How to Give Your Deck a Makeover in a Single Weekend
When it comes to backyard styling, many interior designers take the same approach that they do any interior styling job. Let’s take your back deck for instance. The footprint can be considered the same as the footprint of an interior room. Here are some tips on how to bring big style to the outdoors:
Measuring It Out
First, measure out your back
deck and draw up a plan to scale. This is not as hard as it sounds! 1’ = 1” on
a ruler and a 6” = ½” on a ruler. If you round up your dimensions in 6”
increments, you can easily figure out the right scale of furniture you need to
look for. Thanks to online shopping, you can easily check out furniture
dimensions and save yourself the headache of going in person to measure pieces.
If you are tight on space, a good rule of thumb is to always leave 3’ clearance
to comfortably move around the furnishings.
Zoning
Just like on the interior,
nothing creates a zone like an area rug. There are so many options now with
outdoor carpets that you can really find something that speaks to your
aesthetic. Many designers love going bolder with patterned rugs, but a loose
woven neutral sisal always looks fantastic. Look for rugs that are made of
materials that do not retain moisture, as this will allow them to dry properly
and preserve the life of your deck.
Outdoor Furnishings
Outdoor furnishings are off the hook this season! I have never been so
inspired by what is available from stores this Spring. There is a move towards
bringing the interior out, with a lot of designers using boho-chic furnishings
and Art Deco-inspired pieces.
Outdoor Dining
There are so many beautiful options when it comes to outdoor dining ware
that you are going to want to use these pieces inside your home as well. While
a lot of people do not promote a disposable design, but you can find
beautifully designed, high-quality plastic dish sets that will last you a
lifetime if you take good care of them.
Lounge
When hanging out outside, you want to really be able to lounge. Consider more
formal seating for a dining area but don’t forget easy lounging. It’s summer
and we only have it for a couple of months in this beautiful country, so soak
it up. Both Anthropologie and IKEA sell ready-made floor pillows that add a
great worldly vibe to your back deck, and look best when paired with mixed
patterns that look like you have collected them over your travels.
Change It Up With Your Own Style
Although this isn’t really a styling tip, it’s a tip to keep your back deck
looking great over the years. When selecting furnishings that come with
cushions or adding floor pillows to your outdoor décor, you should consider
where you will store them over the winter or even on rainy days if you want to
keep them dry. This will dramatically extend the life of your pieces and save
you lots of money down the road. Look to furnishings that offer interior
storage for cushions or consider building in a storage bench along the edge of
one side of your deck. This can provide the much-needed storage away for the
elements and if built at a height of 18”, it will also double as bench seating.