Furnishing your outside space can be just as meaningful, if not more, than your inside space if you live in a climate where most of your time and entertaining can be spent outdoors. We are working on a project in Lafayette, where the weather is beautiful almost all year long. The Springs are warm, the Summers hot and the Winters mild.

Our client has a stunning (literally stunning) piece of property outfitted with a gorgeous pool, gardens, chicken coops and mountain views. And while she loves color and we will boldly use it in her home, we actually discouraged her from using too much color in the outdoor furnishings.

This may seem uninteresting, but we have some reason for our restraint: We wanted the property to shine, and we wanted the outdoor furnishings and decor to be timeless, not trendy. It is so fun to visit places like The Parker in Palm Springs or The Viceroy where you are inundated with saturated color everywhere you look, but our suggestion to her was to leave that moment in Palm Springs (or on vacation) where it belongs.

Her home is a mid-century Spanish style rancher. It is in a rustic setting adjacent to a state park, and there is natural beauty in every direction. We didn't want to distract from this magical setting so we chose outdoor furnishings finished in iron and dressed in a light stone color, that is almost creamy. We hung light fixtures that are a slightly more modern rendition of traditional lanterns. We incorporated a little black, chocolate and print as a nod to the Spanish architecture and keep the rest of the space clean, and uncluttered.

We are still waiting on some additional furniture and the addition of an outdoor fireplace, but we are thrilled with how the space is coming together and jealous of all the chic pool parties this family will host in the months ahead.