Sprucing Up for Summer: Refreshing Your Patio or Deck
There’s plenty to celebrate during the summer, and one of the best times for a backyard bash is summertime holidays!
But before the guests arrive, you may want to take a look around and make sure you have what you need for your get-together. Is your patio or deck ready for entertaining?
If the answer makes you reconsider your plans, don’t cancel the burgers and hot dogs just yet. Your local experts on the Michelle Clark Team have some tips you can use to spruce up the space without breaking your budget or sucking you into an extensive renovation project.
Take a seat.
One thing about being the host or hostess is that you need to offer places where your guests can kick back, get off their feet, but still enjoy the party. So, for your next big event, be sure to have plenty of seating options. They don’t have to all be the same matching chairs – or even chairs at all!
This is an excellent time for you to try something new. Have you ever thought of using cushions, or a sofa that’s able to stand up to the elements? Maybe there’s a perfect nook for a hammock or a porch swing. And if after the party you find that you don’t like one of the seats you subbed in, just find it a new spot and try something else next time!
Tiles and other decorative accents.
Sometimes it’s the smallest thing that pulls a space together. For your deck or patio, you have plenty of options ranging from decorative throw pillows to laying down new tiles. It all depends on how much you’re willing or able to spend, versus how often you think you’ll want to make changes in the future.
If you’re not sure yet what you’re going for, you’ll want to start simple and make your way from there. But this is the fun part of being a homeowner, and your guests will enjoy seeing the changes you make at every outdoor soiree. Some other decorative accent ideas for your deck or patio include:
- Pots and planters
- Outdoor rugs and mats
- Outdoor wall art
- Firepits and comfortable furniture
- Games and recreation pieces.
Lighting.
Have you ever stepped into a room at someone else’s home, and the space had just the right kind of perfectly cozy lighting? You can achieve the same sort of effect in an outdoor space, too!
Whether by adding string lights or lanterns or if you want to take it a bit further and have a fire pit built into the patio, an evening spent at home and outdoors can be accentuated when you add the right atmosphere.
[Need some expert summertime home staging tips? Click here!]
Give the area a deep cleaning.
One of the best things you can to spruce up your deck or patio for summer is virtually free! A good scrubbing and some organization can go a long way.
Sweep, remove the cobwebs, remove old stains and buildup from deck and house walls, repair any past damage, and get rid of old toys and clutter that are is longer in use.
Grab some shade.
If you’ve lived in southeastern North Carolina for more than a season or two, you know that with our climate, it doesn’t take long for temperatures to start rising. In the summer, with a clear sky, your deck or patio area might quickly turn into a literal hotspot. Try adding some umbrellas to your patio furniture, or even small shade trees to offer your guests some relief.
There is always the option of planning to have your party partially inside, but we understand the desire to keep the festivities out in the summer sunshine. And with a little planning and some flexibility with your design choices, you can certainly do just that! Just remember that the same rules apply as with our other suggestions; if you aren’t sure about something, you can always replace it with a new idea later on. Even if you opt to use plants and the landscape to alleviate the heat, you’ll generally have the leeway to start over with a fresh take on the layout or design.
Our coastal summers are just too beautiful to miss out on, so make your deck or patio somewhere you and your family and friends can make the most of them!