It’s been a long winter, especially for those of us in the great North East. Today might be the first day of Spring, but looking out of my office’s window, it might as well be December. Snowfall once again! Alas, good weather, shorts, and t-shirts are just around the corner. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you walk outside and feel those wonderful rays on your skin. They don’t only warm your body, but they warm your spirits up too. It’s a jolt of inspiration that rushes through like the times (plural) we all tell ourselves, “Today is the day…I am going to get healthy.” While motivation to get to the gym or to start eating healthier comes and goes, the sun is a little more reliable. Even though it might hide behind those needy attention-seeking clouds ( they are everywhere at all of the wrong times! ), we know that it is still there, and hopefully always will be. Thankfully these cold and dreary days are finally winding down, and we can start looking forward to spending sometime outside. Unless of course you work inside. In that case, you can make your way over to the nearest window and look out onto the beautiful world that surrounds you in your little work box. 

As a nature lover myself, I can tell you how important it is to appreciate the simpler things in life and to take advantage of the days when the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the ice cream on your cone is melting so fast, that you finally make the decision to join Greenpeace and embark on the fight against global warming. Because lets be honest with ourselves, Winter is always just around the corner, no matter what time of the year it is. It creeps up on us without warning, so make the most of those beautiful sunny days. Start by convincing your employer to create an outdoor space for you and your colleagues. If they say no, then offer to do some the work yourselves to save on costs. I worked for a landscaping company for five years and there is nothing more rewarding than creating an outdoor utopia for those who need to escape from the “real” world and enjoy some time for themselves. Trust me it will be worth it.

One of the best parts about building new spaces, is the creativity that is involved in the layout and the incorporation of items that will not only be aesthetically  pleasing, but also serve a purpose. Green space is beautiful, but if your cramped for outdoor space, you need to be a little creative with your designs. Small spaces are great for flower planters and features, such as a small fountain, that can give your space a natural feel to it. A few feet away might be the noisy, crowded, and in some cases, smelly streets of your city, but with a few umbrella tables, benches, and flower planters, you might as well be sitting on a terrace in Lausanne, Switzerland over looking Lake Geneva.

Landscape Forms offers many creative products and ideas that can bring your outdoor-space dream, into a reality. They offer anything from seating to outdoor litter/recycling containers. Their designers have created some of the most unique and dynamic products in the industry. Parallel 42, a benching system that is more of large scale building blocks set, allows users to create and change their environment by having the ability to easily arrange the benches for a fun social environment. They can be placed together to make different configurations and fit in well with any outdoor setting.

 Landscape Forms numerous products will show you how you can turn your outdoor space into a posh scene out of a James Bond movie. Their Morrison table has floating frames that create a form language and panel inserts in a choice of glass, steel, concrete or wood provide texture and tone. The Chill series of seating will make you feel like you have entered into an outdoor modern art museum and once you have sat down in one, you might consider bringing your laptop and nameplate out, and claim your new office.  Even the bike racks look like they could have been dreamed up by sculptor Richard Serra.

 

 Landscape Forms is HOT! And they have what it will take to give you your utopia. Lighting…they have it! Benches….they have it! Sun shades…They have it! Almost anything you need, they have it. At least it is a great place to start looking for inspiration. Municipal buildings, schools, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and corporations all need to build a great outdoor space if they don’t already have one. So, if you happen to work somewhere where you don’t have a get-away space, I would encourage you to speak to your superiors and petition for your utopia.And if you think that your not missing out, just go visit somewhere that has an outdoor space, and you will quickly change your mind.

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