Prepping Your Patio For Party Time
Posted on July 13, 2017
It’s the season of fresh air, barbecues, and playing in the pool. Looking to spruce up your patio for an upcoming party? Here are three great ways to infuse your outdoor space with style and create an inviting place for guests to gather.
Take the indoors out
Does your patio or deck connect to your living room? Keep this in mind when choosing furniture and decor items. Carrying colors and styles from your living room outdoors will build consistency and make the patio feel like an extension of the indoors. This is ideal for homes with large glass doors. When choosing patio furniture, look for cushion colors that coordinate with your interior wall color. Try strengthening the connection by repeating the motifs of your interior draperies on your patio umbrella or awning. You may even find artwork that can be added to sheltered areas outdoors to help your patio feel more like an outdoor room.
When choosing patio furniture, look for cushion colors that coordinate with your interior wall color.
Light it up
Most barbecue parties start in the afternoon, but the best ones continue long into the night. That means you have to think about how you will illuminate your patio. In-ground yard lighting is a good start, but most patios and decks have nothing more to offer than a utilitarian flood light. That’s not going to cut it for creating a charming summertime environment. In addition to the careful use of candles, consider investing in a durable set of strand lights. Skip the one size fits all versions found in stores and instead look online for commercial-grade lights. They can be ordered to a specific length, include loops for permanent mounting, are water-proof, and are only fractionally more than the store-bought versions. Hanging these softly-glowing bulbs over a patio instantly adds charm and a little romance to any outdoor space.
Pull the garden closer
Your flower garden may be beautiful, but if it’s set far into your back yard, you and your guests won’t be able to appreciate it when dining or relaxing on your patio. Be sure to bring the bold colors of summer up close by utilizing plantings around your outdoor entertaining space. Add colorful plantings around the edge of your patio. Consider adding flower boxes to your deck. And in either case, integrate at least a few large pots for a colorful container garden. To maximize impact, be sure to include a few taller pots or urns that raise plantings up to the eye line. Vary planter style and size, as well as flower color and blooming period, to create a space that has interest all summer long.
