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Spring is upon us here in HIR land and our thoughts turn to the more outdoors activities we enjoy. But that doesn’t mean being out of our home. Indeed, it just gives us a wider palette from which to select our home improvement colors and tones. As we start thinking about improving our lawn and garden decor, yard decorating ideas become the topic of discussion. We hope these outdoor design ideas help you extend your home improvement efforts into the fresh outdoors.
10 Outdoor Design Ideas
1. Smell the flowers
Color indeed is a great place to start with improving your lawn and garden decor. And flowers are a sure and delightful way to add it. And don’t be afraid to replace older flowers if their best days have come and gone. In the front of the house it will improve your curb appeal and in the back it makes for a decadent secret getaway. And it’s not just for the eyes, either; don’t underestimate the wonderful scented air that comes with the brilliant colors.
2. Watch the birds bath
How about adding a bird bath to your yard decor? It provides a great classic feel to the yard and attracts the winged critters to hang out in your yard.
3. Furnish your outdoor space
If you’re going to be spending time outdoors, you’ll need some furniture for your family and guests to lounge upon. And don’t feel the need to settle for the obvious; there’s lots of great opportunities if you let your imagination go a little. It’s true that nice outdoors furniture can get a bit pricey. Try getting around that little obstacle by visiting garage and yard sales around the neighborhood and see if you can find some funky second hand stuff. You might be surprised what good furniture you can find, in good shape, for a reasonable price. Ads in local newspapers can be a great source of info for finding sales.
4. Do-it-yourself outdoor accessories
There is a bunch of great stuff you can do to accessorize your outdoor space. Make your own stepping stones or even built yourself an outdoor patio if you don’t have one. (See the HIR handy tips on doing it yourself.) And what about creating your own outdoor art to beautify your space? The options are limited only by your imagination. And that’s not so limited or you wouldn’t be a regular reader of HIR.
5. Pick up great little items at the local craft store
You can find some real gems in those places. And sometimes a piece that wasn’t obviously intended for the outdoors works great to give the space a special unexpected cache. Also, what about an outdoor rug? It can add warmth to a space, giving it that indoor-out-of-doors feel. It is also a nice way to add color and texture to that outdoor living space.
6. Bring the indoors out
Indeed, don’t be afraid to blur the lines a little. The whole point is to make your outdoors space homier. If you have some indoors furnishing you were planning to toss, wait a second: why not bring them outdoors and allow them to act as garden accessories. It might give the space just the pizzazz it needs.
7. Toss some (inexpensive) light on the matter
If you really want to get the most out of that outdoor space, you will need to have some appropriate outdoor lighting. It will complete the perfect outdoor space. When shopping for your lighting think in terms of what will be inexpensive, but still make a grand impact.
8. Plant your flag
One of the most personalized elements you can add you your outdoor space is the potted plants you use to decorate it. These days the options available at quality plant stores and nurseries are amazing. Go for something unique that really speaks to you. Maybe you’d like the refined Mediterranean-look or perhaps you’re more of the overgrown jungle type. Any way you go, this is a great way to put your personal stamp on the space.
9. A cool fan
Especially if it gets extremely hot and or humid where you live, an outdoor fan can be a life saver for comfort as well as adding a great aesthetic to the space. Fans are inexpensive and if you go for something with that certain je ne sais quoi, it can really give the outdoor space a cool vibe.
10. Outdoor pillows rock
Add great comfort, aesthetic appeal and elegance to that outdoor space by adding in some pillows. They add color and just that homey feeling that does the trick to round off your outdoors living space.
For your lawn and garden decor and yard decorating ideas, we hope these outdoor design ideas help you extend your home improvement efforts into the fresh outdoors so you can enjoy your home the most all year round.
