Summertime is the the time for outdoor entertaining and the outdoor bar. And whether you have a patio, porch, deck,or balcony, these bar signs will set the proper tone.

Love to entertain in the great outdoors? Who doesn’t, am I right? There’s nothing much better after a long week of work than having friends over for an impromptu get together on the back deck. And if you are a regular entertainer, you probably have a bar setup outdoors so you and your guests don’t have to keep going indoors to grab a cold Italian soda, lime seltzer, homemade kombucha, pomegranate martini, craft brew, or what-have-you.

Setting the tone for your outdoor entertaining space is key. For many of us, this is our home in the summertime, because who wants to be cooped inside when the living is easy outside! So, if the outdoor bar is the ice cream sundae, then bar signs are the cherry on top. Decorating with the perfect bar signs creates that chill vibe that you want to create for yourself and your guests.

And of course, you could DIY your own or search the Interwebs for just what you are looking for to decorate your outdoor entertaining space, or you can let us do the work for you.

We’ve pulled together some fun, poignant, and chill bar signs that just might set the perfect tone for your outdoor space this summer. Hurry up and chill!

Bar Signs Perfect for Your Outdoor Bar

1. Welcome to Our Porch

It is all about the friendships, after all.

2. Whatever Your Bring

Your provide the space, your friends provide the vino, right?

3. No Workin’

Exactly. The weekend is time for friends and the great outdoors.

4. Toasted

A fire pit is an awesome addition to any outdoor party. S’mores, anyone?

5. Bar Rules

Every bar needs a list of must follow rules.

6. Paradise

Outdoor living anywhere is almost paradise for certain.

7. Light Up Cork

Keep it simple and lit up!

8. Phobia

Did someone say wine?

9. What Happens at the Bar

True that!

10. Best Friends

Every Friday and Saturday, naturally.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Sexy and Sustainable Bar Stools (Because Counters are the New Tables)
10 Wonderful Ways to Master the Art of Outdoor Living
6 Super Outdoor Living Spaces Ideas for Creating the Most Awesome Connection with Nature

The post 10 Bar Signs That Your Back Porch Needs this Summer appeared first on EcoSalon.

Shiplap planking consists of wooden boards commonly used for exterior buildings like barns and sheds. It’s also taken the DIY world by storm as an interior material to create a rustic planked walls.

What is Shiplap Planking?

Shiplap, for those not in the know, doesn’t refer to just any wood planking. Shiplap boards are grooved on each long end, which allows the boards to overlap each other. It’s the overlapping that makes shiplap special. The overlapping boards create a tight seal making it an excellent way to protect your building from the elements. While that’s not such an urgent requirement indoors, the shadow the boards create where they overlap creates a delicious lined effect.

Shiplap planking can be purchased new from most home improvement stores or can be sourced from reclaimed wood outbuildings, making it a more sustainable choice for DIY projects. Estate sales, Craigslist, NextDoor, Antique shops, and Etsy, are all great resources for finding reclaimed shiplap planking.

What Isn’t Shiplap Planking?

Since shiplap DIY projects can be found all over DIY TV shows, on blogs, and in the pages of magazines, it might appear that shiplap is everywhere. However, a lot of what is called shiplap is not really made from shiplap planking. Remember, if you want to sound like a pro, shiplap is rustic wood planking, but not all rustic wood planking is shiplap. Shiplap planking must have the signature grooves (called rabbet); otherwise, it’s just wood planking. That’s not a bad thing, but you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about with your DIY friends, right?

Shiplap Planking Project Ideas

Shiplap planking isn’t only for walls. With a little know-how (here’s a link to a shiplap tutorial to get you started) and the proper tools, you can apply shiplap to just about everything! Here are a few ideas.

1. Shiplap Wall Art – Attach shiplap boards to plywood to create a base for your own wall art. Get creative and paint, decoupage, or use it as a photo frame.

2. Shiplap Pallet Coffee Table – Shiplap can be applied to any tabletop to help create a rustic feel, but you get extra points if you DIY the coffee table from pallets.

3. Shiplap Coat Hooks – Spruce up your entryway by adding shiplap planks to your wall and adding hooks to create a place to hangs coats and bags.

4. Shiplap Headboard – Shiplap lends itself nicely to a DIY rustic headboard project. Shiplap directly on the wall behind your bed, or shiplap onto plywood to create a standalone headboard.

5. Shiplap Chalkboard –  Apply a square of shiplap planking to a wall and paint it with chalkboard paint for a rustic blackboard addition to your room.

Related on EcoSalon

15 Simple Ideas to Add Texture with Rustic Home Decor
8 Galvanized Metal Solutions for Your Rustic Space
Is Plywood a Sustainable and Elevated Design Material?

The post What is this Shiplap Planking Everyone Seems to Be So Crazy About? appeared first on EcoSalon.

If your decorating style can be described as rustic chic, industrial farmhouse, cottage, or any of those in between, read on to discover some budget ways to incorporate galvanized metal in your decor.

Galvanized metal is the workhorse of a variety of decorating styles — for those not in the the know, galvanization refers to the process of coating steel or iron with a zinc coating to ward off rust. Not only does it work with the urban industrial farmhouse style, but it can also fit into a more traditional rustic style home as well — both indoors and out. The benefits of galvanized metal home furnishings, accessories, and accents are that it is sturdy and can take a lot of abuse (ideal for homes with kids and pets), but it’s also a great budget option as well.

It’s also possible to source galvanized finds at flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales, making it a sustainable and affordable choice.

Looking for inspiration to decorate your industrial farmhouse or your country-chic space equally well? Read on.

8 Galvanized Metal Solutions

1. Baskets via FoundInAttic

Vintage metal baskets can be repurposed to hold everything from kindling for the fire to towels in the guest bathroom.

2. Drawers via PineSpringsCottage

Turn old galvanized drawers into practical planters for sumptuous succulents. They can be used as a lovely table centerpiece at your next dinner party.

3. Pitcher via Wayfair

A galvanized pitcher makes for a beautiful solution for holding spring or summer blooms.

4. Tray via BoulderBlueStudio

A dish made from galvanized metal is the perfect way to showcase your rustic chic decor and hold your ice-cold lemonade!

5. File/Letter Stand via Pottery Barn

Get organized and stop throwing your mail on the table in a big pile with this metal file stand. It’s practical but looks good enough to store next to the door.

6. Cake Stand via SaveonCrafts

A galvanized metal cake stand is not only perfect to fit in with your decor, but it’s also a sturdy and long lasting choice.

7. Cabinet via Pottery Barn

This cabinet offers another great way to get organized. It would work perfectly in an entryway to store umbrellas, hats, book bags, and more.

8. Funnel Light via Farmhouse Wares

With plenty of vintage industrial style, this functional funnel light can brighten your farmhouse kitchen.

Related on EcoSalon

13 Creative DIY Garden Planters to Make Your Garden Green(er)
7 Ideas to Get Industrial Farmhouse Decor
17 Clever Repurposed Garden Planters to Add More Plants to Your Space

The post 8 Galvanized Metal Solutions for Your Rustic Space appeared first on EcoSalon.

Plan a rustic wedding with these creative tutorials and ideas.

Planning a wedding this year, but your tastes run towards the rustic end of the spectrum? We’ve got you covered with these clever DIY ideas for making your most special day the perfect rustic wedding!

15 DIY Rustic Wedding Ideas

1. Hula Hoop Chandelier – Light up your wedding with this clever project utilizing a hula hoop and icicle lights.
2. Rustic Hors’ D’oeuvres Station – Use log slices and vintage tin pie plates for a rustic hors’ d’oeuvres station.
3. Rustic Wedding Altar – This is such a pretty idea for an outdoor rustic wedding altar.
4. Afghan Station – If you are planning a rustic fall wedding, having a station for guests to grab an afghan might be a good idea.
5. Fringe Garland – Use vintage sheets to create a rustic chic fringe garland.
6. Guest Log – Instead of a that old wedding staple, the guestbook, have guests sign a guest log slice that you can then hang in your home as a keepsake from your wedding.
7. Iced Tea Station – Have an iced tea station with vintage glass pitchers and mason jars. Allow guests to choose sweetened or unsweetened as well as from different flavors.
8. DIY Dried Flower Filled Paper Cones – Looking for something a little more eco-friendly for guests to toss than rice? How about dried lavender?
9. Mason Jar Lighting – Mason jars make for perfect rustic wedding lighting. Here’s how one couple used mason jars and LED lights to shine on their reception.
10. Simple Mason Jar Table Decorations – And of course, mason jars would work perfectly as vases for your rustic wedding table centerpieces.
11. Rustic Barrel Bar – Set up a rustic barrel bar complete with repurposed cork word art.
12. Succulent Corsage – Wrapped gorgeous succulents with burlap to create pretty and rustic corsages for the groom and groomsman.
13. Burlap and lace Chair Decorations – Use burlap and lace to add a bit of rustic chic to chairs that need a little decoration at your reception.
14. Table Numbers – Paint reception table numbers on vintage bottles.
15. Paper Doily Garland – Use paper doilies to create scalloped garlands you can use to decorate the ceiling.

Related on EcoSalon

6 Summer Wedding Dresses that are Absolutely Gorgeous and Eco-Friendly

Screw Tradition: Have a Sensible Wedding to Save Cash and Stay Sustainable

Now & Then: The History of the White Wedding Dress

Image: Wedding Photography by Jon Day

The post 15 DIY Rustic Wedding Ideas for Your Rustic Special Day appeared first on EcoSalon.

Welcome back to Ecosalon’s Inspiration Home series, where we take you on on a virtual tour of a real home. Last time around we gave you a peek into an Eclectic Rustic Contemporary Home, and for this edition we look at a rustic, charming and artistic oasis. We are looking for folks who want to share their home for the series, so please get in touch if you are interested.

Today we share the home of Margaret Oomen. Margaret is a family physician in a small town in Canada, a blogger (whose blog you will fall into), and creative maker of things. Her home is filled with family, nature, snails, kitty cats, collections and the gorgeous things that Margaret herself makes. It’s also a magically inviting rustic oasis of a home with a porch that just calls out to you to come on up for visit and a glass of lemonade. 

Jen Wallace: First off, tell us a little about yourself.

Margaret Oomen: I am a family physician, mother of four, maker of things, collector and lover of all things natural.

JW: Tell us about your home in your own words. 

MO: I live in a home in the heart of a town that has grown to a population of about 40,000. The house is a three-story brick building;  the third floor was once a separate apartment and has its own small kitchen and full bathroom. My eldest daughter lives there while completing her masters degree in geriatric social work. I have an enclosed backyard with a board and batten shed, currently used for storage. There are gardens on all sides of our home.

JW: I love how your home seems like a space that is actually utilized and not just some showroom. It seems that your home decor is organically created and always changing—would you say that’s accurate?

MO: I think my style is no style at all. Almost all my furniture was either inherited from my mother’s home (some was her mother’s), or was found at auctions, thrift stores, curbside or at trunk sales. I love natural materials like wood, linen and cotton and you will see them throughout my home. I want everything to be comfortable and inviting for exploration by family and friends. I love when someone pulls a vintage book off the shelf and starts reading it or inquires about a certain fossil or feather.

JW: Cats, snails, kids, family—your home seems always to be filled. How does that impact your decor?

MO: My style is very relaxed and comfortable; nothing is irreplaceable. I am often giving things away to make room for new treasures and handmade artworks so the home gallery is always evolving. I used to create using temporary spaces such as the kitchen or dining room table but when a major change in my life occurred, a marital separation, I decided it was time to a literally carve out my own a creative space. I made a studio in the first floor and that is where I create now. But during the warmer months, you be most likely to find me on my porch or dyeing fabrics in the backyard.

JW: Nature also seems to be important to your life; how does that manifest itself in your home?

MO: I am always bringing the outdoors in with flowers, plants, mosses, lichens, stones, feathers, driftwood, and more. I also spend a tremendous amount of time outside communing with nature.

JW: What’s your favorite room in the house?

MO: My favorite place is not really a room but the wraparound porch. We eat all our meals there—it is lit up for the evenings—and it is surrounded by fragrant gardens and the green shade of a very large magnolia tree. We have a small pond with fish beside the side steps to the porch with a fountain that sounds like a babbling brook.

JW: Is the porch also the place you find yourself spending the most time? If not, which room is? 

MO: I love the porch and outside. Definitely. But, of course, not in the winter. During the cold months of winter you will find me in my studio or in the kitchen.

JW: If you could change anything about your home, what would it be?

MO: I would add a solarium to the kitchen and find a way to add a fireplace to the porch without fear of burning down the house.

JW: Conversely, what would you never change?

MO: I would never stop having an extensive library of new and vintage books.

JW: Anything else you care to share?

MO: Thank you for being interested in my home. It really is an oasis in the midst of a very urban environment very close to one of the biggest cities in Canada.

Images by Margaret Oomen.

Related on Ecosalon:

An Eclectic Rustic Contemporary Home: Inspiration Home

English Country Cottage Style: Inspiration Home

The post A Gorgeous Rustic Oasis in Canada: Inspiration Home appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cabins that take us away from the everyday.

Like a tannenbaum, a good cabin is perennial. ‘Tis always the season for the rustic getaway house, a place to deck the halls with home-made brew and extended relations. Some of the cabins featured here are too tiny for second cousins; others foreign and thus, impractical for a long weekend. But all are perfect and lust-worthy, especially for the cabin-less who really just want the courtesy of an invite.

Failing that, there’s always Cabin Porn.

Rustic Iceland

Caney Fork Creek, Williamson County, Tennessee

Rural Finland

Northwest Scotland

San Juan Island, Washington

St. Helens, Oregon

Warren, Vermont

Harads, Sweden

Northern Sweden

Dungeness, Kent, England

The Parabolic Glass House, Northern California

Skylonda, California

Parque Nacional Huerquehue, Chile

Allegheny River, Pennsylvania 

La Jolla, California

Lake Tahoe

British Columbia, Canada

Western Illinois

Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

San Francisco, California

The post Cabin-Spotting: 20 Perfect Weekend Retreats appeared first on EcoSalon.

Got the itch to redecorate but limited funds? If you’re in need of some inexpensive decor, just look outside. Plenty of options can be found in your own backyard, compliments of Mother Earth. Our friends at Apartment Therapy Re-Nest recently compiled a list of Natural Objects You Can Use In Your Home, and I came up with some more to get your scavenger hunt started.

Stones and Pebbles

Fill a bowl or small glass vase with pebbles or stack stones to create an ornamental cairn. They also make stylish paperweights for your office.

Sand

To make your own miniature Zen garden, just fill a shallow dish with sand and add some pebbles for an elegant tabletop accent infused with Eastern culture.

Rocks

Those traditional rubber doorstops may do the job but without any oomph. Instead, use a rock.

Seashells

Looking for an excuse to schedule a beach day? As you stroll along the shoreline, collect an assortment of shells to adorn your mantle or bare shelves in seaside style.

Tree Branches

Mount a sturdy branch on empty wall space to hang your coats, keys and purses in rustic beauty, or simply serve as an artistic statement.

Reeds

Fill a floor vase with reeds and garnish a lonely corner in minimalist sophistication.

Tree Stumps

Tree stump side and end tables are a popular décor trend that you can easily create at home. Visit Martha Stewart Living for step-by-step instructions.

Sea Glass

While you’re combing the coast for seashells, keep your eye out for sea glass as well. These colorful pieces of smoothed litter make fabulous accents.

Eucalyptus

Hang eucalyptus from your curtain rod to bring the outdoors in and infuse this space with a fresh scent.

Driftwood

Once you have a basket full of seashells and sea glass, look for beached driftwood. Depending on its size and shape, it can be transformed into a unique coffee table or shelf.

Images: poetichome, Kaboodle, Rustypants, hotash, allposters, annesoceanfront, veganissexy, jaliya, expressions, localism, poppytalk

The post 10 Free Objects From Nature to Decorate Your Home appeared first on EcoSalon.