The Art of Outdoor Living

I am happiest at the lake. Our summers unfold by the edge of a mid-sized one in a quaint town with just enough. A charming main street with a scattering of restaurants, farmland that stretches for miles, a few marinas, and, of course, the lake itself. It's the kind of place where time slows. Where we are barefoot more often than not. Where the days revolve around swimming, eating outside, and watching the sky change color.

Last summer, with our house under construction, we spent five weeks traveling through Europe with our kids. It was beautiful, the kind of trip you dream about and never forget. But even as we wandered the lavender fields of Provence or watched the sun sink over the beaches of southern Spain, I found myself thinking about the lake. I missed the ease. The community. The sense of belonging. I realized that that's where I feel most myself — it's where I find my magic.

What I did bring back with me, though, was inspiration. The gardens of Provence — structured yet soft. The wild, romantic charm of the English countryside. The sculptural, sun-drenched landscapes of Italy. I wanted to recreate that feeling, to build an outdoor space that held all the charm of Europe —layered, lived-in, full of history —but that honored the pace and beauty of lake life.

I began searching for outdoor furniture that could embody that vision—something with patina and texture, something that felt like it had been collected over time. I thought vintage would be the answer, but it turned out to be harder than expected. The pieces I found were either falling apart or not quite right. I couldn't find the quantities I needed. Everything new felt too modern, sterile, and impersonal. Then, almost as if the world had been listening, the team from Atelier Artizan reached out. And suddenly, there it was: everything I had been looking for.

Founded by brother and sister duo Matt Swilley and Alex Brewster, Atelier Artizan was born from a shared belief that outdoor spaces deserve the same level of care, beauty, and intention as what's inside. Perhaps even more. Matt had been working in commercial real estate, but he felt the pull to create something with more soul. What began as an idea for an exterior design studio quickly shifted when he couldn't find outdoor furniture that met his standards. So, he decided to make it himself.

At first, he looked to Italy for production, but it became clear that the only way to truly control quality — to obsess over every weld, every angle, every finish — was to bring it close to home. Atelier Artizan is crafted in Tennessee by a small team of artisans who take great care in their craft. The latticework on their signature Heritage Collection isn't laser-cut; it's hand-woven. That detail floored me; it's nearly unheard of in modern outdoor furniture. For Atelier Artizan, it's not just about beauty; it's about legacy, about making things that last.

Eventually, Alex joined her brother. She had built a career in branding, helping shape the voices of celebrity-backed ventures, but this was the story she really wanted to tell. Theirs. A story about craftsmanship, about heritage, about the belief that outdoor spaces matter deeply — because they're where life happens.

That resonated with me. At the lake, we live outside. From morning coffee to late-night swims, that's where everything unfolds. Friends pull up on boats throughout the day. The kids run barefoot through the yard. Meals are shared on the patio, rarely inside. So when we started reimagining our outdoor space, the yard wasn't an afterthought — it was the most important room in the house. I didn't want anything temporary or trendy. I wanted pieces that could live outside all summer, year after year. That felt like they had been there all along.

Alex and Matt design with that exact mindset. They draw inspiration from architecture, collectible design, and their travels, always considering how pieces exist in the world. When Alex stays at a hotel in Europe or Mexico, she notices the furniture: where it came from, why it was chosen, and how it fits into the story of a place. The Heritage Collection was born from those questions. The silhouettes are rooted in tradition but refined. The latticework — a motif found in gardens and villas around the world — is classic, reimagined. Their finishes are deeply considered. They offer subtle texture and depth, capturing the kind of age that is usually only found in antiques. Their pieces are designed to look at home in a 17th-century courtyard, a modern oceanside retreat, or lakeside in western New York.

Working with Atelier Artizan was, in itself, a luxury experience. Their white-glove service was thoughtful, meticulous, and personal. They coordinated between me and our designer, Jeremiah Brent, to deliver precisely what we needed. I wanted the pieces to feel as if they had been there forever, as if they belonged to the landscape. They sent multiple finish samples to make sure we landed on the exact patina. They worked with a tight timeline without compromising quality. And when install day came, the pieces were hand-delivered. Matt himself drove through the night to make it happen. That level of care and commitment mirrored the ethos behind their work: quality above all else.

Outdoor spaces are where life happens. They hold the joy, the laughter, the long conversations, and the lingering meals. They deserve investment. They deserve beauty. Atelier Artizan understands that, in a way few brands do.

We've officially moved in, and I'm finally settled at the lake. The backyard is everything I had hoped for, thanks in large part to Atelier Artizan. Their pieces anchor the space, giving it a layered sense of patina. Last summer's travels through Europe were unforgettable, but being back here has only confirmed what I already knew — the lake is where I'm happiest.

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