It's no secret that I love Palm Springs.  To me it's the ultimate luxury vacation full of warm sunshine, beautiful swimming pools, amazing mid century architecture everywhere you turn, and an old Hollywood vibe.  I've only been there one time, but it's my goal to visit often and to stay in as many swanky hotels, motels, and airBNB's as possible.  The Parker, Ingleside Inn, Monkey Tree, Avalon, Dive, and Colony Palms Hotels are all on my dream boutique hotels bucket list. Since we definitely aren't going this year and summer is fast approaching, I figured I would bring PS to us in the form of a backyard makeover.  We've needed some new items for awhile so this year it's time to invest. I'm longing to make our backyard feel as luxurious as possible, so I've ordered a few things and we're working on some updates to our little yard.  Stay tuned for how it all comes together.  In the meantime, here's a preview of how I'm making our space feel like a Palm Springs resort and how you can, too.  

Photo care of www.loveandloathingLA.com
1.  Get a cute patio umbrella with scalloped/Greek key style edging.  Every high end resort in Palm Springs has a pool and while we can't add a big hotel pool to our backyard, we can certainly add the poolside vibe that automatically makes you feel like you're on vacation.  A midcentury resort style umbrella like this one is just what it takes to do so.  The one I've picked out is from Overstock, but there are many places that sell gorgeous umbrellas for all sorts of budgets these days.  World Market, Target, Overstock, and Joss & Main are just a few that have a wide variety to choose from.
1.  World Market Umbrella 2. World Market Umbrella 3. Joss & Main Umbrella 4. Target Umbrella 5. Target Umbrella

Ingleside Inn
2.  Add a sophisticated lounge chair (or more!) to go under your pretty umbrella.  There's more than one way to recline in your backyard, but a lounge chair is definitely the best way to feel like you're actually by the pool, even when there's no pool in sight.  We already have one that just needs a good sanding and a new coat of stain, but you might like one of these:

The Parker Palm Springs
3.  Congregate around a fire pit with your family and friends, roast some marshmallows, and sip on a cocktail.  I fell in love at first sight with this firepit from Wayfair.  It's fueled by propane, which is better than your standard wood burning fire pit if you live close to your neighbors and want to avoid inundating them with unwanted smoke and campfire smells. Don't forget to include a seating area around the fire pit in order to promote extra relaxation for your guests.  I picked out these fun retro web chairs from Target for now because they are what my budget currently allows for and they are even cuter in person.
1.  Wayfair Propane Fire Pit Table 2.  Target Project 62 Propane Fire Pit  3.  Target Project 62 Wood Burning Fire Pit  
4.  Amazon Wood Burning Fire Pit  5.  Wayfair Concrete Wood Burning Fire Pit

Yep, another view of The Parker, what can I say?
4.  Add a hammock for hanging out on a lazy afternoon.  Whether you add it to a sunny corner or a spot in the shade, just make sure it's a bit out of the way from the normal hub bub of the space to allow for peaceful napping. I love the macrame bohemian style hammocks, but my husband has been wanting one that has some cushy padding.  This striped one from Amazon does and it's also got a matching pillow that comes with it, although I'm sure I'll want to style it myself with something a little more interesting. I love, love, love this macrame one from Etsy, though.


5.  Show off that Palm Springs style with bright colors and/or cabana stripes.  If there's any one thing you can do to make your back yard feel the vibe, it's by simply adding at least one of these two things.  I mean, have you seen pictures of The Saguaro?  It's full of color!  Sunny yellow, aqua blue, hot pepper red, citrus orange, even hot pink...any crisp, saturated, strong hue will do.  If you're afraid of going too far with color, consider adding in a few pops of color with throw pillows.  Cabana striped towels or even outdoor curtains are also an inexpensive way to add all of the vacation feels.  I like the ones shown below from Society 6.  
1., 2., 3., 4.
Also, the flowers you plant, either in beautiful planters or directly in your garden, can provide that strong pop of color.  In Palm Springs, you see a lot of beautiful hot pink Bougainvillea flowering everywhere.  If your area of the country is not suitable for Bougainvillea specifically, you can definitely replicate the feeling with a different variety of flowers in the same color family.  Such varieties as impatiens, geraniums, and azaleas are good options for where I live in the Pacific Northwest.  Find out which flowers work best in your neck of the woods.

6.  Add a bit of bohemian flavor with rattan.  Boho and midcentury modern go hand in hand in Palm Springs, so if you're really looking to add this kind of resort style to your own little backyard oasis, you might like to complement your outdoor furnishings with a little rattan.  We will be doing so in the form of an egg chair that my in-laws gifted us with last year.  There are plenty of rattan options out there as far as outdoor furniture goes, though.  Here are a few really cute ones.  

1., 2., 3., 4., 5.

Now let's put it all together.  Are you ready to see what I've done for our home?  Stay tuned for a peak into our outdoor oasis coming soon!