sue]

I know it's so fun. So check out the pots. These just launched, like, four days ago on alisonhome.com. yeah. And we're so proud of them. We're so happy that they're here. Yeah.

[Alice]

I'm so excited. Okay, before we get into anything else, I just want to share again. We get these reviews, and they light our world. You guys. Like, we love them. I just want to share something from Lisa from New York writes, I've been listening to Dear Alice while painting every room in my house, and it's been the perfect companion and kept me sane. The hosts are hilarious and so fun to listen to.

[Sue]

She thinks we're hilarious.

[Alice]

I know. They're full of great design advice, both the practical tips I can use and the dreamy ideas I'll probably never afford, but love hearing anyway. Absolutely recommend. Thank you so much, Lisa.

[Sue]

Lisa, that means a lot.

[Alice]

No, and I think that this is why we do this is, like, to inspire. Like, you may not be able to afford Gucci, like, but I love looking at it.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Or I may not be able to afford this, but if I know what is, like, what is inspiring the greats, it helps me to make other decisions and the price point that I'm in and I become a better sorcerer for my own life and for my own story. And so, Lisa, that's why we're doing this. I love that you're painting your house. Can't wait to see it. Send us pictures, because that's why we're here. We're here to inspire, and we hope that all of you are taking something from this at whatever level of your home you're in.

[Sue]

So, so good.

[Corey]

Okay, let's get into it.

[Sue]

Let's do it. Okay. So I feel like the number one thing people want to know when they're going to be choosing their outdoor furniture is what style matches my house. So let's give them some rules on how do we align exterior style with what type of furniture is going to go out there.

[Alice]

Yeah. And when we said we were trying to. When you're doing the research for this, we were breaking it out kind of in, like, demographic. It kind of. For a second, it kind of became like an east, west, south, north thing. You know, whether you're a mountainous region, you know, whether you're California, west Coast, whether you're, like, more formal east coast, or whether you're, like, Southern traditional. And they really do all have, like, a preferred material to the frame that we, like, tend to go to, because there might be, like, you have a lake house in Utah in A mountainous region. So it really does just depend on your style.

[Sue]

Right.

[Alice]

That you're drawn to for your home, whether you're more casual, whether you're more formal, whether you like a little bit more rustic, or whether you like something that feels nostalgic, like the South. You could be anywhere, but your house leans something, and that should dictate how you like dress your outdoors, I think. So we've kind of like, broken it up a little bit on the. Our favorite kind of frames, whether we've used them in projects or just admired them from other designers and Pinterest and whatnot. So I think. Where do you want to start?

[Sue]

Well, I say we start with sort of the stately limestone house.

[Alice]

Okay.

[Sue]

Right.

[Alice]

Stately limestone. This could go like, for stately limestone, own, like a federal brick style or just like anything that feels, like, postured.

[Corey]

Maybe a little less relaxed.

[Alice]

Less relaxed. A little bit more formal. Whoever owns this house, you know that she loves, like, a gold finial. She likes things a little bit more polished and refined, but she loves to entertain. I still think of, like, kind of the Mark Sykes.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Too. And even the Suzanne Caster. So some of this can bridge a little bit Southern, too. And it's the iron frame. This is the iron frame where it's not like a big, bulky teak or anything like that. It's a little bit more refined. You can see the leg work and the craftsmanship of the frame. But you see you're able. You have mostly seat because the frame is so thin, because it's iron and it's strong. But there's just such a formality to it and a refinement that I love this type of frame. I love it. And again, with any of these frames, and we've said this before, another outdoor, like, furnishings podcast, that when you find your frame, that is the style, like, for the large pieces that you are going to see littered throughout your space, whether you have, like a rooftop garden or whether you're big and sprawling area. Like you're going to use that same frame. Right. That same suite, if you will, throughout, and likely the same upholstery. Like, if you're white upholstery, you're going to see the white upholstery throughout.

[Sue]

Yep.

[Alice]

And it's just like, against all your flowers and your dahlias and all the colors happening.

[Sue]

Yes.

[Alice]

You know, it just creates a really, like, lovely backdrop that's not going to steal the show from what Mother Nature is putting out there, but it shows, I think, the integrity of the home and the Homeowner.

[Sue]

Yeah, but. But you are buying the same frame and the same cushions, but you can mix in a little bit of other material in case goods. So you can see this is a home that we did here in Holiday Utah. We're actually using an outdoor wood table here. And then you can see here we've got a really beautiful resin or concrete big stately side table that's really gracious so that you could entertain on that surface. Because if you are throwing parties having big generous surfaces like the cocktail table, like the side tables, obviously dining tables, that's going to give you places to set down drinks and treats and swim goggles and you know, what have you. So you can see we mixed in the case goods here we're mixing materials as a side table. And then on this dining set we also used a wood dining table paired with the iron frames. So I think this gives you a look. Yeah. And that's one of the things I think we need to really discuss today is that when you're buying these, not only what frame style do you do, but how do you mix in to get this lifestyle look? Because just buying a set and bringing it home isn't going to feel.

[Corey]

It feels flat.

[Sue]

It does feel flat and it gets nervous. So we need to tell the decorator secrets that we're doing to give you this really beautiful, complete look. And actually that's really. The outdoor section of our website is all of those extra pieces to help you get the look. We do have sets, everybody has sets. But what not everybody does is curate those garden stools and those extra side tables. And we even have outdoor UV rated plants that are faux that look real and they are meant to last forever. I've had this same like sort of outdoor palm type thing on my outdoor console and it looks real. I look at it through my own window. It's been out there for three summers. It's not faded once. It looks perfect. And we've put on some extraordinary outdoor rated UV plants so you can have something on that side table that looks real. But maybe you vacation often and you might not have somebody like if sprinklers come on, but you might not have somebody that can come and water and keep these plants alive. So that's a really nice solution. Too pretty on your porch, maybe. Anyway, the outdoor collection is great to help you get this look. So.

[Corey]

And I feel like there's a ton of options, which is in my opinion that's what's lacking in the market. I feel like everything's just like relaxed teak California. And it's just like, if. Yeah. And if you can't identify with that, you know, like, contemporary frame, then you're like, what do I do? You know, there's just not a lot of options out there. So I love that.

[Sue]

Yeah, you can warm it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's great. Totally. Okay, so you're. So your number one rule on the stately, sort of traditional home is to give them block iron, but maybe. Maybe mix in those wood case goods. Yes.

[Alice]

I like this just, like, for the actual, like, sub, like, the substance of it, too, because you have such fine iron work with, like, the frames of your chairs and your sofas. You're getting a lot of legs, and hopefully you'll get the massing from your cushion. Like, you know that volume. But the nice thing about filling that wood is that, like, for example, in this dining room that Jess was just showing you guys, there's something really nice when you're dining. Think about the experience, too. About, like, I don't think I'd want to put my arms on a metal table.

[Sue]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alice]

That'd be really.

[Sue]

Especially on a hot day.

[Alice]

On a hot day.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

It's not. And you just. And there's just something about having, like, wood, I think, honestly, I can see wood happening in every region, depending on the style. Wherever you're at, whatever style you are, I think there are tables. Like, this one has a little bit more of a formal carved leg.

[Corey]

The style of the wood pieces.

[Alice]

Right. It's not as relaxed as I would see in a mountain region, but this one still has, like, some detail to it that it gets along with the refinement of the dark iron chair. And it just. The massing. I think for. Specifically for this client, they needed a certain length because they needed to fit X amount of people when they are entertaining. So knowing that, too, about yourself, how you entertain, how big is your party, usually that helps to, like, show you what. How big of a table that you can fit with your iron. Iron chairs. But I just think that mixture of just. And then you see wood here. You saw it again on that large, round dining table next to the seating group to, again, facilitate more entertaining. But you start to see these comm. Even though it might not be from the same suite, it's the same material. So you have your iron and then you have your wood components to hold food, to hold, you know, items and palms and whatever it is that you are going to use for entertaining.

[Sue]

Yeah, yeah.

[Corey]

Because if everything was iron, that would be like, Just hop, hop, like. Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

Just burns for days.

[Sue]

And those fine lines look really good combined with those thicker, you know, those thicker silhouettes. And that's how you get the look. Yes.

[Alice]

Adds a nice warmth too, because it's wood. And again, just that natural element that's speaking back to the trees and what you're naturally feeling.

[Sue]

And when we say wood, this, this can be a treated teak, this can be a faux material that looks like wood, but it's just giving that extra mix of material that will give you that lifesty. Yeah, yeah.

[Corey]

Jess, we've been getting a ton of questions on who makes your glasses.

[Sue]

Oh, really?

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Oh, my God.

[Corey]

Everyone wants to know, you guys.

[Sue]

I. So I'm at this age now where my near vision is leaving me. You're not quite as old as I am. Yeah, but sue, you're experiencing this 40.

[Alice]

Hit and like, yeah, I needed my glasses before, but I really, really need them now.

[Sue]

Yeah, between 40 and 45, that cell phone type gets really tiny. So I was in search for the perfect pair of readers and, and I tried Look Optic and I have to say I've loved them so much that I've actually begun working with them a little bit as an advisor. And my dad's an eye doctor, my brother in law is. I really, really love eyewear and it's been really fun to be back in the game. And I love the readers. I love the fashion frames. It's not a pair of frames that looks like I'm wearing something made for men. You know, those readers when you go to Walgreens or, or when you go to the grocery store or somewhere, and they're just like a three pack and they all look like they were made for men. Look Optic actually has really cute frames that are made for women, especially for.

[Alice]

Again, those ones that look like men's. They look like a giant man on my little head.

[Sue]

Yes. Suzanne small. Suzanne has a child sized head and they actually have minis at look Optic. The Diane Keaton collection. I gave you all my Diane. Diane Keaton.

[Alice]

I love the Diane Keaton collection. They fit my, like, head great. They're comfortable. They have the cutest colors, like some from a mat. They have the bone ones. I love them so much.

[Sue]

Yeah, they're cute. And one of the, one of my little, like fast passes, I want to tell everybody is that if you do the progressive lens, it's clear up top, you just get magnification in the bottom where you need it, because that's how you're looking in a Cell phone or you're reading paper down here or on your laptop, you don't need magnification out the top, because that's going to make your eyeballs look huge.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

And then you really look like you're wearing a reader. So we're trying to, like, keep this low profile. And so I always go with the progressive. My favorite styles, I really love the Laurel. And they have this cool one that's like the Muse. It kind of looks like a 70s update. It's cool they have one with the pink lens, too. In fact, my daughter stole that one from me. It's great. Anyway, you guys can discover your own styles. But I will say Look Optic has been such a gateway for me, as I've needed to jump into that reader category.

[Alice]

Right now, you can receive some free glasses from Look Optic. All you have to do is text ALICE to 21252. That is text ALICE A, L, I, C, E to the number 21252. The first 20 new customers will get a free pair of readers. And if you're an existing customer, we also have an amazing discount for you. If you go to lookoptic.com you can use the code ALICE15 for 15 off.

[Sue]

Okay. So our stately, more traditional homes, we're going to choose black iron.

[Alice]

Yeah. I will say in this. And honestly, there's styles of pots for any of these styles is just like the little garden stools, I think. Garden stools. I just want you to know that you have permission, whatever your style is.

[Sue]

Yes.

[Alice]

To put garden stools out because they are the perfect size. They will move and migrate throughout the garden as stools, as tables. And I think, again, just that ceramic material and the glossiness of that combined with iron, with wood, with wicker, whatever you are, is beautiful. And you can get them contemporary. You can get them super blue and white traditional. So have fun with the garden stools and all the accents. And we'll talk more about accents later. But that's just a furnishing piece that kind of bridges the overall furnishings to accents. So, yes, go crazy.

[Sue]

Great. Okay, so the second style we have here is if you have that California coastal style.

[Alice]

Lucky you, Sue.

[Sue]

You're gonna say we're gonna choose wicker or teak wood or fully upholstered.

[Alice]

Yes.

[Sue]

So I'm gonna sort of show some examples of that California coastal look. So this is a project that we did, and we're on pea gravel here. We've got teak frames.

[Alice]

Yeah. This is in her lavender garden around a fire pit. And so we did do a teak frame because it just, there was something relaxed about it. And I think that that's the whole like lifestyle of California. It is relaxed. You have the best weather all the year round. And so I think just having, you know, natural materials and I think the teak like just looks so good whether you're modern or whether you're traditional.

[Corey]

And it does great in that climate.

[Alice]

It does. Awesome.

[Sue]

Yeah. Ye.

[Alice]

In that weather. I just think it's so, so beautiful.

[Sue]

Also, California is wicker.

[Alice]

Again, the natural material. I mean, you're like, you're on the coast. I think wicker on any coastline feels amazing. And so, and it comes again, you can have ones that are a little bit more traditional and feel a little bit more, a little bit more southern. But for California, I think they're always like a little bit cleaner.

[Sue]

Yeah, that's really good. And then teak also beautiful in those coastal regions, right?

[Alice]

Yes. And just kind of that mission. This is like a Mission style home. Very Nancy tires, pea gravel. And you just again, that warmth of the wood, it feels like it's been passed on from generation to generation and it's lived in the garden forever because that's what it's supposed to do. It's what. It's a tree. So. So yeah, I love that.

[Sue]

That's great.

[Alice]

And I do want to say something about the fully upholstered. This is something that we've seen at market the last several years. More and more. I think it's like post pandemic reactions that we all want to be outside. All the lines are introducing like full upholstered pieces though, where it looks like you brought out your sofa from your living room and put it out on your deck. But it's all outdoor rated, which is incredible. And you're sitting in these pieces and they're so comfortable, but they're incredibly. If you've purchased outdoor furniture, you know that like it's often the same price, if not more than your interior furnishings, you know, and that is because of the engineering, especially to be able to put a sofa outside and have it withstand the elements, you know, and have, you know, your cushions and everything be able to drain, to drain and all those things. So the fully upholstered number I just think is so dreamy. Yeah, I love and I feel like in, especially in California homes, I think it's easy one to just put outside because of your weather conditions. And again, they're usually like in a light fabric and they pair beautifully with whatever your other suite is. But your large Pieces being fully upholstered. There's nothing dreamier than that.

[Sue]

Do you know where we did a fully upholstered one in? In a Dallas, Texas project in St. John's we have an indoo outdoor room which I think is becoming more and more common because you have those Fleetwood doors, or people call them nano. Nanowalls that completely open up to the outside. They had two different sets of Fleetwood doors which would allow this room to really open up for entertaining. Or they can close it off if it's just the sweltering heat of the summer. But they have this great, great weather where they can just really open up the house for entertaining. And we did two like fully upholstered sofas in what they called it their California room. About to say yeah, ye. And so it really did look indoor. But when you open up those Fleetwood doors, there's no telling that it's not outdoor. In fact, there's big fans in there to keep the air stirring. And it was perfect.

[Alice]

And there's something nice about those frames too. Like cuz there's nothing nervous about it. Y like it is fully. It's going down to the ground and so there's. It's like. I love that it's a slip coverage you can get.

[Sue]

I love that it didn't look like outdoor furniture in the house though.

[Alice]

Oh, for sure.

[Sue]

Right.

[Alice]

Been a huge party for.

[Sue]

Because what do you do to bridge those gaps where it. It technically is indoor? Like I would say 90 of the time. But then when they open up all of those doors, it needs to behave like outdoor because you could have somebody from the pool come and sit down in their chlorine bathing suit or salt water or wet. Right. So this house will still perform. So how do you get this look? While the fully upholstered outdoor furniture is a really, really nice way to bridge that gap if you're able.

[Alice]

And they have them in sectionals, they have them in sofas and chairs. So I like it for like the larger piece if you are in that climate or, you know, I think that's so beautiful as an anchor piece to then kind of pepper other more delicate sweets around it.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

So I don't know if I would do the whole all every seat fully upholstered, but just your main base pieces.

[Sue]

I agree. The sofa. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So good.

[Alice]

Oh, okay.

[Sue]

After California coastal, we have east coast traditional.

[Alice]

Okay.

[Sue]

And you have here. We should choose wicker or black iron.

[Alice]

Yeah. That kind of leans a little bit towards what we were talking about on our field. Ro. Mm. Also too. Because I still feel like some east coast, like, again, the iron, it's proper. It's trim. You might be doing a little bit more like taking stripes or, I don't know, some east coast prints, I think could be really, really cute. But then for wicker.

[Sue]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Alice]

I said it before. I'm like, wicker on any coastline, like, can get along. And I just think the wicker, like, East Coast. I just. I feel so Hamptons about it, you know, I feel like if you have a house in the Hamptons, your wicker. Right. Anything else?

[Sue]

Yeah, yeah. Teak, maybe, depending on the style of the home.

[Alice]

But you're fully upholstered in your wicker.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

My mind, this is.

[Sue]

This is a project that we did. We've got some wicker shades by the pool with big black umbrellas, and you can see there's actually red pavers down. So this is quite traditional.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Sue]

This idea. And there's a lot of charm to this, but I think that wicker just really loosens it up.

[Alice]

It does. It's relaxed. It's. There's something nostalgic about it and not fussy. I love wicker.

[Sue]

I do, too. Yeah. Yeah.

[Alice]

I love wicker for East Coast.

[Sue]

So good. I always felt safe because of him. My home was a sanctuary. We loved it when dad was home. He's the biggest tease. He's so much fun and such the heartbeat of our house this Father's Day. What better way to create that sanctuary for him than with cozy earth? This Father's Day, I'm going to be giving both my husband and my dad the same thing. Bamboo stretch knit pajama pants. They're cooling. I know both my dad and my husband sleep really hot. And these make you sleep cooler. They're really lightweight. They're stretch in every direction, and they're going to sleep really, really great. Cozy earth makes comfort that lasts, guaranteeing a lifetime warranty on all apparel items. And for this Father's Day, you can find the perfect gift for him. Go to cozyearth.com and use code Dear Alice for up to 40 off all men's apparel. That's cozyearth.com code Dear Alice. Let's talk about Southern traditional.

[Alice]

Oh, you guys, that might be my favorite. This. This is where, like, the full body, like, layers come in. I think, and I do again wicker again. Maybe it's just like following that southern coastline. I think of, like, again Alabama. I think of Mobile, and I think of just again, New Orleans and. And. And all these places that are just so rich and just kind of like deep kind of spooky history. And again, I think a wicker.

[Sue]

Yeah. I think of spirits can be helpful. Wrap around wraparound porches that are like screened in and porch swings and rocking chairs and wicker, huh? Yeah. I think that that's sort of, I think what makes for a great outdoor area. I've learned this as I've gotten older. It's not that you're so outdoor, it's that you've got some sort of shade. Right. So you can stay there for longer. So the covered porch is really idyllic because you can put a ceiling fan up there, which I think they're so good at in the south because you want to keep that air stirring because it gets so sultry and sticky. So you've got ceiling fans. And then motion is one of those categories that is the most popular, I feel like for outdoor because if you're moving like in a rocking chair or a porch swing, it's just, I don't know, it's kind of comfortable and you'll stay longer and just sort of sway.

[Alice]

Like you're conducting your own breeze too.

[Sue]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You are.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Going back and forth. And I will say we're doing a home in Dallas right now, a big estate. And their back butts up to just like all these beautiful trees. And there's two very, very large, completely like covered, screened in porches where they can lift it up or they can screen them all down a little bit similar to.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

St. John's but yeah. Just that whole scene is like so beautiful.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

To me because.

[Sue]

And the screens kind of keep the bugs out.

[Alice]

Yeah. Which is the big. I think.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Big indicator of a screen.

[Sue]

Yeah. So you feel kind of safe and comfortable in there, but you definitely still feel outdoor. My in laws have. Yes. My indoors have a lake cottage on Lake Erie. So in Ohio and they have a screened in porch. And you just spend all your evenings out there. You don't sit and watch TV inside like you're. They. They're right on the lake. And so you just spend all your evenings out there on the porch swing. And we just will talk for hours to like 1 or 2 in the morning. And it's like summer. It's so good and it's connection and it's like what matters. And you hear the bugs sort of singing and it's really charming. Yeah. So I think a big ingredient to outdoor spaces is shade. So we want to make sure that we're choosing umbrellas or when you're planning your outdoor spaces. Like the biggest downfall of my outdoor space is that it's west facing and there's no shade. So I've either got to bring in umbrellas or I've got to build a pergola or some sort of shelter so that we could be. We could never dine out there in the summer because if you think about it, 5 o' clock is the hottest time of the day. 7 o' clock is still too hot. Sundown isn't until like 9, 30, 10. So that's when it's finally comfortable, which everybody wants to go home by then. So when you are planning these outdoor spaces, consider where you're going to be comfortable. You're not going to ever eat dinner outside without some sort of COVID on you unless you've got, I don't know if it's like the east side of your home or something at night.

[Corey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sue]

But even then it's got to be a cool evening.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

You know?

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

I mean also like just when you're planting your yard, I guess just think about that too, like where you're going to be spending time and you know, maybe be planting trees and stuff. Like in ours backyard, we kind of just planted a row of trees just to give us. Because ours is. Our backyard is west facing. Yeah. So it kind of just give us some shade and some privacy and stuff like that. So I mean it's taken a few years, but now they're kind of finally like growing up and filling in a little bit and gonna start touching each other probably in the next like year or two. So it'll just kind of be like tree fence, you know.

[Sue]

So I love a living fence.

[Corey]

Yeah, me too.

[Sue]

Beautiful.

[Alice]

I think really fast on the southern one. I keep having images that keep popping into my head from market and like spaces and I, I keep thinking about with the wicker, it doesn't have to be just a natural colored wicker, especially if you're in the south or if you're eccentric or just like good time. I remember like there's that one chair made goods and it's a green wicker chair that I just love and I dream about. And you see like an old school. You see these like almost like these foresty green colors. Thomas o' Brien has an outdoor collection that was reminiscent of his mother's and we did a couple of those chairs in one of our projects and I just love them. They're so cute. And it's an iron, but it's green and like there's Just something so old school about that. So if you are that or if you're colorful, just know that they're out there. And anyway, just go on a hunt and like you can be just as specific about your outdoor stuff as you are about your indoor. And you should. Especially if we're spending like half the year outside, depending on where you live.

[Corey]

Making the investment too. Because.

[Sue]

Can we just talk about that for a minute? The investment. Because we are talking about really the same price to buy an indoor sofa is the same to buy an outdoor sofa.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Well, the engineering and the materiality and if you think about Sunbrella cushions and I mean not cushions, but covers, the cores have to be like antimicrobial and that won't mold and that will drain the drainage systems just down where the, the springs usually are and the tilt to be able to get the slope to get these things to drain. It' it's all really high end material. There are definitely cheaper collections and you're going to get what you pay for. I know of a high end hotel here in Utah that went catalog on their outdoor spaces and had to replace it after one season.

[Corey]

And that was teak. Huh?

[Alice]

Teak.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Do we want to talk about.

[Alice]

I've heard about it with iron too. If it's a cheaper iron. Like as far as like joints will pop. Yeah. And like it's a mess. Especially if you're in like a four season, like we are in Utah.

[Sue]

Yeah. We have four really dominant seasons and with the frost and then the warming up, it popped all of those solder joints on all of the iron furniture. So you really. Yeah. You really want to get what you pay for. And I know when we're specifying furniture, we know about these downfalls. We warn people in advance that, that this is, this is going to last for, for as long as you're going to take care of it. So I think a real big takeaway is make sure that you can get covers for your furniture because otherwise you're going to need to bring all of this outdoor furniture into your garage. And I think you're probably going to want to park your garage in your. Or your car in your garage or you've got to put all of it in a pool house or something. At the very least, take your cushions off. You could do that. Or you just buy covers and get these things all put to bed for the winter to protect your investment. Yeah.

[Alice]

And one in again, just check wherever you're buying your furniture, if they have the COVID specific to your frame.

[Sue]

Frame.

[Alice]

There are places on Amazon where you can, like, put the actual dimensions of the frame and, like, they custom make them for you. And that's been a really good solution, especially as you're gathering, like, you know, here's a table from this company that might not come with a cover. Most upholstery does, but sometimes the tables don't. So anyway, it's a really, really good solution. Yeah, just make sure you have that.

[Sue]

Definitely.

[Corey]

But if the manufacturer, like, offers it, it's probably going to be better tailored to it. It's probably. It's going to be. Yeah. Engineered for that piece and the warranty.

[Alice]

I think, like, they're got. We've had claims on exterior stu stuff when they always say, did they buy the COVID Did they buy the COVID And, like, did they put the COVID on? Is like, the bigger question, even if they did buy it. And of course they always say they did, but I know that they didn't. I know that they didn't.

[Sue]

You guys, it's the last thing you're going to want to do is buy covers after you've just invested in outdoor furniture. But promise me you're gonna do it. You're not going to be able to get your claims on your outdoor furniture if you don't. And you really do want to protect that investment. Yeah. I could tell so many sad stories, but I think we should talk about final touches and details that really will give you that look, especially during summer entertaining. So we've just selected the set. Right. We know we've got our dining tables and our chairs.

[Corey]

That's where you start, correct?

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Would you. You would start with the dining, the larger pieces.

[Alice]

I would start with my sets, and then I would also. I know we remember in inside, we're always like, do the rug.

[Corey]

Rug.

[Alice]

And so I. I believe that we both believe that for exterior that you still want to have rugs. Again, they help identify a whole seating group. And so they are. They're making them really, really large.

[Sue]

Yeah. You can get a 12 by 15 for outdoor.

[Alice]

Yeah. And we've seen a lot of different exterior rugs, and a lot of them, again, they're polypropylene and they're really thin. We usually go with like, either like a really small a stripe or a little check or something that feels woven. Like feeling like you're on, like, a jute type material outside. Like, there's nothing more Nancy Myers than Jude outside.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

With the sun and the moon and the stars. So. But I will say we installed a home down in St. George about a year ago and we were like putting all the exterior rugs out and I kid you not like, I was like, are you sure this is exterior? Because like, this feels so, like, the height on it was incredible. And I immediately got out my phone. I'm like, Jessica Bennett, do you see this? Do you see the pile on this? Like, the height on this? Like, this is amazing. We need to put these online because it did not fill outside. Because again, usually the outside ones are just like paper, paper thin.

[Sue]

This is, this is on the website. I'm gonna have them make a note that this is the one we talked about on the podcast. So you'll be able to identify it. Because it's one thing to see a picture of something and it's entirely different to get at home. And I think we had selected it for the client's house based on an image and when we saw in person, we loved it 100 more. So I just wanted to share that. And we'll make and identify that on the website so you guys can know what is the best looking synthetic jute to be able to get that look under your outdoor area? Yeah.

[Alice]

But one, when you pick out your rug, just like your suite, you're going to like stay with that suite of rugs. Like, that's going to be your big one for like your sofa and your big entertaining. If you can like fit one like in your dining also, that's great.

[Sue]

They do the same one under the dining. I also want to throw in a quick note for the front door. It's summertime. I, I, it's, it's nice and all to have that choir mat in front of your door, but they're usually like two by three and they're not very generous, especially if you have a big stoop or a big, I have a big concrete porch. A 2x3 is gonna look like a very skimpy bikini at my front door.

[Corey]

As opposed to the stamp.

[Sue]

Yeah, it's just not generous. So I got a five by seven in this outdoor jute, one that we're talking about to run in front of my door to just feel generous with the pots and it's going to make my porch feel bigger. So don't forget your front door in this equation.

[Corey]

Do you guys think it should span at least the width of your entire.

[Sue]

Door system, your door and your side lights? Huh? It should. Yeah. And again, compare, contrast that to the little two by three bristly choir mat that most people have.

[Corey]

I mean, so it just feels like.

[Alice]

The one fight you had from your dorm room that you've, like, graduated with to a whole home.

[Corey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Kicking with you for a few years.

[Alice]

Go larger. Go larger. On all the case of the rush rugs.

[Sue]

Yeah. I love that you said to match all of the areas. Just use the same rug again and again. That repetition is going to make it feel like an estate.

[Alice]

Exactly.

[Sue]

Yeah, exactly.

[Corey]

Front to backyard.

[Alice]

Yeah, okay. I think so.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Sue]

That's really good advice.

[Alice]

So, yeah, your rugs, you have your sweet snap down. So now, like, what is the other lifestyle?

[Sue]

Yeah, let's talk about it. So, I mean, you kind of hinted at it. I want to pull up. I love that field rose house on ours.

[Alice]

So beautiful.

[Sue]

I just think it's so great. Like, you want to get the side tables in.

[Alice]

There we go.

[Sue]

Well, let me just show you really quick. This again. This was that California coastal house. So this one, while charming, there's no side tables. So you're not serving anybody a drink here, are you? There's nowhere to put that unless they're holding it. You got to put it between your knees and hold it yourself.

[Alice]

It's going to bounce and wait and.

[Sue]

Then knock it over and your glass is going to sweat and your knees are going to get wet while you're holding it. You know what I mean? You got to have a side table or a garden stool or a cocktail table. A cocktail table is really far away from these cushions.

[Alice]

So aside from materiality.

[Sue]

Yeah, definitely. So this is that project that we did, this field rose house. You can just look at all these cute little tables, places to accommodate. We've got little gardens.

[Corey]

Every seat has a surface.

[Sue]

Every seat has a surface. So that's what we're going to do in sort of this finishing layers moment. You're going to bring in interesting silhouettes. You're going to bring in those garden stools. You're going to even get some really beautiful pots that will help complete the look. Because then you're going to do some plantings.

[Corey]

I was going to say that because sometimes you'll like. Yeah. If someone has, like an outdoor patio area, there's just no life to it. And like, all. All of the vegetation is, like, outside of it. And it's like, hey, that's. That's the perimeter.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Like, what's going on out there? You know, So I think pots. And obviously planting them is. Is huge. And it. It just makes everything feel alive, obviously, because it is.

[Sue]

Yeah. I mean, this is. This is another project that we did. And you can see the little Garden stool. It's just the perfect height right next to your seat to be able to put that drink down. They have a big, beautiful fire bowl in the. But then they've also got a really nice, generous side table here.

[Alice]

That one's ours.

[Sue]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. That's on the website too.

[Alice]

Yeah. It's so pretty. And like, in this scene, like, we did like getting the kids love having s' mores and so he set it all up for them. And you have the fire sticks and you have that whole lifestyle. We painted it and it was just so dreamy to capture. And I was just like, I can see it happening.

[Corey]

This is like for. When you. You first talked about it. You're like, yeah, it's like pea gravel. I can like hear the sound of walking on it. To the.

[Alice]

The.

[Corey]

That's. That to me is magical in itself.

[Sue]

You can be on vacation in your own house.

[Corey]

You should be.

[Sue]

And that's really. That's what you should design this for and have people come over and experience it and have the best conversations. Nobody's in a hurry when they're just outside and just taking in the evening and relaxing.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Grounding quick.

[Sue]

Especially in June because it's perfect.

[Alice]

I'm gonna share a really fast story.

[Sue]

Okay.

[Alice]

I had a listener. She DMed me and like, she tragically happened. Lot of like was affected by the fires and she had been doing this remodel and everything. She's just like, I wish I invited more people during the. The as far as during. While I was evolving my house. She's like, I think I was waiting for it to be finished and now it's all gone, you know, and so I'm just like. That's just like. It's so heart wrenching. I'm like, whatever condition your home is in, you know, whether they're plastic Adrian decks, I don't care. You know, like, invite people over, feel that lifestyle because it will make you want to invest in your spaces and to like, really? Because those are the best memories. That's what your kids remember. That's what you remember. And. Yeah. Don't wait. Don't wait.

[Corey]

What was the quote? Like, don't save.

[Sue]

Don't save anything for best. Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

Live it now. Create that backdrop for yourself. But don't wait till it's finished to invite people over. Go ahead and do it tonight.

[Sue]

Yeah, that's really great. I love it. Sorry, A couple. Yeah, yeah. No, a couple other finishing touches that are really popular right now. I'm loving the rechargeable light bulb. So you've got all those rechargeable lights you can just take out with you. You charge the light bulb like a cell phone and then they usually have up to what, 15 to 30 hours worth of time. So you can bring like most people can't have a lamp outside now you can.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

So we've got some really great ones on there from Visual Comfort. We also have some really cute muse lanterns where the whole lantern charges and you can, they have dimmers on them so you can go as bright or as low light as you want and get really comfortable. You don't want a ton of light pollution because you are under the stars and having fun. But as your eyes adjust, you want to keep conversation going. You don't want people to have to go home just because it's pitch black now. And you don't want to kill the mood with turning on those overhead porch lights or, or back porch lights, you know.

[Alice]

Totally.

[Sue]

Yeah. So I really love.

[Alice]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Corey]

I was going to say I really love the visual comfort one. Cuz it's all cast down too. It's not like kind of like up in your face. It's just there was one I was taking down to the warehouse. I left here on a Friday and so I had it all weekend. So I was like, I'm just going to use it, you know, before I go into work on Monday. Yeah, I loved that. Every, every room I was in, we were hanging out in that weekend. I was just like taking it with me. And it really is. That's the only light we had on. It was the best.

[Alice]

And then Thomas said we like, he's like, we need to buy more of these. I need one in the bathroom, like for nightlight for like kids going potty. We need one out on the deck. You know, all these places, interior, exterior, like these are so, so great. So great everywhere in your house.

[Sue]

Yeah. Game changer.

[Alice]

Big fan.

[Sue]

The other thing that can almost always use an up level are your outdoor sconces, sister. I'm a big believer in, in having all the sconces on every night. And my. I walk in the door, I turn on all my outdoor lights, I turn on my lamps so my house is glowy and looks.

[Corey]

Your house has never looked better when you just have your sconces on.

[Sue]

I agree. And so if you don't have sconces, like make sure and put them outdoor where you're going to be on those, by those sliding doors or the door that leads out to this party area. You want People to be able to go in and find the bathroom. You want to have those outdoor sconces on. And there's such beautiful options, whether it's real gas flame or if it's light bulbs. Right. But these are like little, you know, little night lights that just kind of dance around the, you know, the perimeter of your house.

[Corey]

And obviously they're outdoor and.

[Sue]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

It's such an upgrade. Upgrade.

[Sue]

Such an upgrade. Yeah, it's an upgrade to a home, definitely. Outdoor pillows. We've got a really fantastic collection to help you bring in a little bit of color. I kind of like going with one color, making it feel uniform. But if you're eclectic, you can get a really fun cottagey vibe with lots of different pattern on pattern.

[Alice]

And again, probably pay attention to the size.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Sue]

Tell it. Talk to speak to that. What do you mean?

[Alice]

I think just most again, you're going to go to TJ Maxx. You're going to see outdoor pills, and they're going to be 18 by 18. It's going to look really lame after you've invested all this money into your outdoor furn furniture. So you're gonna want to look for like the 22s, like I think, and.

[Sue]

Just buy two of them because you.

[Alice]

And a lot of outdoor frames aren't as deep as your interior. So like normally, like on inside, we're like 26 by 26. That's. That's it, right?

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

But I think outside, I think the 20. 20 to 22, 20. I wouldn't go any smaller than that.

[Sue]

Sure.

[Alice]

But I think that 22 by 22, even 24, depending on how deep your stuff is, is ideal.

[Corey]

Polyfill.

[Sue]

Yes. Yeah.

[Alice]

It's an outdoor fill. So they are starting to make. Think you'll start to see this. It's kind of like a down alternative, but it's for outdoor.

[Corey]

Okay.

[Alice]

So you're going to start seeing that, I think, pop up more and more because they know we're all so sad about the polyfills because you can't like, into them and like, hold it and all the things. So start looking for that because I have seen like advertisements for those coming out, so. Which is very exciting.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Outdoor lovers. But. Yeah. But I do like the idea of just like, just to do two of the same. It's. We're simplifying. We don't. We're not trying to compete with the garden.

[Sue]

Yes.

[Alice]

But just trying to accident.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Yeah. I love that.

[Sue]

That's good. Yeah. You can get the look with your outdoor planters. Don't forget to bring those in. You can even put one on top of your side table and have some low flowers going in those. Trying to think if there's anything else accessory wise, that is a must.

[Alice]

I don't think we have it on our website but we carry a company, company called Blue Pheasant and they.

[Sue]

Oh yeah.

[Alice]

Best. Every time we go to market, like we see like their outdoor area and they have them the coolest like plates. Is it. What is the material? That is an outdoor material. You see it at Target. You see all those things. But this is like it upgraded.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And it's.

[Sue]

Is it like the dinosaur? Is it that sort of resin?

[Alice]

Yeah. You see it almost looks like a tiger's eye or something.

[Sue]

Yes.

[Alice]

Are like maple or something on the plate dates but they just have like different colors and like I'm like what a fun party.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

For anybody. Anybody that's like has a pool house or something. I'm specking that stuff because it's incredible and it like totally upgrades you. I love your outdoor living.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

So anyway, look for down to that because that's the stuff. Because that's. I always think about that when I pull out, you know, just like my paper plates, I'm like, you know, party fail, party fail. It's fine. You try and get like the wider ones and anyway, still it could be better. I could be better. We could all be doing better. Live more beautifully.

[Sue]

And I love our te. Our teak boards for just serving. Even if it's just a ton of sandwiches cut in quarters. It doesn't have and or like piles of fruit. It doesn't have to be hard or difficult, but serving those out. We have the large, the medium and the small. Everything just looks so. Just chic and outdoor. I think so. I love those for outdoor entertaining too. Yeah. Yeah.

[Corey]

Maybe we should we add those to this.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Collection.

[Sue]

Yeah, we for sure should. That's such. Yes, it definitely does. Any other notes for curating the perfect outdoor look or collection before we let them go?

[Alice]

If you don't have a cutting garden, just make sure you have fresh flowers on your tables.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Alice]

When you're about to throw a party, I think it's just like so lovely. Have darling can I think some of our like little bubble vases and stuff to hold all the utensils. I think as you're getting ready to host again. These are small little things, but stuff that makes me happy.

[Sue]

Well, lighting the little tea lights. I mean the little votives because it's, it's Like a baby hurricane. So the wind can't get to the candlelight down in there. And those just sort of smattered along. Some of your services, even on cocktail tables, side tables, it just keeps the magic going. Yeah, it's like little fireflies. So pretty.

[Alice]

Gosh, I think that that's, that's all I can think of. But I think of anything else we'll add to the collection. So make sure yes, go to our website because we're going to be putting a bunch of this stuff, our favorites online for you guys to add to what you already have or you know, start new this year. Get those, those outdoor sconces wired and put up and anyway, enjoy the weather, definitely entertaining. Enjoy your people.

[Sue]

Perfect season. And we besides having the outdoor collection for you, you can shop it. Use the code Dear Alice 20 to get your discount. Those of you listeners of Alice and if you don't mind, we'd love a review from you, Corey. How do they leave us a review?

[Corey]

So if you go to our Apple, our Apple podcast page, scroll down to where the reviews are, just above that there'll be a blue or purple icon that says write a review. Click on that, it'll take you to a link. And then also actually Spotify does is doing like a little like their own version of social media. So you can like like and comment on our episodes and stuff like that. Yeah, and we'll reply back to you on that. So do that too.

[Sue]

That's amazing.

[Corey]

Contact us however you can on whatever platform you're listening to.

[Sue]

Yeah, that's great. And also we have some big sales coming up and you guys can get early access to those by joining our.

[Corey]

Insider program which everyone listening to this podcast should be 100.

[Sue]

Yeah, if anybody's an insider, it's you guys. So you should definitely get the perks. How do they join the Insider program?

[Corey]

So if you go to our website, I mean there's a, what is it called on like a page that pops up to just put in your email. But there is a link link on our website. I can't remember. I'll need to look it up and I'll do it in another episode but under a tab and excuse me, sorry, it'll say insider and you click that, fill it out, you'll get a welcome email, all that good stuff.

[Sue]

So, so you'll be in on all the know and you get a shop sales early and just know what's going on. We, we make some fun YouTube special episodes behind the scenes things that we're doing here.

[Alice]

To just piggyback. We were just saying before we started recording that when we get stuff, as soon as these pots land, we're launching them. So this is the key part about being an insider, is that as soon as we get something, we're developing hundreds of things all the time. As soon as we get it, we launch it. But insiders are the very first to know. So be on the list.

[Sue]

I agree.

[Alice]

Inside. Inside mechanics.

[Sue]

Yes. Anyway, I agree that as soon as we get it.

[Alice]

So you get it too.

[Sue]

Too. Yes. The last few launches have been so successful, we've had such sellout and I want to make sure you guys can get these pots. Yeah. So good. Okay, thank you so much, you guys for listening in. If you have any episode ideas you want to share with us, send those to Dear alice alice lane home.com and we'll catch you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.