Connecticut in Style, a Connecticut-based lifestyle blog – summer patio inspiration

One of my dearest friends happens to be a naturally gifted designer. Her entire home is gorgeous, inside and out – and she is teased mercilessly about how clean it always is. I don’t think that she ever took a single interior design class, she has the ability to “see” what works best in her home and gracefully pulls it off. She and her hubby recently hosted a mini high school reunion at her home, a summertime tradition that they have been doing for years. I was so enamored by all the little touches she did to make the atmosphere enchanting and I wanted to share the photos. My blog tagline is Elevate your style, and this patio is exactly what I mean.

They have a beautiful slate stone patio attached to the back of their home that faces a backyard that is completely surrounded with trees – it is lush and very private. Her Restoration Hardware patio furniture is so pretty (here) and the entire outdoor space is dotted with candles and sparkly lights. We had dinner at a table underneath one of my most favorite IKEA lighting fixtures (they don’t seem to sell anymore). She’s fearless with her decorating and nonchalantly mixes a natural burlap cloth with crystal candle stick holders and wild flowers from a co-op garden that her mother belongs. The simplicity of the table setting made it casual and elegant at the same time – so pretty! The entire patio sparkled all night, and after dinner a few of the guys brought out their guitars and took song requests. It was a perfect summer evening with great friends.