Easy Decorating Ideas for a Patio Makeover

I don’t know about you guys, but to me this winter seemed particularly long! I got so excited about the first warm weekend we had, I went out to the patio to enjoy a little fresh air and sunshine, but I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.  I mean I had a place to sit, but other than that it definitely looked like a winter patio.

With the promise of more warm weather to come, I decided it was time to  brighten up our patio for spring.  I figured maybe you guys were ready for a little warm weather as well, so I thought I would share a few easy decorating ideas for an outdoor patio makeover. 

Let’s face it, there’s no easier way to change up the look of your furniture than adding new pillows. If I’m being honest, I get new pillows for our patio every spring.  The truth is, by the end of summer the dust, dogs, sun and kids have pretty much destroyed last years batch and I’m ready for something fresh and new.

This year, I saved the inserts from last years pillows and just bought new covers.  I wanted to go with tones of blue and neutrals, since I had some pool towels and pillows on our lounge chairs with those colors. I mixed and matched them on each piece of furniture as the base for my refresh.

I adore these lanterns and can’t tell you how much use I’ve gotten out of them through the years. I store them in the winter and bring them out in the spring. I have collected quite a few now and use them all around the yard. They’ve got a little rusty patina on them now which makes me love them even more.

I fill them with fresh candles in the spring and we burn them throughout the spring and summer. By the fall, they are ready to be replaced and I can chose a warmer color or different shape. I think my favorite thing about these lanterns is that they are mobile and can be moved to an alfresco table or around a fire pit. In my opinion, they are a must have in any yard!

Maybe one of the easiest ways to signal a change of season is to add some seasonal plantings to your outdoor space. If you have followed me at all, you know I LOVE fresh flowers…what you may not know, is that my love extends to garden flowers and plants. I have to admit that I do not have a very green thumb, nonetheless, I do all of the container planing in our yard. Fortunately my husband has two green thumbs, so he does most of the care and watering, and somehow we keep things going!

Outdoor flowers don’t have to be elaborate or complicated, just a pretty colored plant in a container or a flat of flowering ground cover in a wood box is enough. I think of garden plants in the same way as fresh flowers in a room of my house, simple and pretty is all that’s required.

As I was working on this refresh, I realized that our potted containers were in pretty bad shape, so I got some new plants and repotted them.  I ended up adding them to the patio the next day and love how they look.  I shared the step by step details of How To Plant Beautiful Garden Containers on last Friday’s blog, in case you’re interested. Click [HERE]

I don’t believe there should be any difference between indoor and outdoor decor. I know that certain things do not weather well in an exposed outdoor environment, but especially in the case of a covered patio, my feeling is anything goes. I often decorate our outdoors with things from inside my house.

Last year I got these great seagrass chairs, and while they technically aren’t for outdoors, I use them under my patio cover.

I also always have comfy blankets on the chairs and couch and often bring out baskets filled with pool towels or simple branches. Books and magazines are also a great addition to the coffee table. Basically if you would use it indoors, use it outdoors!

We spend a lot of time in this space in the warmer months, so my view is, it should feel like an extension of our home.

This “outdoor room” gets a lot of use for about six months every year, so why not make it beautiful?! I’m dreaming of warm evenings enjoying an alfresco dinner and sitting on the patio while kids swim in the pool or the dogs play in the grass.  How do you guys use your outdoor spaces?  I would love to hear from you!

n case you’re interested,  I’ve linked may of the items I used for this refresh.  Our patio furniture is from a local manufacturer and isn’t available online, but I’ve linked a few alternative plus some of my favorite outdoor items for the coming season.