The cool design and home blog Apartment Therapy (AT) always has a fresh idea. I've been reading it periodically for a few years, and every time I do, I vow to completely redo my space. Anyway ... The site recently featured a summertime-appropriate post on the Disk Chair, designed by Karim Rashid and made by Ferlea to look like a "spoon folded." AT noted it would be great for poolside or patio, as it's made of fiberglass over a steel frame, but AT commenters had a good point: seems like a sweatfest waiting to happen on a hot day. I think it looks fun and comfortable, albeit maybe with a cushier seat or a towel. Available in black, yellow or white; includes a single foam and polyester cushion. Owo Italia has it for a bit more than $2,000 (European pricing).
Knowing that I'm on the lookout for luxury items, my friend Cliff told me that I just had to look at Frontgate. So I did! Now that al fresco dining season is here, I decided to peruse Frontgate's grill offerings and came upon this 405-lb. beauty: the Barbeque Grill Island, made with O.W. Lee craftmanship. The wrought iron body has a black suede finish, the feet are cast iron and ceramic briquettes are included. The cooking-related facts:
Start saving now ($6,667) for the winter gift-giving season, and order early -- shipping takes 8-9 weeks, and the grill is only available online. You might be a little late for Father's Day, but if your grilling guy has a late summer birthday, you might get one in time.
I can't wait until the weather gets warm enough here to start sitting outside with my morning coffee, and maybe if I had one of these Rotating Sphere Loungers that day would come just a little bit sooner. It's kind of a "tent meets gazebo" contraption, plus a healthy dose of contemporary styling. Designed as a large sphere made up of 10 individual half circles, it's advertised as not only a lounging area but also a dining and a sleeping area -- and besides offering a comfortable outdoor living space it's sure to catch the eye of your neighbors. £6850
I seem to be finding all the items with tongue twister names lately, but it's worth the risk of sounding like an idiot when their looks are as fun as their names (plus you guys can't hear me trying to read them out loud). Enter the Yo Yo Elmar Flototto Floor Lamp, which will bring to your home the vibe of a large Yo Yo sitting on the floor. The cord wraps around and forms the "string" for the Yo Yo and allows you to roll the lamp anywhere you might need light. Designed by Caterina von Matern and Lisa Lindstrom, it's suggested as great in the garden (outdoor safe?) or as an art piece indoors. $317.98
I'm a sucker for accent pieces that find a way to blend the whimsical energy of happy childhood memories with a dose of maturity for the adult I am today. These stainless steel pinwheels from Chiasso take the breezy fun from days past and mix it with a healthy dose of class and durability by creating them of lightweight stainless steel. I think they'd make a fun summertime addition indoors or out, and considering the average plastic pinwheel goes for $2 or less, these are actually a little pricey at $15 each.
There are many nice outdoor showers out there, but this one, the Waterfall Shower by Jane Hamley Wells, is especially appealing to me for some reason. I'm not sure if it's the fact that it gives the feeling of standing under a waterfall in the tropics or the sheer organic simplicity of the design, but I want one. Standing over 7 feet tall, the teak back panel and base platform is accented only by the single cross-style handle. Add in the sheet of cool water cascading down when the shower is in use and I think it's almost pretty enough to just be appreciated as a water feature, whether you use it to clean off and cool down or not.
From Dedon comes the Yin Yang Signature Collection outdoor lounge set. The chairs can be positioned separately or nested together to create a classic vision of the symbol for which they are named, fitting to form a perfect circle with contrasting cushions creating the "eyes" on each side -- the arrangement of the seats encouraging communication without being too intimate. Made of a weather resistant fiber material in a balance of platinum and bronze shades, I think they bring a somewhat indoor quality to typical outdoor patio furniture. But I've said it before and I'll say it again...how comfortable are they? They look a little stiff.
The summer sun is one of the best parts of the season, but unfortunately also one of the greatest hazards. Staying in the shade isn't always easy, but having a Tuuci Razor Shade Platform might make a difference. Some of the inspiration behind this design from Dougan Clarke came from the idea that sitting under an umbrella can sometimes be frustrating as the sun moves throughout the day and your area of shade gets smaller and smaller. But this tilted assymetrical canopy spins 360 degrees so you can easily keep comfortable all morning and afternoon, and it's built of sturdy materials intended to last through the weather. $1500.
For the passionate and inspired homeowner, and for the estate that needs the perfect final touch, customized landscape lighting could be that extra "something" that's missing. A company called Artistic Illumination out of California is one company that works to make the most out of beautiful homes and beautiful landscaping from the outside in.
Looking at some of the photos on the website they really are beautiful, and even though it definitely doesn't look like an eco-friendly project (perhaps they use energy efficient bulbs?) I think I'd be finding all kinds of late night errands to run -- just so I could pull up to the house in the dark over and over again to appreciate the scenic ambiance!
What child wouldn't love to have an ice skating rink in the back yard? Hammacher Schlemmer has a 37-foot portable ice rink that can be set up anywhere and is perfect for practicing for winter sports or just skating for fun. The frame keeps the water in the rink even if the temperatures get too high to sustain the ice, ensuring it will be ready to go whenever the weather gets cold, and the rigid PVC at the bottom protects the rink from skate damage if the ice gets too thin.
If only I had had one of these to put in the yard growing up! Actually, it wouldn't have helped me to become a more accomplished figure skater because, portable though it is, it still needs to be below freezing to properly form the 2.5-inch thick ice layer and that is something you can't necessarily count on in most of California. Price: $700.
I love the idea of outdoor tiles that actually interact with the outdoors, as opposed to those that just crush whatever piece of nature they are placed upon. These tiles, which seem to be from Promise Design, actually have grooves in them that allow grass to grow up through the tile, allowing for a styled burst of color that complements the flowers etched in the stone.
It is too bad that fall has set in already. Even though these tiles only need grass to have their full effect and could certainly be put out over the winter, it's hard to think of decorating the yard when you don't really want to spend much time outside.
These floating pool lanterns from Horchow will look equally good on a warm summer night and a cool winter one as they cast ethereal reflections across any water's surface. They have the shape of a "traditional" lamp and a refined look, but each one is a single piece, measuring 9" across rising 9.5" above the water, though the lamps are actually 21.5" long, overall. The lamps get their glow from a rechargeable light bulb, which will glow for up to 8 hours at a time, and can move about freely, unconstrained by wires or another power system. Chargers for the light bulbs are sold separately. Price: $399 each.
If you like dogs and lawn art, this Giant Dog Sculpture is a better way to accessorize your yard than a pink flamingo. If you don't care for either, it's probably not for you. The hollow steel sculpture, designed by Dale Rogers, measures 4'7" x 6'2" and is handmade in Massachusetts. Because it is made from steel, over time the metal with rust and darken, giving the piece a much more attractive - not to mention less retina-searing - than the aforementioned flamingos. Price: $2,400.
Sun Bricks are solar powered outdoor light fixtures that can be built into a brick or stone walkway. Unlike traditional outdoor lights, sun bricks are designed to be flush with the ground, giving the effect of an illuminated pathway, rather than a path that is simply flanked by lights. The bricks also do not require the use of any cables or electricity, since all their power is generated by the sun. Their solar panels can hold enough energy to provide an 8-hour charge to the bricks' amber LED lights. While bricks do look their best in brick pathways where they can blend into the stone pattern, they can be set into the ground anywhere where they will be exposed to sunlight. Price: $60 each.
A good grill is really a must-have for the 4th of July, which is one of the biggest days of the year for outdoor cooking. There are endless debates over the merits of charcoal vs. gas, but the look and quality of the grill are important, too. After all, you're not going to end up with a quality steak if you're grill can't handle the heat.
Significantly less complex than some of our previously featured outdoorgrills, the Eva Solo Barrel Grill is a sleek beauty that could be mistaken for a sculpture in the yard. The grill is a classic barrel, where the charcoal (or wood chips, if you prefer) is put down into the base where a removable coal bucket sits. It is made entirely of stainless steel, including a stainless, heavy-duty grill top. You can also use it as a sort of firepit/outdoor heater after grilling. The grill itself is $560, but you can get a domed lid for an additional $120 or a jacket-like zippered cover for $51 as optional accessories.
I love the idea of 
Sun Bricks
