Get the most out of your outdoor space! These patio décor ideas and design tips will help you create a stylish and versatile outdoor area that your family will love.
For us, the outdoor space is a very important part of our home. We learned from the beginning that we really like to be outside while still being able to enjoy a comfortable living space. When we look at the houses, having the terrace filtered is one of our “wishes”. Two houses ago we built one, and we really missed it for years we were in our last house. We love beautiful terraces, but filtered terraces are hard to live without! One of the reasons I fell in love with our current home is the giant screen area. He sealed the deal!
The first time I saw our room with a mosquito net, I knew that with some décor changes it could be the dream material of outdoor life. Here in North Carolina, you can truly enjoy your outdoor living room most of the year. To enjoy it to the fullest, we have done our best to create a stylish space that is truly usable for our family and comfortable all year round. I put together my favorite interior design tips to help you create the perfect patio space for your home . It’s great for front porch designs, rear decks, filtered patios, and anything in between!
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My best patio decorating tips
Add a fire column or fire pit.
There’s no denying that having a fire is the perfect place for an outdoor night. I find this amazing fire column to be a fun alternative to traditional fire pits. Because the living room and dining room share the same section of the deck, I can’t place a traditional fire pit with seating around it. Instead, I created a line of teak rockers in front of a large backyard and added this cool column. It’s impressive because it’s portable and can be moved around the cover, so I’m not stuck with any particular setup. If you need a lot of versatility in your space, choose columns! If you like the traditional chair circle around the fire, opt for a fire pit. Either way it will warm up your space and help moor your patio space.
Add an outdoor bar to make good use of the narrow terrace.
Do you have a strange space or a narrow deck? Add a bar! Our rear deck has a narrow boardwalk-type area connecting the doors and the main part of the deck. Instead of letting it just be a dead space, we created a DIY outdoor bar! You can follow our tutorial for concrete bars or make them yourself. Then add a stool and some décor – we chose a pipe rack to act as our bar service area, a welcome sign, and some potted plants.
Add a lot of textiles (pillows, ottomans, and blankets) to create a sense of comfort.
The filtered porch in the new house is a large room. It has an amazing vaulted ceiling in half, and we have a dining room and a living room. To make the space feel more inviting no matter how big and airy, I added a LOT of textiles to the room. The furniture had soft pillows, I found a pouf-style ottoman that worked perfectly with the egg chair, and we had a lot of blankets and pillows. Pillows and blankets are not only perfect for being comfortable when it’s cold or you want to take a nap outdoors, but it also softens the space and makes you feel comfortable. They are perfect patio decorations that are also useful.
Add ambient lighting such as strings and this DIY outdoor chandelier.
Just because it’s a patio or outdoor space doesn’t mean you can’t have great lighting! No matter what room you’re designing, the right lighting is the key to making the room feel complete. For our space, I wanted warm lighting that felt comfortable and gave us a lot of light. I hung rope lights and flashlights and created this amazing outdoor chandelier from baskets and disc lights. This chandelier is one of my favorite DIY projects in this house! I’ve made a lot of my own DIY lights and this one is probably the easiest: no need for power lines! If you don’t have the time or mental capacity to do your own DIY, there are plenty of amazing light options out there. Choose your favorite and hang it!
Use outdoor carpets to define different areas.
Our terrace was a nice space. We stick to color schemes and decorate spaces in a cohesive design, but use outdoor carpets to define each space and make it feel different. Both of them are blue and coordinate with the rest of the decoration, but clearly define the dining room of the living room.
More design tips for outdoor spaces
For a more comfortable feel, add outdoor curtains.
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Lauren of Bless’er House makes her space feel comfortable with cheap DIY outdoor curtains. I like being in the outdoor space, but sometimes the proximity of another house or even the street can make the patio feel too open. Adding curtains to create privacy is the perfect way to fix it. I like these steep ones because they still let in the light while allowing a sense of isolation. Not to mention, it creates the feel of a private resort!!! If you need more shading, choose a heavier fabric that blocks light a little.
Add large plants to bring the outside to your space.
One of my favorite design rules is that every room needs a floor. The outdoor room is no different! Bring garden shades to your space with large plants. Bonus if you find a pleasant pot for color splashes. This HGTV designer did a great job unifying the outdoors with this beatiful sheltered patio by adding a large potted plant in a dark blue container. You can also add hanging baskets or crawling plants with vines to give your patio an outdoor feel!
Add some chandeliers for the focal point.
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I love how this Shavonda Gardner makeover turned out. On the table, he lined rattan lamps of all shapes and sizes to create this masterpiece of outdoor dining room! The only things better than woven lanterns are a lot of them! I love how the neutral colors of rattan stand out against dark dots.
Hang a bed for maximum relaxation outdoors.
There is nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a beautiful day. Hanging the bed is the best swing on the patio and there’s nothing more relaxing than that! Young House Love built this stunning outdoor hanging sofa bed for your patio and is the perfect place to rest, read, or take a nap. They offer tutorials for creating them or there are many options to buy them! Remember that after hanging up, you have to fight for a turn with your whole family and guests!
Paint your floor.
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Bring your space to life instantly by painting the floor! This cozy HGTV patio has stunning turquoise flooring that I love with white walls and brightly colored décor and natural wood furniture. That shiny floor is an instant mood lifter!
Paint concrete to make it feel more welcoming.
Dress in concrete to make it feel more welcoming. Many homes have outdoor spaces that started out as boring gray concrete cushions. Painting it immediately dresses it up and creates a feeling of comfortable outdoor space. Use fun colors or patterns to create a lot of interest! Laura from A Beautiful Mess used her old outdoor space as inspiration when she moved in. To make it feel more cordial, she painted a black-and-white tile print on the concrete lawn.
Add color and pattern!
Any good design has mixed colors and patterns and the outdoor space is no exception. Patterned rugs, brightly colored pillows with variable pattern scales, and thick lines on HGTV’s fun and colorful front porch curtains create a well-balanced and designed seating area. I love the meticulously curated outdoor design with a nice mix of bright colors and patterns. Treat the patio like any other room!
Paint your door.
Looking for ideas for the front porch? HGTV designers know the secret to rave reviews and an attractive home exterior is the delightful color of the front door. This beautiful light pink front door balances beautifully with a layer of dark blue and looks perfect combined with a pot of vegetation and pink flowers.
Add versatile furniture to the small terrace.
Elizabeth at The College House Wife gets the most out of her patio by choosing multifunctional furniture for her small outdoor space. Added an IKEA bench with a smart seat backrest! The bench rises for storage and the backrest has adjustable racks. In addition, it is made for the outdoors, so they are good at elements. Find items like these that can serve more than one destination in your outdoor space.
Add plenty of seating that’s perfect for good meetings and conversations.
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The number one ingredient for spending time outdoors with family and friends is the right amount of seating! Lauren at Bless’er House did an amazing job in creating the perfect outdoor conversation and seating area on her back porch. Poufs can serve as seating when there is a crowd or used as benches on days when no additional seating is required. In addition, having all the chairs facing in and around the large coffee table creates the perfect “living room” feeling to enjoy a good company outdoors.
These patio décor ideas are designer-worthy tips that will turn your outdoor area into another living room for your family to enjoy. We LOVE our filtered back porch and can’t imagine life without it! Use these ideas in your own style to create the outdoor space of your dreams.