Is your outdoor patio space bare or is it packed with furniture? Does it seem like it’s got just the right amount of items and yet something’s still missing? Do you have any water features? What about a backyard pond? If you’re looking to improve your outdoor space, there are several style guidelines to keep in mind.
Light up Your Outdoor Patio Space
If you have the common problem of the patio that looks fantastic during the daytime but isn’t very fun to use at night, you just don’t have the proper outdoor lighting. Make sure you have lighting that illuminates walkways, steps and edges of paths for safety so that no one turns an ankle or falls. Look for lighting that makes the space secure so that no one can lurk in the dark spots. And then look at some lighting like well lights to shine up through foliage and lights that simulate moonlight coming through the trees that you mount up high.
I have been adding solar lanterns on shepherds hooks in areas around my back yard and patio area. I found that it is a quick and easy way to add solar lights a little higher up off the ground illuminating different areas such as plants you have hanging from trees etc.
If you have a pool, pond or fountain you can add submersible lights, colored LED lights and other accents to really make them glow and come alive. Solar fountains don’t require electricity and are a beautiful touch to a backyard patio area.
An Outdoor Kitchen
If you have a patio cover or are willing to build one, then an outdoor kitchen can be a fantastic addition to your outdoor patio space. This can be as simple as a rolling grill and a cooler or as elaborate as a kitchen island with built-in cooktops, a refrigerator, a wine cooling compartment and a dishwasher. You can add the components you want in the price range that you need to create a wonderful space to cook and eat outside. Let’s face it, outdoor kitchens are just an integral part of our outdoor dining experience. Plus they are really cool!
The Casual Outdoor Patio Space
It could be that your furniture is what gives you that not-so-special feeling when you look at your patio. If you have wooden furniture, it could be that the space seems too heavy to you. If you have very inexpensive patio furniture then maybe it looks cheap and insubstantial even if you don’t think that consciously.
If you love the look of wicker, that can be the perfect outdoor style. Just be aware that wicker furniture is made of several different types of materials and if you want to put it outdoors you need to purchase synthetic furniture that is not made from twisted paper fibers. Get something made with a plastic or resin material so that it can stand up to the weather, as natural fibers will mildew, rot and fall apart in short order.
One of the best ways to figure out what you really love so you can incorporate that into your outdoor patio space is to hit your library and look through the many issues of home and garden magazines. These have pictures of so many different types of designs and styles that you’re bound to find one that you can re-create in your own backyard.
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