We all know that feeling of being on social media and looking at all those great pictures of people’s gardens, balconies, patios, and terraces. They look beautiful, cosy, and warm. Suddenly, you catch sight of your balcony, and you cannot help but be disappointed by how dull it appears. Maybe it is time to redecorate that garden or patio. Here are some tips on how you can freshen up your outdoor area.
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Use lights to create a cosy atmosphere
When the sun slowly descends, it may be nice with some light on your patio, so you can see in the darkness but also to create a cosy atmosphere. You can make this atmosphere with:
- Coloured lights
- Candles
- The Instagram- and Pinterest-famous fairy lights
- A floor lamp with dim lighting
- Light strings for the bushes
Each type of light creates a different style, so it all depends on what you prefer.
You can also combine different types of lights. For instance, you can place some candles on your outdoor tables and attach fairy lights to the ceiling with hooks in a zigzag pattern. This placement creates dim lighting that makes the atmosphere extremely cosy and sets an evening mood, just like in the social media posts you get inspiration from.
Using your above neighbour’s balcony is a little hack to the balcony owner. As a balcony owner, you may not have a roof to mount your hooks to. However, If the people living above you own a balcony that is placed above yours, then there is a solution. In this case, you can buy self-adhesive hooks – that can be removed – and stick them to the bottom of their balcony. This way, you can use the fairy lights on the ceiling and create a cosy look, just as the patio owners can.
Make a cosy corner
Now that you have the lights, it would be nice to have a place to sit and be comfortable with friends and loved ones. We all know that feeling when you just talk for hours to catch up — however, a couple of hours talking while standing can be a bit uncomfortable for one’s legs. Here, you can create your cosy corner for aesthetics but also comfort. You can design this section of your outdoor area with:
- Outdoor sofas
- Outdoor armchairs
- A sofa table
- Pouffes
- A hammock
When making your cosy corner with the above examples, you must consider what you find comfortable and what fits your style. If you match the cosy corner to these factors, you will always want to be outside. For instance, if you want a rustic look, then a sofa out of pallets may be the one for you, or maybe you want two outdoor sofas made out of trees to match the design of the patio.
Use your surroundings
When you decorate your new cosy corner, you can use your surroundings. Plants and flowers can make your outdoor area go from dull to colourful and add a touch to your personality.
What plant you want depends on your personality and style.
- The practical look: You may want to create something similar to a kitchen garden. You could have some vegetable plants or a box with different spices for the smaller outdoor areas. You can also use peppers to add some colour.
- The colourful look: You may want as much colour as possible to make the outdoor areas match the indoors or to make the outdoor space stand out from the house itself. If this is the style you want, then flowers are definitely the way to decorate.
- The green nature look: You may adore nature and want to keep that green look that characterises the outdoor space. If that is the case, you can use small potted plants or vines on the concrete walls, so the green colour is splashed all over the outdoor area.
There exist many ways you can use plants to create your personal space, and the more you experiment, the more you know what your look is.
Create a functional space
Now your space may look very beautiful, comfortable, and cosy, but it also needs to be practical for those summer evenings when you want to eat outside. Here you can create an eating area with some outdoor furniture. This outdoor furniture could, for instance, be a big table with comfortable chairs where the whole family can eat. It could also be the small balcony table with two chairs for you and your visitor. If you like showing off your cooking skills, then a grill would be perfect for your eating area. There are many possibilities for this space, and only your imagination is the limit.
