The beautiful days of summer are a great time to throw wide the patio doors and take your entertaining, relaxing, or family conversation time outside. It’s also nice to have a beautiful, functional outdoor space when you do this – gone are the days of folding chairs set beside a rusty fire pit. Now is the time to create an oasis, whether it’s just for you, for a set of summer soirees, or for an upcoming home sale.
Coordinate Your Details To The Color Palette of Your Garden Beds
If you don’t already have a color palette in mind for your home, consider the colors that come up in your flowers: if you have lots of pinks and oranges, reflect that in table runners, cushions, and any other textiles you opt for. The blue-purple of hydrangeas can coordinate well with a lot of similar colored patio furniture cushions, for instance, and snowy white roses can really offset a white contemporary outdoor couch! If you’re dealing with lots of green in your outdoor space, offsetting it with cream and chocolate tones in your furnishings can look very beautiful and earthy.
Even In Small Spaces, Create “Rooms”
Even if your outdoor space is pretty small, you can create small sections of your space, at least two of them, to give people different areas for different conversations. A two-person conversation set on its own rug will feel like a spot to hang out for a small group, while benches around a firepit create a bigger-group atmosphere. Party guests will appreciate the chance to move between little “rooms” rather than feeling like only one main conversation can happen at a time.
Shop Weatherproof and Weather Resistant Textiles
As tempting as it is to use exactly the cushions, rugs, and drapery that you want, aim to select from only the weather-resistant and weatherproof options you have available to you. The rain and sun can do a number on typical indoor fabrics and rugs, and your once-beautiful statement piece will be faded or even ruined. It’s sometimes valuable to narrow your options, and this way you’ll be able to use your items for much longer. The one exception is if you have a well-shaded screened-in room, where only wind and temperature will be impacting your furnishings.
Use Functional Elements of an Outdoor Kitchen That Add Ambiance
If you have an outdoor grilling and dining space, you can accent that area with the kitchen tools you use! Some designers recommend retrofitting a bar cart as a grilling cart, which gives you extra counter space and storage. Others will create outdoor cabinets, open shelves, or other storage areas so that serving an entire elaborate meal outdoors is possible. Making the space more focused on feeding those you love can help you pick a design – with rustic signs that say “Eat up!” or other fun culinary phrases that can add a feeling of fun and remind people that they’re going to eat well while they visit with you.
Encourage Your Guests to Stay a While With Comfortable Furniture
As I mentioned before, gone are the days when a backyard space was complete with a few beat-up camp chairs to sit in. If you want your guests to stick around or just want to feel great outside all the time yourself, pick some comfy furniture! Yes, it’s important to note that any permeable cushions should be stored out of the rain when the forecast looks wet, but it’s well worth it to see your best pals sprawled on an outdoor couch instead of perched on the end of a wobbly stool or bench.
Minimal Space? Decorate “Up” With Lanterns and Hanging Baskets
You don’t have to have a big outdoor space to showcase it well. If you’re working with a small concrete stoop or patio or just your front porch, use hanging baskets and lanterns that add a great look but don’t take up any of your precious floor space. Smaller furniture, simple rugs, and you can still have the designed, beautiful space you want, even with small square footage.
Your Summer Outdoor Space Can Help In Multiple Ways
Outfitting your summer outdoor space well is a great way to make your parties the talk of the season and your after-work hours comfortable and sweet. However, having a well-outfitted outdoor space can also help if you’re looking to take advantage of the persistent seller’s market many areas of the country are currently in. When you look at your home’s free appraisal online, you can expect that a well-designed outdoor space will impact that number in a good way. While it’s best to talk to a real estate agent before making any expensive changes to your outdoor space just for sale, many people find the outdoor space to be an important part of the property, and as a result, they look for it to look great!
