With summer just around the corner, many Aussies are looking forward to a full season of outdoor entertaining, barbecues, alfresco dinners, and more. If you have a backyard, patio, or even just a small apartment balcony, chances are it might feel weathered after a long winter followed by the wettest spring ever recorded. However, with outdoor parties and lounging on the horizon, the time has come to kick your outdoor space into tip-top shape — one that is perfect for relaxing, entertaining, and everything in between.
If you’re on a mission to update your deck, patio, balcony, or backyard, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we share six simple spruce-ups for a more comfortable outdoor area, so scroll down and read on to find out more!
Invest In Outdoor Cooling & Heating
Summer is one of the best times of the year for outdoor entertaining, but depending on where you live, it can also be one of the most unpredictable seasons of the year. To ensure that both you and your guests feel comfortable all day long, nothing beats investing in outdoor cooling and heating options to create the perfect ambiance, no matter the time of day. If you live in a climate that experiences huge drops in temperature once the sun sets (ahem, Melbourne), the great idea is to consider investing in a gas outdoor heater that can warm things up well into the night. On the flip side, if you live in a climate that experiences fiery heat all day long, looking into cooling options such as a simple outdoor fan, misting fan, or portable air conditioner can be a great way to keep soaring temperatures at bay so that guests feel cozy throughout the day. While you may not always have to resort to using your cooling or heating options, it is never a bad idea to keep them handy to ensure that you’re able to get the most out of your outdoor space come Summer, Autumn, or even Winter!
Upgrade Your Patio Furniture
It comes as no surprise that one of the easiest and most effective ways of sprucing up any outdoor space is to upgrade your patio furniture. If your existing furniture is looking weathered and less than impressive, the time has come to a head to your local furniture store to explore new options. Similarly, if your outdoor space is currently barren, now is the perfect time to start considering furnishing options. If you are looking for the ultimate in low-maintenance options, we highly recommend looking into aluminum or stainless steel outdoor furniture options. These varieties are easy to care for, require little to no protection from the elements, and are often lightweight, making for easy furniture rearranging or refreshing.
Alternatively, if you prefer timber, we suggest doing some research on how to properly care for and maintain your outdoor furniture to ensure it lasts a lifetime. Regardless of your choice, do ensure that you include a decent-sized table and enough seating to accommodate your family or guests when entertaining or simply enjoying a meal outdoors. We recommend looking into outdoor dining sets or bar tables with seating to create the comfiest space possible.
Accessorise With Throw Pillows & Blankets
Once you’ve purchased your new outdoor furniture, it’s time to accessorize with a variety of blankets, throw pillows, and everything in between. After all, comfort is an ongoing theme here! Decorative pillows and cozy throws will soften your space, and you can play around with your favorite colors, materials, textures, and patterns to add depth and interest. For the ultimate budget-friendly hack, we highly recommend sourcing some cushions, pillows, chair padding, and throws at extremely affordable prices. This is the perfect chance to really customize your space and add a personal touch without breaking the bank, so don’t be shy when it comes to accessorizing your outdoor furniture and space.
Top Tip: Even if you purchase pillows that are specifically labeled for outdoor use, it is always a good idea to store them inside or in a covered area to keep them in good shape for the long haul.
Head To Your Local Nursery
No outdoor space is complete without a glorious touch of green, so be sure to head to your local nursery to stock up on new plants, flowers, and foliage to beautify your space. If you are limited to a small balcony, we highly recommend looking into plants that require full sun to part shade and opting for a container garden setup to keep things neat and tidy. If space is not a constraint, consider purchasing some fun, interesting and colorful pots to house a variety of different flowers, plants, and outdoor foliage that is sure to impress. You could even look into climbing plants if you have a fence that needs a little TLC or a latticework windbreak that offers an affordable and lush upgrade, especially when it is planted with trailing vines such as Chinese wisteria, bougainvillea or climbing roses.
Top Tip: If you love the idea of a glorious garden but hate the thought of spending hours on end pruning weeds and flowers, consider a native wildflower garden. Decorating with native plants can be a great way to introduce a ton of low-maintenance color to your space and attract a variety of pollinators to your yard.
Add Stylish Outdoor Lighting
Lighting is a key element in any outdoor space, offering both aesthetic and functional value to even the smallest of setups. Aside from adding a relaxing twinkling touch to your space, outdoor lighting is also essential to keeping your space safe and eliminating potential tripping hazards, especially when you are entertaining a crowd. If you have a large outdoor space, we highly recommend looking into pathway lights and flood lighting, which are both fantastic options for brightening bigger areas. Step lights are also a great addition if you have deck stairs, along with garden lights that help you showcase your favorite plants to the world.
Once you have covered the basics, you can then think about including other ambient lighting options, ranging from lanterns, fairy lights, string lights, and more. These final touches will help to create a cozy, inviting, and serene space that you can enjoy not just during the Summer months but all throughout the year. If you are looking to minimize your electricity bill, solar lights are a great option and come in a variety of different sizes, shapes, styles, and designs.
Consider Adding Some Shade
If you’re really looking to up the comfort factor in your outdoor space, you will most certainly want to look into including a shade option to keep everyone comfy. The last thing you want is to end up with a nasty sunburn after a relaxing afternoon on your deck or balcony, which is why investing in some cost-effective shade options such as a parasol, cantilever umbrella, or outdoor blinds is always a good idea. If you’re thinking of going all out, building a pergola or gazebo or installing a retractable awning is also a fantastic idea. At the end of the day, keeping out the extremes of heat and blinding glare can make all the difference in having an outdoor space you actually use, as opposed to one that is just a convenient place to dry out your damp laundry! So, be sure to consider shade options when sprucing up your outdoor space this Summer.
Explore 15 shade ideas for your outdoor space in this article.
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And there you have it – 6 simple (and cost-friendly) spruce-ups that are guaranteed to transform your outdoor space into the perfect oasis for relaxation, entertaining and more. We hope that this article has equipped you with a few new ideas on how you can make the most out of your outdoor setup, regardless of whether it is a small balcony or a massive backyard.
Will you be trying out any of these suggestions sometime soon? Have a few ideas of your own that you’d like to share? Be sure to leave your thoughts, comments, and ideas in the comments section below!
