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POSTCARDS & PERSPECTIVES

chapters from home

Marla Fowler is the founder of Filling the Nest Luxury Travel & Lifestyle and a Virtuoso Certified Travel Advisor who firmly believes life is too short for bad hotels, missed opportunities, or checking only one suitcase.

When she's not designing or experiencing extraordinary adventures away from home, she's usually dreaming up the next one with her husband, "Poor Kent," spoiling pups, Olive and Basil, hosting an over-the-top gathering for family and friends, planning a themed event that somehow requires a glue gun, or searching for the next untouched corner of her home to redesign.

Most importantly she knows every great story starts with a little inspiration.


September 9, 2025

imagine your story

Inspired by The Colony Hotel’s Villa Lantana, I transformed my backyard into a chic oasis with Amazon finds — stylish, dog-approved, and my favorite resort destination.

Backyard Bliss

My Amazon Backyard Makeover

After falling in love with The Colony Hotel (see The Pink Paradise for the report), and feeling especially inspired by Villa Lantana, I came home dreaming of recreating that breezy, Serena & Lily–inspired magic. The result? A backyard makeover that turned into my very own “pink (but make it blue & green) paradise” — and the best part is, nearly everything came from our curated Amazon storefront.

Resort-Worthy Lounging

The Colony pool scene is iconic, so I started with the essentials: chaise lounges that feel every bit as inviting as a resort cabana. Perfect for sun-soaked afternoons — with or without a frosé in hand.

Our white iron chaises are currently sold out, but I’ll keep checking and update here WHEN I find them (dog with a bone). In the meantime you can get the bronze here.

Shade, Styled

No Palm Beach moment is complete without a fabulous patio umbrella but in South Louisiana, the sun’s rays (not to mention icky humidity and bugs) mean they never hold up long. These instantly transported me back to those Palm Beach poolside afternoons, chinoiserie wallpaper in sight, cocktails in hand, but with an Amazon price tag, Poor Kent will keep his cool when we have to replace in a season or two.

Practical, but always chic.

Pattern Play

The Serena & Lily villa was layered in airy blues and whites, so I brought that home with chinoiserie pillow covers that add charm (and withstand Basil’s naps).

The white bistro chairs came from Horchow but similar chairs can be found here. I even shopped Amazon for these outdoor curtains and cute little rope tiebacks. I love the warmth and cozy aspect they bring to our back patio.

Evening Glow

One of my favorite Colony Hotel touches was the subtle, glowing ambiance in the twinkling hanging garden — and now I have it at home with portable battery lamps. They turn every backyard evening into cocktail hour.

A Gathering Place

To anchor it all, we added an outdoor fireplace. Just like those cozy conversation corners at the Colony, it’s become the heart of our backyard oasis — especially when the nights turn cooler. Ours has since been discontinued due to poor reviews, which is a shame because it’s been great for us. I’m loving this Plan B option though, and I have additional items with decent reviews in the storefront.

What is NOT discontinued is the fabulous blue & white patio set and …it’s at an even better price than when I thought I got a bargain, you’re welcome! They even make a matching loveseat and rocking chairs!

Palm Beach Details

Because Palm Beach never shies away from a whimsical detail: I just had – HAD (sorry Poor Kent) to add these fabulous green elephant side tables. Functional, playful, and the exact kind of design wink I fell in love with at the Colony.

Bonus points for being extra

Did I mention I live in South Louisiana? Short of Poor Kent playing Cabana Boy with a big palm frond (and we DO have plenty of palm trees in our backyard so who’s to say it won’t happen?) but his hands are obviously full with all the pool toys so I’ve got the breeze covered with these raffia fans, my new fave thing from Amazon.

My Favorite Resort Destination

Now, when I step outside, I don’t just see a backyard — I see my favorite resort destination. Inspired by The Colony, infused with Serena & Lily breeziness, and made possible with finds from our Amazon storefront.

Shop MY AMAZON BACKYARD MAKEOVER

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