Hey, neighbor
Question for Josh Blanthorn, co-owner of Out of the Box: What are some inexpensive ways to make a porch or patio more private?
Answer: Start by thinking about screens and shades, says Blanthorn. They come in every material from fabric to teak, from bamboo to woven wood, and your choice will determine your cost. A bamboo panel can set you back as little as $60, though as Blanthorn says, “It doesn’t operate or move. You’d tie it back if you wanted it open.”
For “more of a tropical look,” Blanthorn says, invest in some hanging plants. You can opt for faux ones, which “won’t fade, and won’t have to be watered.” Or go for the real deal—large ferns or philodendrons that you could bring inside to a sunporch or hang near a window when the winter comes.
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Not a plant person? “There are also creative ways you can use accessories to create a substructure,” says Blanthorn. Many decorative or art pieces that you could hang on a wall can also be hung from the edge of the porch roof, for a screening effect.
Finally, if you can live without most of your view but you don’t want to lose the breeze, consider a premade lattice. One company, says Blanthorn, makes lattices from scraps of teak reclaimed from its furniture-making operation (jewelsofjava.com).—Erika Howsare
Stirring read
No matter how you shake it there’s no denying cocktails are cool, and delicious. Personally, I blame “Sex and the City,” but The Art of the Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the Classics is pretty sexy too. Its authors, Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz, are the bartenders of San Francisco’s Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, and as the title suggests, it’s a little less measurements and pour counts, and a little more art for drinking’s sake. Good solid information aside, it’s the colorful and trendy presentation that makes this book a winner. That, and the hangover cures at the back.—Lily Robertson
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When to fold ’em
An antique folding screen, like these from Helen Storey Antiques, will make any room swoon. Think of the romance enabled by a fine piece of furniture whose exclusive function is to hide a person, but only partially! Is it getting hot in here?
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