How to Add Style to Your Outdoor Space

July 13, 2020

We’re all spending so much more time at home right now and certainly treasuring our outdoor spaces as they have become our main entertaining spots in the home. This will be continuing all summer long and into the cooler months as well, so it’s definitely an area worth investing in. Just because it’s not actually inside your house, it should still be reflective of your interior décor and show off your personal style. This space also needs to be highly functional now for all the different needs of a family, from entertaining to outdoor work spaces, and play areas for the kids. Here are some things to consider when you set out to update the style in your backyard.

Prepare for All Seasons

In California our backyards are used year round so it’s important that your outdoor space is set up to work throughout the different seasons.  For those summer months be sure to have umbrellas scattered throughout the yard or shaded areas like a pergola or even retractable sunshades. Misters in the BBQ area for those really hot days, or a ceiling fan in your loggia are great for steamy summer days. When the cooler months come around, you can roll out heat lamps that are stored in the garage and be sure to have plenty of blankets on hand for chilly nights. A firepit is a really nice touch that can be used year-round to provide both ambiance and heat.  Lastly, be sure to have furniture covers on hand for the winter months.

Keep It Simple

A good place to start designing your yard is by selecting the type of material for your furniture that best relates to the style of your home.  The main choices are teak, metal such as bronze or even powder coated a color, or woven materials like wicker. Whatever you choose, stick to that one material to keep a cohesive and intentional look. And when doing your furniture plan for your yard, it is best to opt for fewer larger pieces rather than a bunch of smaller pieces which ends up looking messy and cluttered.  

Consider a Single Color Scheme

Our yards are often filled with so much natural color already from plants and flowers, so it’s best to stick to a single color palette that works well with those other tones. Also be sure to consider the coloration of your hard surfaces when selecting your color palette. For example if you have red brick, or sandstone vs. white painted brick or bluestone your color ranges would have to be different. One color story doesn’t have to be boring though.  Play around with mixing fabrics and patterns to create interest and define the different spaces in the yard.   

Choose Quality Furniture

Outdoor furniture takes a real beating and is also not inexpensive, so you want to be sure to get quality pieces that will weather the storms and that you won’t have to replace in two years. You can always recover the cushions or swap out pillows throughout the seasons and years, but having good quality frames will save you in the long run. Proper care like getting teak treated will also make it last longer. And be sure to get furniture covers for the winter seasons to protect your pieces.

Lighting

In the summer months especially we spend time outside long into the night, so it’s important to make sure that you have ample lighting for outdoor dinner parties or evenings spent by the firepit.   Landscape lighting is a good place to start as it lights up paths, and can provide the base lighting needs for your yard. But for more ambiance, add in decorative lighting as well with pendants over dining tables, string bistro lights, and floor lanterns and various heights in clusters around the yard for visual interest as well as added light.