5 Tips to Creating a Backyard Living Room with Canadian Tire

Hello friends,

How about this beautiful, warm weather we are having here in southern Ontario? Have to love this especially since our Canadian winters can be soooo long and cold. It’s so nice to be able to be outdoors rather than cooped up inside. I’m hopeful we will have patio weather until October. 🙂

I know the expression “bring the indoors out” has been so overused for years and I usually cringe every time I hear it but it’s so apropos when describing how I wanted my outdoor space to look and feel. Having a comfortable (and pretty) outdoor living space where friends and family can gather is always well worth the investment. Here are a few tips for creating a welcoming and stylish outdoor living space.

1. Comfortable Seating

This is my #1 tip for creating an al fresco living space. In my former home, you may recall that I had someone build an outdoor sectional for me. That sectional has since been given to my sister when I moved so I needed to source another sectional for this backyard. I much prefer them to individual chairs or even a sofa – they practically scream “stay awhile and have a glass of sangria.” PS white sangria is my new obsession and I have experimented with different recipes this past week.

When I was invited to create a video for Canadian Tire to introduce new products from their Canvas line earlier this year, I chose the Canvas Kelowna sectional for our vignette and fell in love with it.  I even proclaimed my love on my Instagram story showing how we styled our vignette:

Well, because I put that out to the Universe (I’m a huge believer in that), the sectional found its way to me a few weeks after that. Yes, I am a very grateful lady!

I just love its low, sleek lines and modern Scandinavian vibe. The wood is naturally weather resistant, FSC Certified eucalyptus so very durable. The back and seat cushions are quick drying, UV resistant and water and stain repellant. I had 15 family members over this past weekend and I made my signature cocktail meatballs in a sauce which did splatter on the cushions while guests were eating. The next day, a wet cloth got out all of the spills and mishaps and the sectional looks as good as new.

Ellie just loves the sectional as well. She usually rings the bells on our patio door to do her business outside but lately she has been ringing the bell just so she can go outside and lounge on the sectional. 🙂

And how many people can fit on the sectional exactly? Seven + a dog in our case. (Photo taken of half our motley crew this past weekend celebrating Maya’s 16th birthday.) You can actually add pieces to the sectional to configure it to the size you need.

2. Shade Structure

This is a Before photo from the realtor listing with the previous owner’s furniture. They left the gazebo but I gave it away and installed a metal gazebo similar to this one from Canadian Tire. It’s nice to have some shelter from the sun which can be blazing in our south facing backyard but it also makes the space feel more intimate. (In this photo, you can see how tiny our suburban backyard is – only 30′ wide and not very deep.)

3. Outdoor Area Rug

The outdoor area rug is also from Canadian Tire, although I can’t seem to find it on their site. I have flipped it over to use the more “quiet” side. Having a rug in your outdoor living space also makes it feel like an indoor space…not to mention, keeping any ants or bugs from creeping up your leg!

4. Lighting

I bought these outdoor string lights but have yet to hang them. I will be sure to share on Instagram and add to this post when they are up. They will add so much ambience to the space at night and I cannot wait to get them up. Candles are also another way to provide light and ambience so have plenty of those on hand too.

5. Accessories

Just like you would complete an indoor living space, accessories such as pillows are a must. This is where you can have fun and bring in a vibrant colour. Of course, make sure your pillows are in an outdoor friendly fabric so you don’t have to worry about bringing them in if it rains.

As part of the backyard makeover, I installed a few trees and artificial grass as the real grass was ruined from our lovable dog Ellie plus she always ate the mud, grass and stones. I love the finished space (well, it’s not quite finished. I still need to replace the ghastly plastic shed that’s there but that’s a project for another year. Oh, and will probably add a fire pit/table and lounge chairs for those cooler nights.) I’m now not embarrassed to have people over in the summer!

I hope you are enjoying your outdoor space whether it be a backyard, porch or balcony.

Happy summer everyone!

{Canadian Tire partnered with me but all opinions are my own, naturally. I only partner with brands that I adore!}