On a gorgeous Spring day, there’s nothing more luxurious than enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, but before you can do that, you’ve got to get your outdoor room in order. We think of decorating outdoor rooms like you would your living room — comfortable seating, a tight grouping of furniture, fluffy pillows, and enough side tables for guests to put down a drink. While you’re decorating your porch or patio, follow these simple decorating rules to create the ultimate outdoor retreat.
1. Mix and Match
On our recent podcast episode with Suzanne Kasler, we talk about mixing and matching furniture. If you wouldn’t buy a matching suite of living room furniture, why would you do the same with your outdoor furniture? Consider using a variety of finishes and furniture styles. In the space above, we’ve mixed the graywash teak finish of our Sunday Porch Swing with our Giardino Armchair. Then, we brought in a third finish with our scalloped Maya Coffee Table. These three pieces have different shapes, styles, and finishes, but they all work together to create a comfortable, layered space.
2. Let Nature Be Your Focal Point
We love Bunny Williams’ rule of not letting your outdoor space outshine all of the gorgeous nature around you. If you have a plush lawn, tree cover, or a beautiful garden, use your outdoor furniture as a way to enjoy those elements rather than distract from them. In the patio above, we chose a quiet color palette to really let the lush landscape be the focus. It’s a great lesson to remember, sometimes less is more.
3. Accessorize with Plants
Rather than cluttering up your outdoor space, consider accessorizing with greenery and flowers. Container gardens, small pots, and even trees in large planters are all you need to accessorize your patio.
4. Define Your Room
One of the most challenging parts of decorating an outdoor room is defining your seating area from the rest of your yard. Without defining the space, your outdoor furniture can look like it’s floating on your patio or on your lawn without purpose. There are two great ways to do this. First, choose an area of your patio that naturally feels separated from the rest of your yard, like with a different hardscaping material or in an area close to your house. The other option is to use an outdoor rug which can link all of your furniture pieces together.
5. Take Color Cues fro Your Surroundings
Each year when your flowers start blooming, a whole new color palette reveals itself in your garden. Let those natural elements guide the color palette of your outdoor furniture. In the space above, gorgeous sprays of limelight hydrangeas create a lush hedge. Our Seneca Stripe in Spa has light blues, greens, and taupes that tie the hydrangeas to the blues in the pool to the natural stone. The finished look feels pulled together and effortless.
Find more outdoor decorating ideas, or browse our Outdoor Decor Pinterest boards.
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