OUTDOOR LIVING
What better place to enjoy a moment of luxury than in the outdoors? Small, affordable touches are all you need to turn any outdoor space into a comfortable place to sip a refreshing drink or savor a delectable dessert. Here are some ideas to make your outdoor space luxurious.

Fabrics
Fabric is a wonderful and inexpensive way to transform something plain into something special. The right fabric can add color, texture and a certain je ne sais quoi. Try using fabrics to experiment with some of the items below:

Pillows:
Whether store bought, homemade or just re-covered, pillows are a great and cheap way to accent any space. Try waterproofing a beautiful or personally significant piece of fabric and re-covering a pillow with it for an outdoor bench or chair. For something a little more extravagant, consider creating a large mattress-like pillow that covers a significant section of your porch where you and your guests can lie around and sip chilled Rosé for the afternoon.

Draperies:
If you have a sundeck, drapes or sunbrella panels can instantaneously bring elegance, privacy and extended seasonal usage to your deck. Choose a durable fabric, weatherproof it and employ a mounting system from which drapes or panels can be detached in the event of excessive rain or wind.

Bric-a-Brac
Let Bill’s journey into the Vernaison Market inspire you to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary for your outdoor space. Go to any local flea market and search for things that can be repurposed for your porch, stoop, or garden, such as:

Tins:
Look for a decorative metal tin, such as those used to store cookies in, and use it pot small plants or herbs. They’ll add life and a touch of rustic beauty to your porch, picnic table, or garden area.

Frames:
Don’t be bogged down by the idea that frames have to be limited to indoor or formal use. Find a beautiful frame and don’t worry if it has cracks or visible wear and tear. Paint it your favorite color and seal it to protect against inclement weather. Then take it outside and position it to highlight something you love. You can rest it against a large planter, nail it above a back door or to the wall of a shed or set it in your garden to bring attention to a charming tin or group of flowers growing there.

Gardens
It may not be the Bois de Boulogne, but you can still create your own verdant haven at home.

Herb Garden:
Herb gardens are not only easy, inexpensive and beautiful- they are also practical. A good herb garden can also provide the key ingredients to make a mundane meal memorable. For a French herb garden, plant tarragon, rosemary, thyme, lavender, and basil or as many of them as your space will allow.