4 Steps to Creating a Cozy, Outdoor Space
Hey y'all! Happy summer! I love this time of year....Our summer nights are filled with practically living on the back porch, enjoying supper together with family and friends, with ceiling fans offering a cool breeze -- all while enjoying God's beautiful, green earth and the little flashes of lightning bugs, late sunsets, popsicles and lots of laughter! I could go on and on about all the wonderful reasons I love summertime!
And I don't know about you, but lately, I've really enjoyed looking at all the inspiring photos of outdoor spaces on Pinterest and decorating magazines. So, here are a few tips to creating a cozy patio or porch that'll be uniquely yours! And included are some gorgeous, inspiring spaces that I'm loving at the moment!
1. Decide what it is that you're going for....basically, an outdoor living room or an outdoor dining room? In other words, do you want couches and swings or a table and chairs for your main seating area? Either option is great for a patio -- or even your front porch!
I'm totally loving the lattice dividers hanging from the ceiling! It gives both a sense of privacy, along with a punch of interest on this classic porch.
2. Once you've decided what type of outdoor room you'd like to set up, create a budget and stick with it! Three easy ways to keep from over-spending (preaching to the choir here) -- shop your house, shop second-hand (e.g. yard sales, thrift stores and your mama's attic!), and do as much of the diy-projects yourself as you can! (For my tutorial on a thrifted dining table and chairs, click here.) You can do it!
In the above pic, the owner created a cohesive look by painting all the mismatched chairs the same color. A very easy and super-economical way to decorate, not to mention totally fun! And don't you love the hanging banner, fresh peonies and vintage containers?!
3. Before you start shopping, search Pinterest, decorating books and magazines, and other inspiring sources for ideas on figuring out your furniture placement. Always consider the scale of your space and the scale of your furniture. You don't want to have a large space with lots of small furniture pieces. Visually, the room will look too cluttered. Yikes!
Love that sign (in the above picture), but don't know how to hang something similar on your brick wall? Here's an awesome, inexpensive item to use!!
Observe (in the pic above) how the tablecloth is folded on the edges. Just something different!
I placed these beautiful flowers in an old galvanized mopping bucket that was just sitting around in our garage! The vintage bar cart was a $5 yard-sale purchase. The Cracker Barrel rocking chairs add a cottage-feel, while the pair of white 98" H & M drapes ($10/pair) are tied back with fun, nautical rope from Michael's.
(Source unknown)
(Source: House Beautiful)
4. After you've taken care of your furniture, the next step is to focus on accessorizing. (My favorite part!!) Fun accessories to consider are string lights, drapes, a rug, lanterns, candles, galvanized wall decor, and flowers.
On a side note, drapes are always a good thing! You can find super-inexpensive white drapes at places like Ikea ($10 for a PAIR of Vivan drapes)....Or, you could get a little creative and grab some white twin, flat sheets at Walmart. They're super-easy to keep clean! Also, string lights add such a soft ambiance to your space....I'm not talking about Christmas lights. I'm talking about Edison bulbs or the round bulbs -- something like this. They are always at Target at the end of the season at 75% off (or more)! Several sets can add up, so if you want to save a little cash, hold off til the end of the summer, so you can grab lots of 'em!
Notice the drapes, the potted flowers, the painted stairs, the greenery, candles, colorful pillows and the rug. I especially love the olive bucket. It doesn't have anything in it, from what I can tell, but its purpose is to simply add prettiness. Don't you love a little pretty?!
Loving this over-sized antique monogram! It's a stop-you-in-your-tracks kind of wall art!
(Source unknown)
Notice how the string lights are hung in the above pic. I love that "effortless" look.
How fun is this vintage bucket filled with beautiful flowers, the lantern, the white cushions and the eye-catching sign?!
If you love the look of a rug, but don't want to pay for a rug, there are other ways to get around it. "Necessity is the mother of invention." Right? You could do a faux rug by painting a design onto your floor, like this one in the pic below.
Or this one...
Or, if you'd like a less permanent option, paint a dropcloth! Like this...
There are so many options! Okay, I need to stop. These pics are inspiring me to go and start on my own projects! ;)
I hope this post has inspired you to shop your house, and create a beautiful living space outdoors that's uniquely yours! What are your plans for your summer porch or patio? Are you hanging string lights this year? Adding fresh flowers? Whipping up some colorful handmade pillows? I'd love to hear about it and see photos! Your pics inspire me! ;) Comment below, or stop by and say hey on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. It always makes my day to hear from my sweet readers!
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