10 Ways To Make That Outdoor Living Space Spiffy


If your outdoor deck or patio needs some joie de vivre, then the simplest way to go about this is to add a heaping helping of color. Sometimes it only means investing in a few accent pieces that make a bold statement and your outdoor living space perks right up. But you need not bust open the piggy bank or run to the nearest ATM, because good old elbow grease and YOUR own quirky personality can make something old look like something new. This Top Ten List deals with some quick ways to make that outdoor living space exude some personality.

The first thing you'll want to do is to give everything on your deck or patio a pressure washing -- an atypical yet complete washing, that is. There may be items that need staining, but buying new furniture is a shortcut you wouldn't want to take; again, the key words here are ELBOW GREASE and that would entail doing the staining or re-painting job yourself. This is actually a great place to get started with colorful accents. Try painting your fence posts a bright, coordinating color such as teal. Or paint a pattern or border around the edge of your deck.

Because decks are the place to be seen by people, make sure they're ready for friends and family. Metal furniture, in most cases, is not at all expensive, and the colors you can choose from are quite varied. Place a colorful bar cart in the corner and load it up with bright acrylic glassware.

Give your old wicker furniture a facelift by painting it in bright sunny colors, or if you're feeling adventuress, use a stencil and add flowers or other patterns. Just use acrylic paint, but seal it with varnish to protect your paint job.

Grab an oblong-shaped container, perhaps a galvanized bucket and add some bright colors like neon orange or blue, then paint the exterior with a vine pattern. Bada bing, bada boom -- instant ice bucket for each and every one of your coolers. But just make sure to use a food-safe paint because you don't want harmful substance coming in contact with the food that your family eats!

When creating accents, you'll want to use quirky themes such as a seaside theme -- little fishies, cute hermit crabs like the one in the Spongebob cartoons, beach balls, the whole works. A citrus theme works well by using pale greens, oranges and yellow as colors for chairs or bistro tables. Try painting a slatted table top with two or three different corresponding shades.

Nothing says "ennui" better than a brown garden shed. Add colorful window boxes, gingerbread trim and some wild stripes on the walls.

A boring patio can look youthful and effervescent with the right kind of lighting. It is undoubtedly "groovy" to see lanterns or strings of lights hanging from your beams or tree branches, and best of all, won't cost you that much!

What to do with the white vinyl furniture that's still in great shape, but you hate to get rid of? Not to worry. All you have to do is grab some paint (or buy it), make sure the formula is apropos for vinyl furniture, slather it on the furniture, add some new cushions and you're all set, those babies will be looking brand new in an instant.

Accessorize, baby, accessorize -- make prudent use of color when re-painting your deck or patio. Take four chairs each painted in a different primary color and add a cushion in a common color such as red or green, and place them around a neutral table top.

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