With the right furnishings and décor, you can transform the area around your swimming pool or outdoor deck into a new alfresco living space for family bonding or entertaining. Some patio chairs here, outdoor rugs there, perhaps add a state-of-the-art grill or fire pit, and you too can have a magazine-worthy backyard that will be the envy of all your friends and neighbours. Read on for some of our freshest ideas on how to turn your unused outdoor space from drab to fab:
Build Around a Theme
To keep your backyard from looking like a garage sale, decorate around a theme. Choosing a dominant colour or building around a feeling you wish to convey can create cohesion and flow that will instantly elevate the look of your outdoor space. Go beachy with a nautical theme that incorporates nautical patterns with white and blue hues or go full island resort with clean lines and monochromatic furnishings, or maybe even capture the essence of lush tropical vacation destinations such as Bali or the Maldives with vibrant colours and bold patterns. Browse online or flip through magazines until you find an aesthetic that speaks to you and go from there.
Create Comfort
Adding fabrics and soft furnishings can make any space look more inviting, and that includes your outdoor areas. Investing in comfortable, great-looking furniture and accessories can warm up the space and make you and any guests you have over want to spend more time there. Outdoor rugs and pillows, lanterns and candles, or even a decorative plant or two can bring life to your deck or pool area, transforming a boring backyard into your very own private oasis.
Invest in Good Tile
Most people go with warm wood when building a deck, but tiles are an option that’s just as durable and much easier to clean. Choose a colourful pattern that can really bring the space to life, and the entire deck can be your outdoor centrepiece. We love the vibrancy of Spanish or Mediterranean tiles as they can really make the floor pop.
Choose a Centrepiece Feature
Creating a focal point can direct the flow of foot traffic in your outdoor space and give your backyard that extra wow factor. Installing a fire pit to warm up by, or a grilling station for game day barbecues and celebrations can bring your backyard up to the next level. With the fire pit, you can go as modern or as rustic as you’d like depending on the theme you chose. With your outdoor grill, choose a quality appliance that can withstand the rigours of both everyday and special occasion use.
Account for Sun and Shade
Outdoor events are fun, but no one wants to be under the hot sun for too long. Designating a portion of the space for some shade can alleviate the congestion indoors during a daytime party. You’ll be able to entertain more people without asking them to bake outside. If your deck extends far away from the main structure, you can build an overhang over the space to cover the sitting area. You can also invest in outdoor umbrellas to hang over smaller seating spaces.
Figuring out how you’d like your outdoor deck and pool area to look and function can take a lot of the pressure off when it comes to settling on a final design. We hope our tips have been helpful towards getting you started!
