Freshen Up...Your Patio

I love sitting on a patio. The more serene, the better. Unfortunately for me, I'm a mosquito buffet, so if it's a buggy year, I'm in big trouble. (Doesn't matter how much I spray or how many citronella candles I light.) Last year was a troublesome year in the bug department, so I didn't get to enjoy porch life nearly as much as I wanted to. But there's always the hope of this year, right?

I feel like Ryan and I used our outdoor spaces more often when we lived in Marion. Our backyard was very private, and we often went outside to eat dinner, drink coffee, or hang out for the evening (weather permitting). Our outdoor spaces here in Kokomo aren't as private, so we tend not to go outside quite as much. But we're slowly doing a better job with making those spaces inviting, so again...there's always the hope of this year, right?

Let me tell you some of the things we have loved (and in some cases, hope to love in the future) about patio life, and maybe it will inspire you to freshen up your outdoor space this year!

1. Make sure your furniture is comfortable.

When I was single, I bought a little standard square patio table. You've seen them: black, iron, add a cushion to the seats? We still have it, and it is no more comfortable now than it was the year I bought it. Sure, it works well for outdoor dining, but that's it. You don't want to just lounge in that seat. But a couple of years ago, we took some of our tax return money and bought comfortable patio furniture. Two swivel chairs, a loveseat, and a coffee table. It was a whole little set we found for a pretty good price at Lowe's.

We. Love. It.

We actually took our furniture out of storage this week, and I'm so excited! The weather has been warm enough (in between snows, you know) to enjoy patio sitting a few different times. The cushions on these chairs are thick and we can hang out on them for quite a while if we want.

Granted, the start of spring and summer doesn't always bring about the best prices for this, so it may not be the cheapest freshening up idea to implement right now, BUT!!!!! Watch for garage sales or Facebook sale pages, because sometimes if people move in the spring, their new home doesn't accommodate their old porch furniture, so they sell it and buy new. That could be a cost-effective way to get some new patio furniture!

(OOH! Or you could make one of those really cool swinging beds.)

2. Make it home.

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

We haven't gone so far as to hang up art or put out lamps, because our patio areas aren't quite protected enough from the elements. But I love the way decorators are showing more and more indoor-home elements...outdoors. Lamps, rugs, art, blankets...these are all the things that draw people to the space, because it feels comfy.

We did buy some pillows for our furniture, both to add color (since the cushions on the chairs are tan) and to give it a living room feel. I also put some potted plants on the coffee table just to give it a decorated look.

When we lived in Marion, our neighbors put up some billowy curtains around the outdated support beams on their porch. They covered the not-so-pretty 60's beams, and they also gave it a very inviting look. (And beachy, since the curtains were turquoise.)

3. Add a fire pit or heater.

Photo by Liz Fitch on Unsplash

These have come a long way in the last few years. Our fire pit is not a patio version. It's a make-a-place-in-the-yard-and-build-a-fire version. But there are some really adorable small table versions of fire pits that could work well on a patio - and even in a small space. And while you may not need it in the middle of summer, I also like the little porch heaters that help in the spring and fall when the night starts to cool off before you're ready to come inside.

I think both of these make the patio look even cozier and are great investments. (And most aren't crazy expensive.)

4. Make it private.

As I mentioned, the main reason (besides the bug buffet) we don't spend as much time outside anymore is because our patio spaces aren't as private as what we used to have. No one wants to feel like they're on display on their own porch!

Fences are expensive (not that I have researched this option...) but if you merely need a little privacy, not a safety net, there are cheaper ways to close off your space.

When we lived in Marion, we purchased our beloved pergola (which we always called a pierogi, but that's a whole separate story) and it was the best answer to this problem. It had fabric sides that you could pull back for a breeze or close for privacy. It also had both a screen side and a complete fabric side, so you could choose which one you wanted to use. If you just needed bug protection, you could put down the screen, and if you wanted to be completely closed in from people or wind, you could put down the whole thing.

It was the best. If we wanted to take a nap in the hammock and not worry about looky-loos wandering by, we could just put down the sides and sleep! That pergola was money well-spent and we miss it here at our new house! (We have a pergola here but it's not the kind with sides, so it doesn't offer the same privacy.)

5. Add soft light.

Photo by imran khan on Unsplash

It's one of my favorite moments from our marriage.

We had just gotten our pergola/pierogi, and it was a Friday night. I was still working at the station, and I had to work an outdoor concert in Ohio. I didn't get back to the station until midnight, and I still had to drive an hour home. I was certain Ryan would be asleep when I got there, since he's not really a night owl.

But when I arrived at home, he met me at the front door and told me he had a surprise for me. He led me through the house and out into the backyard, where I discovered he had spent the entire evening installing soft lights around our pierogi. At 1:00 in the morning, we stood in the backyard and danced under those lights, and it was (clearly) a memory-etching moment.

Porch lights are typically built more for security purposes, so turning those on while you hang out on your patio may not create the most welcoming ambience. But oh....the soft light! Ryan did icicle lights, but there are also all kinds of strand lights with little globes that make a beautiful addition to patio spaces. It looks great from the road (admit it...you notice those spaces when you drive by them!) and it is comforting when you're enjoying it for yourself!


Annnnnnnnnnnnnd now I'm ready to just move outside to our patio. Once we spruce it up, of course!