Gorgeous decorating ideas for your outdoor living space
With patio season around the corner, now is the perfect time to get your backyard, deck or balcony in top shape for a summer under the sun and stars. Check out some inspiration from the latest trends now being seen in homes across Canada.
Grow your own garden. No space is too small for enjoying nature and cultivating your own produce, with condo dwellers even planting micro gardens. Join the grow-it-yourself movement with some traditional flower beds or an herb garden you can use in your cooking. A natural dye garden is a new favourite, featuring vegetables, fruit trees and pollinator-attracting flowers that can be used to dye textiles, yarn and clothing.
Solar-powered lighting. Environmentally friendly decorating is growing in popularity both inside and outside the house, with attractive features like smart design and energy efficiency. Upgrade your outdoor living space with solar-powered lighting, which is now available in a variety of styles like string or fairy lights, lanterns and rustic lamp posts.
New greenery. Plants are having a major moment in design, especially in urban environments as city folk look to escape the concrete jungle. Potted houseplants look great in any outdoor space too, and if you have a bigger lawn, shrubs or dwarf shrubs can help you scale the trend upward. Virbunum Kilimanjaro Sunrise and Hebe are excellent low maintenance shrubs for suburban yards.
Natural materials. The look and feel of concrete is out this year, replaced by wood, wicker, rattan, teak and terra cotta. These natural materials create more visual and tactile interest, and suggest a rustic, weathered environment that feels more lived in and comforting. For a bold look that’s very of-the-moment, try furniture in these materials in non-traditional colours. Think a wicker chair in turquoise or a wooden stump that serves as a side table in orange.
Unexpected florals. While florals in an outdoor living space are anything but surprising, what’s new and now are oversized flowers in industrial materials that work as wall art. For example, a large bloom made of layers of rustic, galvanized iron in a bright red or yellow makes for a fun focal point and conversation starter.
Anything DIY. Do-it-yourselfers rejoice, because accessories with an upcycled, repurposed, vintage or antique vibe are still super fashionable. Browse Pinterest, blogs or Instagram for thousands of projects you can complete in an hour or weekend, like a DIY wine bar made of painted wooden crates and patio tiles, a homemade terrarium in a mason jar, or latticework lighting.
Family-style fire pits. Many of our favourite memories involve gathering around a fire at camp or the cottage. Recreate this positive energy in your own backyard with a fire pit that’ll bring friends and family together. Plus, fire is a natural element that can help connect you to nature and destress after a long day. You can find this trendy yard feature in any home improvement store, or you can make your own using online tutorials. If space is a concern, a decorative tabletop fire bowl is the perfect solution for enjoying your garden long after the sun goes down.