Tag Archives: entertainmentarea

5 tips for styling your balcony with the outdoor furniture specialists

Posted on by webadmin
outdoor-furniture-specialists
20 Aug

Living in a unit or home with a small balcony as your outdoor space means that you need to get creative! Your best option is to contact outdoor furniture specialists, such as Daydream Leisure Furniture, because we not only have wonderful outdoor furniture stores in Noosa and Warana, but we are also happy to share our design and styling knowledge with our customers.

As outdoor furniture specialists, we can help you to create the perfect relaxing space for your balcony, a place where you can spend quality time with friends and relatives. We have an extensive collection of outdoor furniture on the Sunshine Coast, just waiting to grace your balcony!

However, if you are struggling to put together a design for your balcony and you are looking for some advice, here are five design tips that should get you started.

1.     Take size and proportion into account

If you have a small balcony, you don’t want your furniture to overwhelm the space, but by the same token, you don’t want your furniture to disappear into a large space. It’s all about proportions and the size of your furniture compared to the size of your balcony. If you bring in a few photos and the measurements of your balcony, our outdoor furniture specialists can help you to select the best furniture settings for your needs at one of our Sunshine Coast stores.

2.     Consider the effects of layering

Layering is all about textures and drawing the eye around the space by adding interest. Layering can include rugs, cushions, wall hangings, planters, privacy screens, pots and even creating small defined spaces for reading or dining on your balcony.

3.     Ramp up your style with lighting

Lighting is essential to any outdoor space, but to improve the ambience of your balcony, it’s a great idea to add a selection of lanterns and candles that can be changed to suit your mood. None of these need to be fixed, which is ideal if you are only renting your unit! Consider adding a selection of different lanterns and candles to a small side table or even running a string of lanterns along the side of your balcony to brighten up the space.

4.     Don’t forget vertical spaces

As an outdoor specialist, we know that including vertical spaces in your design is a way to visually increase the size of the space and add extra interest. Consider mirrors, artworks, privacy screens, murals or wall hangings – all in designs and colours that complement your furniture.

5.     Optimise your garden space

Adding greenery to your small balcony is a great way to ground your space in nature, but make sure to select the type of plants that grow well in the environment of your balcony. Examples include grasses and succulents, even a herb garden or a planter filled with agapanthus because they don’t need much attention and look good all year round. You might think that a vertical garden is a good option, but the small pots often don’t provide enough water and nutrients for plants to grow well on balconies.

If you want help selecting the perfect balcony furniture on the Sunshine Coast, don’t hesitate to drop into one of our local furniture stores and chat to one of our outdoor furniture specialists or send us an email. It’s our passion to make your entertaining and living needs a reality.

5 Winter Ideas For Folding Picnic Tables

Posted on by webadmin
folding picnic table
13 Jun

You might think that folding picnic tables are just for summer, but you would be wrong! Our picnic tables are perfect for the winter season, helping you to make the most out of the cooler weather for a variety of different occasions.

Our picnic tables provide a stable surface that can be quickly folded away and brought out when needed. They provide additional stable surfaces for wine, drinks and snacks, anywhere and at any time. Pop one in your caravan or camper trailer, keep one in the back of your 4WD or Ute for when you go to the beach or store one in the garden shed.  You never know when you will need to use our folding picnic tables!

So, here are our 5 top winter season ideas for using your folding picnic table!

  1. Keep everyone warm with a fire pit

When the cooler winter evenings start to draw in, Aussies look to their fire pits! There is nothing quite like a roaring outdoor fire for making everyone feel warm and friendly. Everything seems perfect when you sit around a fire pit. However, it could get even better when you can keep your food and drinks safe and within arm’s reach of a folding picnic table. Take our picnic tables camping or set them up around the fire pit in the garden – they are perfect for entertaining.

  1. Create your relaxing spa at home

Just imagine a long relaxing soak in your fabulous spa sanctuary at home, allowing the hot water to wash away the day’s stress and worries. Hot spa baths in summer are great, but in winter they seem to be both luxurious and decadent! The problem is – where do you put your wine? Well, our handcrafted picnic tables are perfect for the job because they fit right next to your bath and hold everything you need to create your very own spa sanctuary.

  1. Take the stress out of kid’s sporting events

Winter is the season for an abundance of kid’s sports and parents end up transporting their kids from one activity to another in a never-ending circle! Just imagine how useful a folding picnic table will be at these events! Parents can keep all their kid’s snacks and drinks in one place and not left strewn around the back of the 4WD. Plus, glasses won’t get spilled, and there’s somewhere to keep the car keys, phones and anything else that is needed on the day which often gets lost.

  1. Home entertaining is a breeze

When you have run out of table space for your BBQ or dinner and when friends and family are ready to eat, pull out your handcrafted folding picnic table and look like a professional! Picnic tables are ideal for increasing tablespace, and since they come in different sizes, the smallest models can easily fit on your table and take the place of a lazy Susan.

  1. Add some culture to fishing trips

When everyone wants to head off for a day’s fishing, the one item that is always missing is somewhere to put everything! Whether you need a stable spot for drinks and food or somewhere handy to keep the bait, knives, thermos or beer – our trusty picnic tables are perfect for the job. They take up hardly any room in the Ute or 4WD and can be put up and taken down fast. Just wipe them over to remove any stains, and they are good to go on your next fishing trip.

Why not check out our handcrafted folding picnic tables and add some pizzazz to your winter activities? If you have any further questions or queries on any of the products we stock at Daydream Leisure Furniture, feel free to contact us today!

Encouraging Social Media Engagement Through Furniture and Décor

Posted on by webadmin
selfie for social media
02 May

With the huge popularity of Instagram and Facebook, it’s no wonder that every business wants to encourage their patrons to share snapshots throughout their social media networks. In fact, this has become one of the major strategies that restaurateurs use to engage their own customers and drum up new custom.

If you want to drive new customers to your eatery, here are five décor and furnishing ideas that should give you a head start.

1.     Themes or eye-catching interior designs

With social media, everything is about being visually appealing, which is why your business needs a theme or an eye-catching presentation that customers want to photograph. These can include digital or neon signs or menus on the walls, as well as a stand out theme, such as communal eating tables, open kitchens and using Italian style furnishings such as Nardi.

social media setting

@NardiNetDiningChair

2.     Lighting for social media engagement

Lighting is an integral part of any eatery, creating its mood and ambiance. This can include a variety of pendants, chandeliers, candles, and lanterns, all used to establish your theme. Lights need to be positioned to allow your customers to visually appreciate your theme, décor, table settings and food, all of which comes together to make an instagrammable vignette.

If you make a feature of your lighting however, this itself can encourage customers to take photographs to share with their social media followers. People love taking photos, and the more reasons you give them to photograph your business, the more you increase online engagement.

social media lighting@thegrounds

3.     Food presentation

Why not give your chef the freedom to create food that is photogenic and instagrammable? It makes perfect sense when you want to engage your target audience via social media, because everyone wants to share a visually amazing display of food with their followers. An even better idea is to commission plate ware that is eye-catching, taking your food’s presentation up another notch. At Daydream, we stock a huge range of tableware and dining settings that are the perfect addition to any commercial business. Browse our beautiful entertainment accessories here!

plate ware for social media

@Dining&Entertainment

4.     Fun and branded menus

Since people automatically look for something unique and photogenic when they eat out, it makes sense to design your menus to be photographed. This means that engaging a local artist to design fun and interesting menus that complement your furnishings and theme, is a cost-effective exercise. People no longer simply photograph the food, so creating a space that has multiple photogenic factors within its décor is a win-win situation!

You can even personalise menus for special occasion bookings, making it pretty much guaranteed that they will photograph them and share it with their followers.

Encouraging Social Media Engagement Through Furniture and Décor | Daydream Leisure Furniture

@NardiNetDiningChair

5.     Create a photo wall

We highly recommend creating a unique design element or photo wall that customers would recognise when featured online and through social media. A few excellent ideas may be creating a living plant wall, planters filled with living herbs in the middle of your Nardi tables, backlit glass shelves filled with spirit bottles behind the bar or a wall covered in fabulous artwork. All of these furnishing and décor ideas make your eatery ‘instagrammable’, bringing in more customers to share your eatery with their social media followers!

photo wall for social media@homebeautiful

Bonus Tips!

Instead of a boring photo of a plate of food, why not hand out wide-angle selfie sticks to your customers. This is a fun and creative way to engage your customers as well as showcase more of your business (furnishings included). Also, don’t forget to leverage your own branded hashtag so you can continue to engage with your customers post-purchase! Add these hashtags to all of your own Instagram images, captions and menus to keep your hashtag trending!

If you would like any styling tips or advice on new furniture fit-outs, feel free to contact the professional team at Daydream Leisure Furniture today. We are the outdoor living specialists who can help bring life back to your hospitality business.

 

 

The Aesthetic Value of Furniture in Hospitality

Posted on by webadmin
nardi chairs in cafe
22 Mar

Updating your outdoor furniture is extremely important, especially when running a business within the hospitality industry. A strong economy, rising global consumer purchase power and digital innovation have all contributed towards the hospitality industry’s record growth in the last few years.

What is the servicescape?

The servicescape is the environment in which a service is provided and there is customer interaction. Servicescape furniture should be designed to appeal to customers pleasure and arousal states as well as facilitate operational ease and efficiency. There are four roles in the servicescape that we’ll be examining offering strategic reasons as to why you should update your outdoor furniture. These include:

  1. Package
  2. Differentiator
  3. Facilitator
  4. Socialiser

italian inspired nardi furniture at a cafe

In order to shape the success of your own business in the future, you should be updating your servicescape furniture sooner rather than later. Why?

  • Firstly, remaining relevant and fiercely competitive in the marketplace will keep your business top-of-mind and successful (Package).
  • Secondly, the hospitality industry has potential in social media allowing greater awareness for ‘trendy’ businesses to be shared (Differentiator).
  • Thirdly, physical settings influence the customer’s ultimate satisfaction with the service flow, design and functionality (Facilitator).
  • Lastly, furnishing and updating your service area will help facilitate whether customers feel comfortable in socialising and staying longer (Socialiser).

outdoor table setting with nardi furniture

  1. PACKAGE || Updating furniture in hospitality creates an impressionable package

The first role in the servicescape is the package. This is when outdoor furniture settings and the overall layout of a business creates a split-second impression to outward-looking customers. For example, this could be potential or new customers walking past a café whose first impression of your business is the look and design. First impressions are mostly created by the furniture layout, design, lighting, music and mood.

Take a look at how the Cantilever Umbrella is styled at the Providore on Hastings café in Noosa. It’s a practical, yet aesthetic that creates ambience customers love! View it here

nardi furniture oceanside restaurant view

  1. DIFFERENTIATOR || Updating furniture in hospitality will help differentiate your business from competitors

The second role in the servicescape is the differentiator. This is often where a business can separate themselves from the market using unique furniture to offer a competitive advantage. That’s right! Outdoor furniture has the power to build your brand in the minds of customers, as well as establish your market position. Colours, design and feel will determine the value imposed on the customer whilst dining at your business.

Take a look at how the Cave Bianche Hotel have styled all white Nardi chairs by their poolside bar here

nardi furniture and table setting

  1. FACILITATOR || Updating furniture in hospitality will facilitate service flow and movement within your business

The third role in the servicescape is the facilitator. With over 20 years of industry experience, you can trust the team at Daydream Leisure Furniture to recommend a design that enhances the flow of activity in your business. We know that a well-designed, practical service area will make the experience for the customer a pleasant one. Say goodbye to cramped dining and hello to comfortable, functional settings.

nardi furniture at rooftop bar

  1. SOCIALISOR || Updating furniture in hospitality will increase your customers need to socialise

The last role in the servicescape is the socialiser. A business that oozes comfort will keep your customers staying longer as well as coming back. The range of outdoor settings that we stock at Daydream Leisure Furniture is not only stylish but extremely comfortable. If customers are encouraged to interact and stay longer, your business will continuously look busy and attract more people. Furthermore, this also increases the opportunity to upsell your products (e.g. more coffee, dessert, drinks, snacks bought).

nardi furniture at resort

 There is no better time than now to update your outdoor furniture, especially if you’re running a business in the hospitality industry. Staying top-of-mind and competitive, as well as increasing the perceived comfort, value and satisfaction of your business will help you reach further success.

 If you would like any styling tips or advice on new furniture fit-outs, feel free to contact the professional team at Daydream Leisure Furniture today. We are the outdoor living specialists who can help bring life back to your hospitality business.

 

DIY: How to Properly Clean your Outdoor Rug

Posted on by webadmin
DIY: How to Properly Clean your Outdoor Rug | Daydream Leisure Furniture
19 Oct

With spring here and the summer holidays quickly creeping up on us, there’s no surprise that outdoor areas become the most utilised space. We certainly believe there is no better time than now to begin freshening up your entertainment area and ensuring you are prepared for the upcoming festive season!

An accessory that most people tend to avoid is cleaning their outdoor rug. Outdoor rugs are the perfect transitional piece to transform a functional space into a comfortable living area. Most outdoor rugs are synthetic, so they’re mould and mildew resistant, yet the accumulation of dirt and grime cannot be prevented. Seeing as we’re the outdoor furniture experts, we thought we’d share our top tips for cleaning your outdoor rug.

  1. Know the fabric

The material of the rug will certainly determine how you approach cleaning it. The common types of materials are:

  • Acrylic
  • Bamboo
  • Nylon
  • Polyester
  • Polypropylene

Whilst these rugs are more durable and robust, each material has its positives and negatives that you should research. If you are unfamiliar with the type of material your rug is, feel free to contact us and we can assist you in the right direction.

  1. Clean off surface dirt

Once you’ve done your research, use a soft brush to sweep off any debris on your rug. Make sure you vacuum any of the remaining dirt and surrounding floor area. If possible, try shaking your rug to help remove any excess.

  1. Spot clean if necessary

Any liquid stains that are fresh should be blotted to prevent the stain from seeping deeper into the rug fibres. Using a butter knife to carefully lift any dry debris and vacuuming it after is also very handy!

  1. Soapy Water

Using a big bucket, pour about 1 tablespoon of clear dishwashing liquid for every 3 ½ litres of water. Clear soap will stop the colours from transferring onto your rug!

  1. Begin the deep clean

Lying your rug down on an elevated driveway or any clean surface will help with the wash away. Begin hosing down the rug and use a soft brush to start scrubbing! Use your own intuition to decide whether the entire rug needs to be cleaned or just certain areas. Rinse the rug again and either lay it in the sun or hang it over a fence to dry.

Pro tip** Trial the soap and scrubbing brush in one corner of the rug to see how it takes to it. Proceed the clean if there are no damages visible. Discontinue the clean and consult a professional if issues arise.

That’s it! Depending on the size of the rug, this process can take about 30 minutes to one hour to clean. There’s no better feeling than revitalising your favourite rug and saving some $$$ in the process.

We’d like to remind our lovely readers that this process will present better results if your rug has been cared for throughout the year. If you’re unsure of what we’re talking about here are a few more tips.

  • Blot spills immediately after an accident with a white cloth
  • Avoid harsh chemicals, as it can cause fading
  • Store your rug in a dry area when the outdoor entertaining season is over
  • Allow your rug to dry completely from moisture before vacuuming
  • Vacuum and shake regularly

If you’re looking for a new rug to make your outdoor entertainment setting more inviting, then give the team at Daydream Leisure Furniture a call. We have a large variety of outdoor rugs to suit everyone’s needs and we can give you the best advice on which rug is best suited for you!