I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pier 1 Imports. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating.
We moved into this house about a year and a half ago and still have so far to go on decorating! Seriously, we haven’t even hung photos on the walls yet. We have an amazing outdoor space so we love to have people over and host parties… our deck is huge with a pergola, there’s a playhouse and swingset for the kids, and plenty of seating. The problem? Decor and color. With the help of Pier 1 Imports, we finally started this summer off right by creating an outdoor oasis!
On one side of the deck, off our porch, there’s a pergola. The previous owners had a hot tub in there, but for us it’s just a big empty space. Okay, really, it turned into toy storage for our toddlers’ playhouses and ride-on cars. But what a gorgeous space it COULD be, right?! Great for hanging plants and lanterns, some string lights, a cozy couch…
Then we also have a nice patio table that seats 6 and a 2-seat bistro table. Pretty! But no color. Even our deck is that Trex type that’s gray… against our gray house…. BLAH. We were in desperate need of color and decor.
In one of the photos above you can see my husband pulling the wooden boards off one side of our pergola! We decided to leave the side facing our neighbors for privacy, but yanked out all the board facing out to the yard… it has really opened up that space and has made a huge difference in the overall look! Now I can easily look out from there and see the kids in the yard, too.
COLOR! Love, love, love the bright options at Pier 1. I bought sets of the Sunny Floral large and small plates, the matching serving bowl, and the stackable acrylic goblets. I also bought some matching chair cushions (in “spice”), a set of 6 sunburst hanging tealight lanterns to hang from the pergola, a tabletop Bombay hanging lantern set for the bistro table, and 2 pretty candle holders with matching rust pillar candles for the patio table. Color, everywhere!
Throw in some potted plants and pretty flowers and you’ve got an outdoor oasis! Wait for night to come and light all the candles and lanterns… relax and watch the sky… light up a fire pit… gorgeous. THAT is how we will be spending our summer 🙂
To celebrate, we threw a party with family and friends on Memorial Day weekend. Everyone loved everything and were excited to hear that it all came from our local Pier 1 store! I think there were 3 favorites mentioned most during the evening: the stackable, colorful cups (so fun and handy!), the lanterns hanging from the pergola (pretty!), and the tabletop hanging lantern set on the bistro table (only $16?! and on sale right now for like $12!).
The lanterns came with the chains and hooks, we just had to put a nail at the top of our pergola (we hid them in between the two top boards so you can’t even see them) and they look great! And check out that nice open space in the pergola now 😉 There are 5 openings between the support boards we left in so we put 2 lanterns each in 3 of the spaces, leaving the alternating 2 empty spaces for hanging plants.
We grilled burgers and brats, set up a bounce house for the kids, listened to a friend play his guitar and sing songs… it was all picture-perfect! Even my brother was visiting from Colorado with his girlfriend 🙂 That’s all of us below with my dad at our Outdoor Oasis party.
So what’s next? Filling that space under the pergola with outdoor couches!!! Like the one below from Pier 1? LOVE IT. With cushions to match the ones I already bought for the patio table! Then it will truly be an Outdoor Oasis. I’d also like some of the tall floor lanterns to put near the sliding doors to our porch—we added some potted plants there, but it’s still a pretty big (gray) empty area—and some string lights. Our deck has built in bench seating around the outside so I think it’d be pretty to hook lights underneath those!
Here are some tips for outdoor decorating and creating your own outdoor oasis…
- Outdoor rugs tie everything together and really bring a space to life. Simply layer a rug with a beautiful seating collection and colorful cushions and pillows, and you’ve got an outdoor area that makes everyone comfortable and happy!
- Mix and match with color and patterns and personalize your space with accents, such as outdoor artwork, planters, lanterns and more. This combination of accessories really transcends an outdoor space from simple to fabulous!
- If your space is a multi-use gathering place, create a layout for entertaining that also has the flexibility for weekly family dinners or a romantic meal for two. Use sectionals to create seating in whatever arrangement fits best and pair with a stylish bistro table to give your space a sense of functionality.
- A new brightly-colored accent piece is a simple, budget-friendly way to make a big impact. Quickly and easily change up your current look! For example, the colorful Rock Point Benches would look great on a patio paired with a more traditional dining set.
- Embrace your table as a main focal point, and combine your favorite accessories, such as handcrafted trays, detailed lanterns and a colorful bouquet, to create a cheerful centerpiece that instantly feels like summer. No table, no problem! Serving carts bring the party to the action, whether that’s on the patio, in the garden or poolside.
- As the sun goes down, create a welcoming and romantic atmosphere with a variety of outdoor lanterns and LED candles placed around your patio.
- Anything goes! Get outside of your comfort zone and go bold!
Want to create your own Outdoor Oasis?! All of the products seen here are available at Pier 1 Imports and you can shop in-store, ship-to-store, ship-to-home, or even have in-home delivery. Enter below to win a $25 Pier 1 Imports gift card to get you started! Note: this giveaway is hosted on multiple blogs and entrants are only eligible to win one gift card.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pier 1 Imports. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and to thank me for participating.
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Your backyard looks gorgeous! I love the bright colors. I’d love to have an outdoor seating area like that too!
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Emily Dickey Reply:
June 16th, 2014 at 11:15 am
Thank you!! 🙂
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Also love the Echo Beach collection! I need some outdoor pillows too!
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i love the terracotta turtle with baby statue! its super cute
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id love to have the Isabelle end table!
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I would love to put the Double Swingasan® – Mocha in my backyard!
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I want the Swingasan® – Mocha
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I would love to have the blue Rania table for my patio.
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I’d love to have the pebble glass lantern.
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i like Swingasan® – Mocha
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Love the Aluminum Tilting Umbrella – Sand.
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I’d love to have the Blue Reactive Ceramic Planter from Pier 1’s Collection!
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I would love to have the daisy Swingasan.
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love the Arabella Garden Stool – Blue
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Meridian Melamine Dinnerware – Blue
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I love the Zira Fire Pit Table.
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I love the Neely Bistro Set in Peacock Blue!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
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I would love to get the red beverage tub – http://www.pier1.com/Beverage-Tub—Red/2436255,default,pd.html?cgid=outdoor-accent-furniture#nav=top&start=1
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I like the Solar system wind chime.
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I like the Green Reactive Ceramic Planter!
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Isabelle End Table please! Yes, that would be nice and thank you very much!
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I like the mocha swingasan
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I would love to have the Sleeping Buddah on Elephant statue.
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I love the watermelon collection of serving plates and other items
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I love the faux croc serving tray so cute!
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I want to buy Rock Point Rocker – Peacock Blue
$189.95
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i love the isabelle outdoor collection
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I would love to have the Carmelo Melamine Dinnerware – Turquoise
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I like the outdoor laterns
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Love the Catalina Cove Rug
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I like the Starburst Mosaic Hanging Lantern from Pier 1’s Outdoor Collection
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I like the frog on a mushroom birdbath
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I love the Neely Bistro Collection in Peacock Blue.
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Ciudad Chaise – Mocha – This chaise looks amazing and comfortable. I’d love to have one out back 🙂
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i like the Amalie Folding Bench
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I love the Carmelo Melamine Dinnerware – Orange
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I’d love the Santa Barbara Serving Cart – White!
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The Coco Cove Collection in outdoor furniture from Pier 1 is really cool.
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I like the Arabella Garden Stool – Blue
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I would love to have the Peacock Swing.
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I’d love to have the kaleidoscope bistro table!!
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I love the Watermelon Serving Bowls
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I like the Mosaic bottle Lantern
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I am going to dream big and pick the whole Papasans collection.
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would love to have the dragonfly windchimes
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I like the Diamond Coir with Rubber Scroll Doormat.
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I like the Arabella Garden Stool – Blue
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i would love the swingasan chair in circle print.
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I would love to add the Frog on Mushroom Birdbath to our flower garden.
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The giant colorful serving bowls are awesome!
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I like the Isabelle Chair
annabella @ centurytel dot net
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I like the colorful Sunburst Lanterns.
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I would love to have the Accent Table.
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I’ve been wanting to get some outdoor LED candles.
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I like the Angelique outdoor pillows.
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The Corky Pig Salt and Pepper shakers are really cute.
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I have always wanted one of these-Swingasan® – Mocha.
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I like the Ciudad Corner Chair – White
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I would love to have the Caravan Mosaic Lantern for our outdoor oasis.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
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I would love to get the Sunny Floral Melamine Dinnerware, Quote Paper Placemats, Tricolor Melamine Bowl Set, Swirl Pitcher for our cookouts, at these prices and being unbreakable I could easily get a whole set and not have to worry about too much decorating for the table except flowers and the gc would help cut down on the total price. Thanks for the chance.
ncjeepster@aol.com
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I’d like to have the Swingasan in the circles pattern; would look great on my front porch!
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Love the bright colored tumblers. They’d be perfect for lounging on the outside with a great drink.
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I love the ciudad deluxe collection!
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I would love to have some new pillows for my porch and like the Calliope Jute Trim Pillow – Spice
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Ciudad Chaise – Mocha
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I like the Blue Chevron Paper Lanterns Set
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I would love to get the Dragonfly Windchime
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I love the outdoor table
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I really like the Rock Point Rocker.
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Papasan, Swingasan, Sunasan.
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Casbah Chair – Ocean is beautiful
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I loooove all of their paper lanterns! Especially just the white ones. Battery powered is a great idea to keep the lighting clean and wire-free.
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I like the Jute Trim Woven Serge Stripe Pillow – Red
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windchimes!
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pebble glass lantern is cute
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I would like to have this Rambagh Medallion Pillow
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I love the Swingasan® – Peacock. I can swing and read a book!
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I would love to have the monk fountain.
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Rock Point Rocker – Peacock Blue
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I’d love to have the Lotus Floating LED Candles to float in our pool at night. I think it would be really pretty.
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I would love the Stackable Acrylic Goblet Set from Pier 1. These would be wonderful for my patio.
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I could use the Echo Beach Chaise
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i love the Ciudad Chaise – Mocha
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Echo Beach collection
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I would love the Terracotta Turtle Birdbath
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I would like to have the Ciudad Loveseat – Mocha
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i would love to have the Peacock Beaded Bells Windchime
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I love the Swingasan® – Daisy
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I have always, always, always wanted a Swingasan-type chair.
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I like the swingasan.
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Love the Caravan Mosaic Lantern
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love color Pier 1 has the best selection of fun!
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I like the Beaded Butterfly Garden Stake
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I love the The Coco Cove Collection, and I like their selection of outdoor rugs.
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the fire pit table..too cute!!!
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I love all the unusual items, and beautiful colors available at Pier 1!
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monk fountain.
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I like their Hamburger Condiment Spinner!
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swingsan
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I would love to have the Sun & Bells Windchime.
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I would love to have the blue outdoor umbrella.
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I like the Echo Beach Chaise for lounging around in the back yard.
Thanks for the contest.
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