Whether your outdoor spaces are intended for vibrant social gatherings, lazy afternoons, or meditative solitude, great design aesthetic is key. For outdoor spaces that truly dazzle, take a look at these tips and create the outdoor space you’ve always dreamed of.
Lighting
Used to illuminate the area and provide ambience, draw the eye to key features, and create detail, outdoor lighting is a powerful tool when creating great looking outdoor spaces. For any outdoor space that you intend to use after dark, great lighting is absolutely essential. Hire a qualified contractor to ensure that your lighting contributes to and enhances the character of your patio.
Vintage Furniture
Vintage details bring charm and the sense of reliability to your outdoor spaces. Stressed vintage patio furniture is the standard accompaniment to cottage-themed decorative styles, but single pieces can be used in conjunction with almost any theme as either a centerpiece or an interesting feature. A timeworn wooden table or characterful wicker sofa may be just the thing to give your patio a big style boost.
Modern Touches
Modern furniture emphasizes ordered lines and angles. Introducing modern details can be an excellent way of presenting an organized, uncluttered space. Of course, not all modern features are right-angled. The bold curves of modern sculpture can be used to balance out rigid structure or introduce an element of abstract design. Steel, chrome and polished stone are commonly used in modern themes and can be used for simple but attractive surfaces and fixtures.
Bright Fabric
Cushions, outdoor curtains, and tablecloths offer the opportunity to add color and exuberance to your patio spaces. If you’re looking for an easy way to brighten up your patio, try introducing a colorful new fabric or set of cushions for your outdoor furniture. Fabric is easily swapped out, so go wild. You can easily mix and match a new color theme for each new occasion.
Natural Stone
Whether used for your fireplace, the hardscaped surface of your patio, or the retaining walls surrounding your patio, natural stone brings earthy richness and authenticity to your outdoor areas. Both the color and texture of the stone you select is important in contributing to the mood of your outdoor spaces and can offer a distinct backdrop to your gatherings for decades to come. Learn more about how Natural Stone by Unilock is changing the market here.
Sliding Doors
Large sliding doors are a great way to create an open floor plan and increase flow between your indoor and outdoor areas. With large doorways leading out from lounge to patio, you can practically double the space of your entertainment area simply by sliding open some doors. Glass doors also make it easier to appreciate your patio and yard from inside your home.
Outdoor Curtains
Block the glare, add shade and create privacy with outdoor curtains for your patio. Outdoor curtains are elegant and contribute to a light and dreamy ambience. With fabrics ranging from soft voile to rugged burlap and available in any color you can imagine, outdoor curtains can be tailored to match any style or preference. Outdoor curtains can be fitted to most patio coverings, pergolas or frames and offer both convenience and style.
Textured Shade
Textured shade is a way of achieving an interesting lighting profile for your patio during daylight. The quality of natural light and shade striking your patio can be altered with the use of trees, as well as shade cloths and screens. The dappling effects of filtering sunlight through the leaves of trees can be mimicked with the use of specially selected fabric, or screens with patterns printed or carved into them.
Add a Pergola
Pergolas are wooden, freestanding structures that offer a limited amount of shade, but contribute enormously to the aesthetic of an outdoor space. Pergolas can be used to distinguish the function of a particular area and are particularly useful for outdoor dining or lounge sections. While the structure itself is relatively simple, the aesthetic of a pergola can be added to with the use of outdoor curtains and shade cloths, and can be used as a climbing structure for vines and creepers.
Seasonal Plantings
Add greenery to your outdoor spaces all year round with seasonal plantings. Decorative pots and flowerbeds in retaining walls can be used to introduce plantings to your patio. You can ensure plants for all seasons by planting a dense bed of flowers and shrubs that blossom at staggered periods or simply make use of the reliable coloring of evergreens.
