With the arrival of good weather we feel like enjoying the outdoors much more than we have been doing during the autumn-winter season. If you are one of those who need to give an overhaul to the decoration of the terrace or garden this season to enjoy it much more, you should be aware of a number of mistakes that are repeated over the years. To try to make your job a little easier we summarize 10 mistakes to avoid when decorating outdoor spaces.
It is important that when decorating your patio or deck you do it in a coherent way.
Don’t make the mistake of including too many colors and different decorating styles. Mixing styles and colors clearly detracts from the appeal of your patio or deck.
Stick to a single color scheme and decorating style for a much more attractive and homogeneous result.
Some people use their patio or deck to accumulate some furniture they no longer use. Tremendous mistake.
Some look more like a yard sale than a homogeneous outdoor space with carefully selected outdoor furniture.
If you really want to use that outdoor space during the spring or summer season, opt to place a set of
garden furniture
of a certain style and leave aside the typical sofa you used in your old house or the old table from your parents’ house.
When planning an outdoor space you will have thought that you will need to include a range of garden furniture such as a large, practical table that allows you to eat in it or a range of sun loungers o
garden sofas
.
What else is missing? The answer is simple: plants.
How about adding some potted plants or placing some trees around if you have more space?
These plants will help you create a much cozier environment.
When choosing seating for your outdoor patio or deck, you should consider both aesthetics and functionality.
If a chair or lounger has a nice design and you think it is the most suitable for your terrace, you should make sure that it is comfortable enough to be used when you need it.
Without comfortable seating, chances are you won’t be using your outdoor patio or deck very often this summer.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to decorating your outdoor deck or patio. Rather, you should design it according to your own needs.
If you are planning to celebrate some dinner with family or friends outdoors this summer, you should design it thinking that you have to accommodate these people.
If you live alone you will have it a little easier; you can choose to decorate a small outdoor space to feel comfortable both relaxing and doing other activities such as breakfast or dinner in it.
Proper sizing will help you get the most out of your deck while minimizing maintenance and upkeep requirements.
In many cases it is forgotten that terraces are an extension of the house or premises that should be equally welcoming.
Cold, impersonal spaces do not invite you to linger. For this reason, it is important to give character to the space through its decoration and attention to detail. Outdoor cushions, intimate lighting and plants will help achieve this. That brings us to the next point.
If you intend to use an outdoor space for spring or summer evenings, you should decorate it with sufficient lighting.
When the sun goes down, you should be able to illuminate the entire space so that you and all members of your family can use it comfortably.
There are countless lighting solutions for outdoor spaces on the market, such as solar lamps, string lights, pendant lights, wall lights and the typical ceiling lights.
If you want to save a little money, you can opt for a series of solar lamps that charge during the day and generate a beautiful ambient light during the evening. Similarly, you can opt for energy-saving bulbs such as LEDS.
The outdoor space should be easily accessible. In other words, you should not be forced to walk a long way or cross from one point to another in an uncomfortable way to get to that area.
For this reason, many homeowners create an outdoor area on their patio terrace.
You can create this space in an area further away from your house, but it is recommended to use cobblestones or stones to form a path that leads to it.
Often it is not taken into account whether the fabrics and materials chosen for furniture, cushions and other accessories, etc. are suitable for outdoor use.
Sometimes higher quality is sacrificed for the lower price, a ‘saving’ that can be very expensive in the long run – literally speaking. If the furniture is not adapted to withstand the sun or the humidity of the outdoors, it will be difficult to finish the season. Their colors will probably arrive in the fall tarnished and their material worn, if not broken, which will force them to be replaced the following year, causing a double expense.
Easy cleaning of the fabric is another variable that is rarely taken into account. However, outdoor furniture is exposed to continuous friction, especially if it is part of the terrace of a premises. This is why it is so important to make the stains disappear effortlessly.
Errors in color design occur when too little color is used or combined in the wrong way.
Much of the garden furniture usually comes with cushions in neutral tones, such as white, beige or gray. Neutral colors provide an elegant and subtle backdrop that can then be played with by adding the occasional brightly colored cushion or accessory for contrast.
Avoid making your terrace look too bland due to the sparse use of colors and, likewise, avoid using too many colors.
Use vibrant colors without worry, but don’t forget to complement them with neutral colors for a vivid, vibrant and yet cozy effect.
Primary colors: As a reminder, the primary colors are red, blue and yellow. They can work outdoors by allowing one color to play a dominant role while the others are used more sparingly.
Earth tones: browns, tans and grays. They can be used to increase the intensity with a cushion and some orange ceramic.
Analogous: Three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, such as yellow, yellow-orange and orange.
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