Summer is here which also means a lot of outdoor entertaining, whether you have modern plans or southern style house plans. Converting your deck, porch or patio so that it feels like an indoor room of your home is much more inviting and comfortable for you and your guests.
It’s probably been a while since you’ve been able to put the time and effort into sprucing up your backyard, so check out these quick and inexpensive tips below to backyard and make the outdoors feel like it’s part of the indoors.
• Open French doors out to outdoor lounge areas, like a sunroom or screened porch. You can also add doors that lead to an outdoor dining area. This looks great with a ranch style house plan!
• Outdoor decor is most popular in neutral colors, so add a splash of color by throwing some bright pillows on your couch outside or finding a unique, aqua blue lamp for example. Stick to warm tones in the summer and switch to cool tones when the season changes into fall. It will instantly change the look of your decor so it matches the season
• If you need that special something to convert your backyard into a nighttime party spot, add a string of party lights in the trees. It instantly creates that spark that you’re seeking
• To keep the garden in your backyard looking gorgeous every year, plant perennials whenever possible
• Planting plenty of nectar-filled plants will ensure that butterflies and other beautiful winged creatures will visit your garden regularly
• Since most flowers tend to disappear when the night sky arrives, keep white and other pale shaded flowers near walkways and other gathering areas. The moonlight bounces right off of the white petals and brings light to the yard
• Stepping-stones let guests know where to go if you have a maze of plants in your garden. They help avoid compacting soil while pruning and weeding and are worth the investment
• Add dramatic lighting to illuminate designated walkways and to highlight the focal points of your garden and/or backyard. For example, putting light on an arch in the garden creates a dramatic effect and highlights this special area
• Don’t have the money to spend on pricey garden lights? Add a mirror that overlooks sunnier parts of the garden and essentially brings light into the darker part of the garden
• Don’t place chairs more than eight feet away from each other to maximize ease of conversation.
These simple tips will add new life to your backyard, from cottage style home plans to the log cabin! Updating your backyard using these tips will make it more modern and well kept. As always, keep everything to a minimum; adding too much of anything is overkill. If your garden has too many varieties of plants, your guests may find it to be overgrown instead of diverse. Keep an editing eye on your backyard and remember to add focal points purposefully. And, most of all, have fun entertaining and this new spruced up space!