Decorating outdoor living spaces

[helgajones]

Many people take for granted their outdoor living space forgetting that it is really just an extension of your living room. It is such an important space that even most apartments come with some sort of patio living area. That is why you should consider decorating your patio and outdoor living area as well as the rest of your house. Maybe you’ll finally start using it once you’ve made it a place you love and a place you aren’t afraid to show off to your friends. Here are some tips for your outdoor decorating.

Furnishings

One of the most important parts of your outdoor living space is putting furniture of some sort out there. Whether it is just a porch swing or a while slew of patio furniture, you need furniture to make yourself feel comfortable while using your outdoor space. If you don’t have furniture, then decorating the space won’t make any difference to how often you use it.

Pots and plants

According to ABQJournal, pots and plants are just some of the ways you can expand your outdoor space and make it feel more like a place you want to be. With there being such a huge variety of pots available, you can find ones that make you feel comfortable. Maybe you want a wild pot to plant things in or maybe you’d rather have them look very clean and traditional. Either way, you can get what makes it feel like home for you. Whatever you plant will also add a lot of personalization. You can give off a completely different vibe based on the flowers or bush you buy, and it says a lot about you as a person as well.

Wind decorations

ABQJournal also thinks it is important to pick some sort of wind spinner to display in your space. They give you a calm feeling and are fun to look at. Though it is not a necessity, a wind spinner could be just what your outdoor living space is missing to finish off your outdoor patio area.

What are you going to do?

The last thing to do when putting together your outdoor living area is to put in what you want to do while you are sitting out there. Maybe you need to put in a grill, a volleyball net, or a table for playing cards. Whatever it is, your area won’t be complete if you don’t add in some built-in activities and reasons to head outdoors.


Edited by moon to remove the advertising.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Tags in a post isn't really needed in a forum like ours.

Reposting blogs isn't really what this discussion forum is all about.

Posting links to one's own blog in multiple locations in these forums .... seems pretty spammy.

Do you have something specific to discuss on the topic of SMART SPENDING?

[whoisjohngalt]

Yes, I am going to decorate the crap out of my "outdoors" only to have it covered under 10ft of snow in the winter.  Bc THAT'S how I want to spend my money!!

[Deleted]

Yes, I've already furnished the indoors with the latest from Crate and Barrel. Let's see, we need a fire pit, one of those giant stainless steel grills, some tiki torches, a cabana and- yes, I've got it!- a koi pound!

[msventoux]

I have to confess that if I ever get my flower garden up and going, and if it turns out gorgeous, I've been thinking of getting one of these types of greenhouses.  I could use it as a potting shed/patio area.  The outdoors are great and all that, but I don't actually care to be outside sitting for hours with the swarms of mosquitoes we often have here. 

This would most definitely NOT be smart spending.  Fortunately the purchase is predicated on a bunch of ifs and considerable effort on my part.  Since I'm pretty lazy it's unlikely it will ever happen.

[Bonny]

May 29, 2015 20:51:33 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I have to confess that if I ever get my flower garden up and going, and if it turns out gorgeous, I've been thinking of getting one of these types of greenhouses.  I could use it as a potting shed/patio area.  The outdoors are great and all that, but I don't actually care to be outside sitting for hours with the swarms of mosquitoes we often have here. 

This would most definitely NOT be smart spending.  Fortunately the purchase is predicated on a bunch of ifs and considerable effort on my part.  Since I'm pretty lazy it's unlikely it will ever happen.

This looks beautiful but I wonder if it gets really hot.

Many years ago I thought it would be cool to do our dining room addition in the style of a English conservatory. The architect and my DH vetoed that idea. In hindsight I can see why that would have been a bad idea. Keeping all that glass clean would have been a PITA!

[Iggy aka IG]

Our yard finally looks semi-decent after nearly 10 years, LOL!

Last year:
-I bought an outdoor patio set on Craig's list.  Saved about 75% off retail.
-Based on the advice of a local tree nursery company, DH and I zeroscaped the entire backyard which includes a specific drought friendly tall grass and Russian sage.  Several rose bushes and our small veggie garden have access to the drip system.
-I did purchase at full price an umbrella and stand for the table above, and a 2 chair bistro set at full price.  I also bought a set of 8 solar lights, and a string of LEDs just for fun. 
-DH used hand me down gravel from a job site to cover the driveway portion of the side yard.
-We installed weed barrier in the entire backyard.
-On top of the weed barrier are sections:  Horseshoes, a badminton "court" and tether ball area.
-I did buy two large pots and plants for them, and they died within a week.  It is a furnace in the evenings in the back.  The pots were moved to either side of the front door, and will be refilled next week.

-We have a propane grill, an electric smoker grill, and a small, portable fire pit and storage trunk.
-There is a wind spinner which was gifted to me and hummingbird feeder in the front yard, and a bird feeder on the side yard fence.
-Oh, and there is a wild bunny hanging around as of two weeks ago. 

Upcoming:
-Pergola over the back patio due to the above mentioned evening infernos
-Bamboo or lattice along two patio sides for privacy
-A hot tub

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Jun 9, 2015 13:38:42 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Our yard finally looks semi-decent after nearly 10 years, LOL!

Last year:
-I bought an outdoor patio set on Craig's list.  Saved about 75% off retail.

I may never buy new furniture again thanks to Craigslist.

On a lark, I started watching my local site because I really, really, REALLY wanted a farmhouse table for the backyard.  With ODS' graduation nearing, the urge to drop $3500 for one at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware or some such place was nearly impossible to suppress.

So, after an initially lengthy session perusing Craigslist, I decided to check it regularly because there are just some FABULOUS deals on some decent furniture (there are also people who clearly don't have a realistic clue as to the value of their stuff -- ahh, a great thread idea someday, LOL).  

Sure enough, a couple of weeks ago, I scored a SOLID, oak table which, when both leaves are in, is an impressive 108 inches long.  DH drilled a hole in the middle for an umbrella, we got some rubber cups to keep the legs off of the ground, I scored an awesome rectangular umbrella in a one day online Target sale for 40% off, and, VOILA!!  I now have my complete farmhouse table for $120.

My sister, who is an ardent Ballard Designs-type shopper, told me during dinner at the table (in my verdant backyard) that it felt very "Tuscan" to her.  

I regularly see high-end, quality, stuff for a fraction of the cost.  People just want it gone.  Heck, I am happy to oblige, LOL.  I now have my eye on an armoire for YDS and some ladder back chairs I can paint in various colors to use with the table.  

I am officially a Craigslist addict.  

[tskeeter]

May 29, 2015 20:51:33 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I have to confess that if I ever get my flower garden up and going, and if it turns out gorgeous, I've been thinking of getting one of these types of greenhouses.  I could use it as a potting shed/patio area.  The outdoors are great and all that, but I don't actually care to be outside sitting for hours with the swarms of mosquitoes we often have here. 

This would most definitely NOT be smart spending.  Fortunately the purchase is predicated on a bunch of ifs and considerable effort on my part.  Since I'm pretty lazy it's unlikely it will ever happen.

Ditto to what Bonny said.  Somethng like this would get scorching hot on a day with any kind of sun.  A relative living outside Belfast has a garden room similar to this on his house.  Must have been over 90 even on a moderately overcast day.

[mroped]

Those full glass outdoor living spaces work in England and the Baltic area. 
Continous drizle, fog, and it doesn't get that hot either.

To me those look a bit too pretentious like " care for a spot of tea?" style.

Here, in the US probably the most useful thing that one can spend money with the intent of creating outdoor living space is on a patio/deck with a pergola, possibly attached to the house and surrounded with climbing vines.

we put one at our place a few years ago and I spent maybe $500 on lumber and miscellaneous other things and then maybe $100 on plants. The year after I placed a concrete patio stretching under the pergola. All in all less than $2000 but I did all the labor- pergola and plants one day and the concrete a second day.
I love it!

[Deleted]

May 29, 2015 20:51:33 GMT -5 msventoux said:

I have to confess that if I ever get my flower garden up and going, and if it turns out gorgeous, I've been thinking of getting one of these types of greenhouses.  I could use it as a potting shed/patio area.  The outdoors are great and all that, but I don't actually care to be outside sitting for hours with the swarms of mosquitoes we often have here. 

This would most definitely NOT be smart spending.  Fortunately the purchase is predicated on a bunch of ifs and considerable effort on my part.  Since I'm pretty lazy it's unlikely it will ever happen.

I think it is a great looking greenhouse for plants. Not sure about for people, hot.

[msventoux]

Good thing I like to be warm.    It does have windows that can open on the other side of the roof and I've seen some that have kits where you install screen doors on the entry doors.  More concerning than the heat to me is a lot of the reviews say that they don't necessarily stand up to strong winds that well.  We usually have a couple of really good wind storms here per year and I don't really want to worry about the thing imploding. 

[Artemis Windsong]

I have a popup greenhouse that I was going to use for outdoor living space.  A friend told me to make sure there are plants in it, so I didn't look so odd.  REALLY?

The self talk - it will kill the lawn.  Why didn't I do this before it was raining?  There is no place to put it that the sprinklers won't hit it.  The garden area is too trashed right now from pine tree needles.  Will I be solar oven baked?  What's that stupid snowmobile doing on the patio?  That's the perfect place except for the wind.

It was not a huge investment.  About $80.  Enough room for me to have a seating area to sit and read.

I would suggest doing a small quick set up thing before investing in the big one.

[CCL]

Jun 9, 2015 21:23:00 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Jun 9, 2015 13:38:42 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Our yard finally looks semi-decent after nearly 10 years, LOL!

Last year:
-I bought an outdoor patio set on Craig's list.  Saved about 75% off retail.

I may never buy new furniture again thanks to Craigslist.

On a lark, I started watching my local site because I really, really, REALLY wanted a farmhouse table for the backyard.  With ODS' graduation nearing, the urge to drop $3500 for one at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware or some such place was nearly impossible to suppress.

So, after an initially lengthy session perusing Craigslist, I decided to check it regularly because there are just some FABULOUS deals on some decent furniture (there are also people who clearly don't have a realistic clue as to the value of their stuff -- ahh, a great thread idea someday, LOL).  

Sure enough, a couple of weeks ago, I scored a SOLID, oak table which, when both leaves are in, is an impressive 108 inches long.  DH drilled a hole in the middle for an umbrella, we got some rubber cups to keep the legs off of the ground, I scored an awesome rectangular umbrella in a one day online Target sale for 40% off, and, VOILA!!  I now have my complete farmhouse table for $120.

My sister, who is an ardent Ballard Designs-type shopper, told me during dinner at the table (in my verdant backyard) that it felt very "Tuscan" to her.  

I regularly see high-end, quality, stuff for a fraction of the cost.  People just want it gone.  Heck, I am happy to oblige, LOL.  I now have my eye on an armoire for YDS and some ladder back chairs I can paint in various colors to use with the table.  

I am officially a Craigslist addict.  

If there's something specific you are looking for, you can set up an alert, too.