Style Ideas for Your Outdoor Patio Living Space

When you know what you like, sometimes it's hard to "settle" for something else or buck the trends that everyone else seems to be getting into. Nowhere is that more true than with furnishing and decorating, especially for the outdoors. While it might be fun to be "trendy", it's often better to shoot for simplicity. The Next Big Thing often ends up being a bust within a very short time, and now your space looks "dated". And after spending a lot on high-end furniture, who wants that?

It is with this in mind that we take a look at some classic design motifs, which are elegant and timeless. These are the kinds of designs that an update to cushions or pillows or draperies can change an entire look, allowing you flexibility and creativity for different times of the year.

Outdoor English Garden:

If you want to do it like the Brits do it, you will bless your space with an overabundance of flowers and other greenery, to enhance the decor of an older-style or historic home.  For this design, you would probably want to utilize furniture in teaks or other hardwoods, in keeping with the traditional gardens of old. Your cushions and pillows might be made of gingham material or prints (though you need to be careful not to have an array of flowered fabric competing too much with the real things). So best to look for timeless solids for large cushions, and accent pillows of florals or other light prints.

Modern Contemporary

Contemporary often is used as a catch-all term for "anything that doesn't have its own look", but true contemporary is a mixture of influences, new technologies, and trends (there's that word again!). One can "blend" different styles as long as one keeps it simple. This look is generally bereft of clutter, is understated yet elegant, and is not overwhelmed with multiple colors. Straight lines in metal or aluminum--or if you like wood and don't mind spending a lot, you can find a lot of teak furniture that is considered "contemporary design". Great accents to a basic sofa or patio chairs or chaises might be a bold-patterned throw rug or unique tile or decking, or some wall art which matches the general color scheme. Voila! Instant modern...

Mediterranean

 A personal favorite where we are (Texas), this style evokes the world of old, utilizing warm colors and traditional furniture. Much of the design is very basic, made of metal or wood (which gives you a broad selection of aluminums, teaks, or wickers). Tiling is an excellent way to create the feel--underneath a basic outdoor sofa or chairs, this can be used to capture the atmosphere as strongly as furniture and color schemes. The colors are also traditional--ivories, rust, apricots, creams, accented with degrees of blues and greens (turquoise being a particular favorite). But you can do so much with this--a simple change of pillows or planters can make all the difference.

 

 Last but not least:

Asian

Clean, simple, elegant and tranquil--if you have a smaller space and imagination, you can make a lot out of a little. The wonderful thing about this decor is that your furniture can be contemporary or old-fashioned--it's almost more about the accessories than the furniture, which allows for a lot of creativity and flexibility. Below, the decorator used the underneath side of a deck, and built around that, using hanging lantern fixtures and the wood decor to enhance a feeling of peacefulness and openness.

The greatest part of all is that we have so many colors and fabrics to choose from, you're sure to find a pattern or color to inspire you. Visit our fabric pages to take a look--you can order the fabric to make your own, or you can send us measurements and we can customize some cushions especially for you. The sky is the limit!

Till next time...