HOW TO CREATE A COZY PATIO FOR SUMMER

Summer is now upon us! What is your favorite part about summer, friend?

*This post has been updated June 2020*

One of my favorite things about summer is curling up on my deck around a cozy fire with my beautiful friends and family. Part of the problem can be is that you may not have a deck that you actually like! Do you look at all the pretty patio pics on social media? Do you wonder how you could achieve that cozy deck feeling without spending a lot of money on expensive renovations and furniture? I totally get that! And it wasn’t until my sister asked me how she could update her deck without a bunch of renovations, that I realized creating a cozy deck can be super simple just by using my secret designer steps…

Making your deck cozy doesn’t have to be perfect or expensive…

Don’t feel like you have to create the perfect space, or compare to what you see on social media. Feel good about using what you already have to create your own cozy patio or deck…

My designer secret steps to redesigning your patio

If we want our outdoor spaces to feel just as cozy as inside our home, wouldn’t my simple redesign steps work to do the same outside? So I tried it, and it worked great!

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR PATIO — *My deck before*

1. Simply remove all furniture to start with a clean space

Give the deck and your furniture a good scrub and maybe a fresh stain or paint job.

My husband, Ryan, found this table on the side of the road. Somebody was giving it away for free! He was so sweet to think of me and bring it home. We ended up selling our old glass patio table which took up too much space on our deck. This wooden table fits the space much better and adds to the character of the farmhouse feel. After a fresh coat of paint the table looked almost brand new!

2. Define your spaces

For a larger deck, it may feel daunting to know how to place your furniture. By defining your spaces, you create cozy conversation areas. Such as a separate dining area, living room area, fire pit area, pool sun tanning area… you get the idea.

For smaller decks, just one dining area cozy enough for visiting and eating may be all you can achieve but that’s ok. Decide whether a fire pit or a dining table is more important to you.

*I have created a seating area like a living room and a separate dining space to allow for maximum cozy and functionality that caters to all our patio needs.*

3. Add in your decor

*By hanging these stars on an empty siding wall with 3M hangers, I didn’t damage the siding with nails. And bonus, I was able to reuse these stars for my Christmas Decor at Christmas time!*

*Shopping my home for decor items that worked well outside. kept my shopping costs down and helped create that cozy feeling that I was after*

4. Make your outdoor space cozy with these decor tips

Use my Redesign book for the step by step process to create the ultimate cozy patio or deck area
Remember your view is your focal point
Hang artwork on your empty siding wall using 3M wall hangers
Add throw pillows and cozy blankets for super cozy feels
Use an outdoor area rug to define your spaces
Paint or stain your favorite outdoor accent color on your deck (works well if you have a wooden or concrete deck)
Choose two to three accent colors to add life to your space
Outdoor plants, flowers and/or shrubs go a long way to add to your cozy feels (go with fake shrubs if your not so good at taking care of real ones or if they don’t get a lot of light)
Shop your home for outdoor safe decor (whatever is safe to the outside elements of your area) to cozy up your space. Take in your decor at the end of the season so it lasts longer and doesn’t blow away in the winter months.
Wash your deck! Use some good old soapy water and a brush and scrub down your space to make it feel clean and fresh. We are drawn to clean spaces. My deck quickly gets dusty so a good scrub every couple of weeks sure helps.
Paint your exterior door in one of your fav accent colors (I still want to paint my exterior door in a matching turquoise just for fun:)
Covered area. A covered area helps make it feel way more inviting to sit outside.
Firepit is amazing to creating warmth on those chilly evenings and add to the ambiance.
Get inspired with Pinterest for some fun and easy DIY projects!
Add fairy lights and string lights for ambient lighting in the evening!

5. Invite those favorite people over to enjoy your cozy new space with you!

Much to my delight, redesigning my deck actually worked! The whole family ended up getting cozy with some s’mores and fun games around the fire that night. With a little bit of time and only a few dollars, my family was drawn to the cozy outdoor space by decorating it just as you would any room inside your home.

Subscribe to my newsletter if you want to know how and why I love repainting furniture. New post coming soon about how a fresh coat of paint can transform your space!

Feeling inspired to decorate your patio for summer? What are your favorite outside accent colors? Who is the first person you would invite to join to after it’s all done?

Guess what??? I have updated my deck again to be a little more boho style. Check out the transformation here! Want help redesigning your outdoors? Grab a copy of my book Redesign! Follow the simple step by step process within my book to redesign your space within your budget!