Fulton Homes Daylight Model

Now while we’re in the outdoor living stretch in Arizona, take a few minutes to think about how you want your yard to function. Do you enjoy having your coffee and reading the paper in comfy chairs outside in the morning? Are family dinners more fun outside? Should there be a spot for the kids to play, or is your focus entertaining and your dream a plush outdoor kitchen?

This time of year it’s tempting to buy outdoor furniture first and then arrange the space, but you may find yourself with pieces that don’t coordinate, or that don’t meet your real outdoor goals. Just a bit of planning can help you create a space that looks beautiful and really works for you.

Take a look at the table in the foreground. It seats six comfortably, and you could put three chairs on a side and make it big enough to handle eight. Planning a larger party? How about using the table as a buffet, and arranging the chairs around the yard. The raised planters have a nice wide ledge that’s perfect for perching with a plate.

The fact that the two chairs in the background are the same color as the dining set but a different material and style keeps this yard from being too matchy-matchy. With today’s amazing weather-proof fabrics, you can find cushions that can handle the outdoors in a rich selection of colors and prints. Adding cushions to the dining chairs in a stripe that picks up the rust from the easy chairs would pull everything together beautifully.

With careful thought and shopping, you can make your backyard lovely, functional and versatile enough to meet all of your outdoor plans this spring.