Once again, it’s time to get your yard in shape for summer barbecues and pool parties. There’s so much to do just to maintain a nice-looking yard from redoing the mulch, fixing the flower beds, trimming the shrubbery, and weeding without getting started with the home improvement projects. The patio area can have a big impact on the first impression someone gets when they step into your yard. Turning a stained concrete patio into a home design magazine inspired paradise doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Your choice of furniture will depend entirely on the theme you’re going for.
Stone-Look Patio
One way to achieve a high-end look without spending tens of thousands of dollars is installing a stone-look tile designed to look realistic, but possessing the imperfections of stone that make it seem more realistic. You can achieve this look in porcelain tile which has the strength to endure the weather, wear and tear that come from the elements.
Make-Shift Furniture
Extend your indoor decorating ideas to your outdoor areas to make them an extension of your home. Bring the popular rustic industrial look to your backyard with beer kegs repurposed as a table base or seat. We’re even seeing old tractor seats attached to create a bar stool. Your choice of furniture will depend entirely on the theme you’re going for. Rustic options or summery seating options are often used for outdoor patio set-ups because it creates the desired mood.
Your local nursery may sell rusty outdoor décor which works perfectly with this rustic trend.
Create a relaxing nook with a hanging chair for reading, napping, or relaxing with a cool drink.
You can find inexpensive outdoor furniture at garage sales and transform it with new cushions and a coat of paint.
Pot Clusters
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to create texture, color and intrigue in your seating or barbecue area. Group together potted plants of different sizes, creating height but elevating shorter pots on top of milk crates or logs. Combine plants with solid and variegated leaves, adding color with flowers flourish in pots. Verbena comes in red and purple and will drape over the side of the pot. Another great annual for pots is lantana which comes in both solid and mixed colors.
Curtains
You can add a touch of elegance to any patio area with long curtains. Rather than hang a long rod across an area, short rods work to hang single curtains.
Creative Lighting
Very inexpensively, you can create a mood with outdoor lighting options. String white Christmas tree lights across the bar or find solar powered lights designed to resemble flames. Place them along a walkway or around flower beds.
It’s easier and less expensive to achieve a dream backyard than you’d think. When buying furniture, focus more on the function and durability of the frame because you can add your own new materials with cushions and pillows. Yard sales are great venues for finding outdoor decorations. You can repurpose so many wood and metal objects in your outdoor area, using almost anything that can hold dirt as a planter. And there are few decorative items that are more affordable than plants. As long as they get the right amount of light and water, they can provide color and atmosphere all season long.
