Patio or Deck Essentials this Summer
If you’re like me, getting your back deck or patio ready for the summer season is often like a re-birth. All the furniture you had carefully stored or covered for winter is dragged out, pressure sprayed, painted or gotten rid of. I quite enjoy the process.
This year, I decided to add an extension to my existing deck—a simple 14 by 14-foot platform. This allowed me to move my fire pit from the old deck and run a new natural gas line to the new deck, creating a dedicated area for four chairs and freeing up the old deck for a cozier furniture layout.
My current sectional and coffee table was still great, but I needed to add some comfortable chairs for additional lounging.
I also decided to add a pergola (see how these projects grow?) because this space was not rain-proof.
The end result is a better flow to the outdoor living space, but it also made me realize how the details really matter whether you’re indoors or out.
Here are some guidelines that I think are essential to enjoy our outdoor spaces.
Pergola
Enough of rushing indoors when the rain starts just before friends or family arrive. Adding some sort of cover simply extends the time you can be outdoors and since our summers are so precious, this is something I am happy to have done and for you to consider.
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Solar or Re-chargeable Lights
I remember that for so many years, I always lit candles when entertaining outdoors. Such atmosphere they brought to a summer night! Then the wind blew and you had no light plus a mess of wax to clean up.
Today's solar lights or re-chargeable lights come in so many styles and colors, that you simply cannot NOT have some tucked around your patio area. Affordable and so easy to manage.
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Comfortable Seating
Just like good upholstered indoor furniture-you get what you pay for but it is really important to make sure the seating is comfy. And yes, that does affect the cost of those outdoor pieces but what a great investment! If your seat cushions are hard, then do invest in some down filled toss cushions. Remember, everyone falls asleep outside on a lazy sunny day so comfort is key!
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Additional Seating
Once you have your main furniture pieces in place, adding poufs or small ottomans make sense. They create a sense of comfort and can be used for additional seating or even a foot stool.
Dishes & Accessories
I have a basic set of dishes for my outdoor space but if I do change up the color decor, I like to invest in some new pieces. These could include a new set of cutleries or a small set of salad plates in the new color palette. Even some pretty co-ordinated paper napkins. Not a huge commitment of money but it does make for a more cohesive design flow.
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