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Outdoor Decorating




Outdoor Decorating

After the unrelenting showers of May, I personally am ready for some much welcome sunshine. June is the official start of the summer. The kids are out of school and we always tend to spend more time outside. Is sit outside and watch my kids play and have adventures. I really want my outdoor space to shine and be a place where adults are welcome as well as kids. My goal is to make my outdoor space as cozy and welcoming as the indoor spaces. A couple of items can really make a big difference for you porch or patio.



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 Rugs- I know that everyone typically has a door mat to wipe your shoes on, but adding a rug to your porch or patio can really help to define an area. As you can see in the picture, using a rug on a concreate patio, gives the space depth. It also really helps to soften up what would be a visually and physical hard space. The best outdoor rugs are a flat woven natural material that is easy to clean. It is important to note that a rug that is outdoors will need cleaning at least once a month, it a shady spot it might need more.

Lighting- Just like you indoor space, lighting is a very important part of decorating for your outdoor space. There are a lot of different options to use. If your porch or patio is covered then you can have electric powered lighting. If not the best thing to do is to string up lights, they will create soft lighting all around your space. You can plant torches around your deck- these work double duty to chase away mosquitos and provide light. And don’t forget to light your paths with stack lighting, this lighting usually is solar powered and casts the light down to help light your way.

One of my friends recently painted her path stones with glow in the dark paint. During the day the sun would “charge” the path and at night it would light up for a couple of hours. This of course only works if your path is in sunlight for much of the day.

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Plants- I can honestly say that I have a bit of a green thumb, I love to garden and grow veggies and herbs in my garden. While plantings can be pretty, they can serve a useful purpose too. I plant mint in pots and place them around my deck, not only does it smell good, it is perfect for those summer evening mojitos. If you have a mosquito problem, plant citronella or lavender. Mosquitos also do not like lemon balm, basil or rosemary. You can even use these in smaller pots as a centerpiece for you table. If you don’t have a lot of ground space, invest in some pretty flower pots in various sizes to put on your deck or your porch. The addition of them will bring color in and really liven up any space.

As always, Happy Decorating, everyone!



Comments

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