It is a great time to start planning an outdoor room. Summer is almost here! I love to be able to sit outside on a sunny spring day or cool summer evening and I love it all the more if I have a pretty place to sit!
Creating an outdoor room is basically the same as creating an indoor room, except for that it is outside, of course. An outdoor room doesn’t have to be expensive and you can use what you have to put together a lovely space. Being creative with what you have is half the fun!
The same basic elements of a indoor room can be incorporated to make outdoor living comfortable and pretty:
rugs
furniture
pillows
artwork
mirrors
plants
lighting
accessories
As long as you have a small bit of property or tiny porch available to you, even if you rent, you can have an outdoor room. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy, an outdoor room can be as simple as a small chair and a tiny table to set a drink! Even if you only have room for a chair, give it a big personality to magnify its impact. A bold cushion can give a lot of bang for the buck!
pillows: Pottery Barn
Shop the house for items for your outdoor room! Don’t worry about bringing REAL furniture or accessories outside, you CAN do this. it is LEGAL! Tap into your rebellious side! Especially if you have gathered furnishings and accessories from garage sales and don’t have a lot of priceless antiques.
You don’t have to go buy expensive patio furniture. Particularly if you have mild summer weather or a covered porch or are just pulling furniture outside for a fun party, just use regular furniture. Wicker or rattan or old wood tables and chairs look great on a porch. You can always bring things in when the weather changes. Disclaimer: if you bring your sofa outside and leave it in the rain I am not responsible for any damage.
A potting table always is a great idea for an outdoor gardening area!
Look around your house for candlesticks, lanterns, pillows, end tables, artwork, mirrors, benches, stools, birdcages, and even lamps (under a porch roof!) and things you can use to make your outdoor space attractive and comfortable.
If you are worried about fabrics being ruined outside, use outdoor fabric or even thriftier, cute plastic tablecloths (pictured on Martha’s bench, below) to cover pillows and seating.
So, go ahead, pour yourself a cup of lemonade and start shopping your house for your own outdoor room!
I’ll be working on my own front porch in the coming weeks and it will become my summer office! I love my job.
Need more inspiration and ideas on how to create outdoor rooms? Check out these past posts!
photo inspiration:
Front porch with red striped pillow: Country Living Lucas Allen
Coral striped pillow photo: House Beautiful Nathan Shroder
Potting table and b&w striped cushion photos: Country Living Keith Scott Morton
Plastic tablecloth pillows, Martha Stewart
Porch with blue & white striped pillows: Country Living Keith Scott Morton
Last photo: House Beautiful Christopher Baker
