Patio Furniture on Shine

Real Homes, Real Inspiration: four great front porches from Flickr

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What part of the home is more emblematic of summer than a great big, breezy front porch, particularly with a swing or rocker on it and a pitcher of sun tea? I'm officially in love with each and every one of these real-life porches, plucked from Flickr for your viewing pleasure (or green-eyed jealousy—either way).

This, to me, if the ideal blend of designed and wild. (A too-immaculate porch is usually not right for the home, but works great for a hotel or spa. See below.)
I also really love the woven chairs; see Dwell.com's recent post for shopping ideas. [image: PJFurlong06/Flickr]

Serving Dish: the outdoor bar is open

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I went to a fun party hosted by some friends on Saturday where we all wound up on their picturesque roofdeck, snacking on a delicious cheese and antipasti spread and drinking wine. How perfect! If our terrace wasn't a crawl-through (literally you crawl through a window to get onto our terrace!), I'd love to add some bigger furniture pieces that would make it easier to stay camped outside all evening. I never would have thought to look at Ace Hardware for outdoor furniture but it turns out this hardware retailer stocks some cool things on their site. And this is about the most affordable outdoor bar set that I've seen! (The wood bar comes with the two stools shown for $120.)

For now, I'm thinking of smaller ways we can make our summer parties a little more special. I love how a bold tablecloth can make over a dining area with a splash of color and pattern.

What's on sale: Get out(side)!

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Summer hasn't even started yet, but the flowers are blooming, the days are lasting longer and outdoor gear is already on sale. Fill that glass of lemonade, it's time to get outside.Smith & Hawken's Panisse bench looks like it was plucked out of a French garden. Grab it now on...