Decorating Your Outdoor Space Is Simple

Summer is here, and it’s time to spruce up that outdoor space. Whether you have a deck, patio, or balcony everyone is optimistic about hot days and cooler nights to just sit, relax and enjoy those outdoor sanctuaries. Many people become intimidated by decorating an outdoor space and end up creating a bland space with no reflection on its owner. You want to be just as comfortable outdoors as you are indoors, and here’s how you can do it. First decide how you would like to use the space. Is it for privacy, entertaining or relaxation?

Privacy

There are many ways to get privacy for your backyard oasis, so you need to decide which option works best for you and your budget. Lattice provides privacy without blocking your view. You can attach mirrors or plants to add interest and additional privacy. Vines are great walls for decks and patios. Honeysuckle, clematis, morning glories, and ivy are great for creating an open wall that still provides a level of privacy. Potted plants make a wonderful border and can be fairly inexpensive. Larger plants in pots or urns provide not only privacy but color and texture as well. Maximize their height with a plant stand or outdoor bench. A natural fence of shrubs and trees can provide additional privacy and can significantly reduce noise pollution.

Entertaining

If entertaining is how you want to use your space, decide how you and your guests utilize the space. Outdoor living spaces are truly an extension of your home, and it can be a living/family room, dining room or even a kitchen depending on how you decorate it. When choosing deck furniture, just make sure it’s durable and comfortable. For a traditional living room feel, you might choose all-weather couches or wicker for a more comfy, cottage feel. Outdoor floor lamps area a great touch, and outdoor rugs complete the setting. These rugs are commonly made from polypropylene, which is a substance that can handle UV rays, mold, water, and soil. For a dining room feel wrought iron or cast aluminum furniture could be used in a formal space, while wood provides a more casual, picnic-type atmosphere.

Today, state-of-the-art cooking spaces are possible right on your patio. From outdoor oven range hoods to outdoor kitchen cabinetry, elaborate barbeques and grills, food-prep areas, sinks, mini fridges all in weather-resistant stainless finishes, the sky is the limit. Whatever your budget and entertaining needs are, there are many options to choose from.

Relaxing

Last but certainly not least, many of us just want to relax in our outdoor paradise. Lighting can really create a mood, especially during the shorter days of spring and fall. Solar lighting, outdoor lamps, and candles all create ambiance for your space. Keep in mind, flowerbeds and furniture should not be cluttered or overcrowded, so stick to the K.I.S.S. acronym: Keep It Simple, Silly. Finally, maintain balance in your space and garden surround by balancing light vs. dark colors, and hard vs. soft textures and lines. For example, if you have a weeping willow in your view, it should be balanced with plants that grow in a strong vertical line emphasizing upward growth. In addition balance bright-colored plants with darker-colored ones.

To sum up, decorating your outdoor space is easy once you think about how you want to utilize your space. Just don’t go for décor to keep up with your neighbors’ yard but rather choose something that’s practical and manageable for you. Paradise doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but is should give you a peaceful feeling. Remember, if your space is too high maintenance or a burden to your wallet, you won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest. You’re now on your way to enjoying an extension of your living space and making it fabulous!


TIP: Is your patio furniture tired but replacing it would exhaust your budget? Spruce up your existing furniture with a little paint, outdoor fabric or both. Painting or staining wooden furniture always gives it new life. Or, you could consider purchasing outdoor fabric remnants to create slipcovers. Remember to take advantage of those end-of-season sales, yard sales, and auctions to get an eclectic look that’s all your own.

Ellen Bohan Murphy taught learning disabled students for twelve years and enjoyed working with her students. But her passion has always been interior decorating and she decided to make a career change to fulfill her desire. Ellen works for Organized Home Interiors as a Decorating & Home Staging Assistant and lives happily in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.