Decorating Your Deck

Hmmm. Yes, well the deck above is my own. It is new and as you can see, as warm toned as it is in color, it is very stark, cold and frankly uninviting. I have many ideas that I want to share with you, so many in fact that I couldn't fit them all into one article. My deck is obviously a work in progress, (I will post an after picture when it is done). At this point I am at the very first stage of dressing my deck. Basic planning.

What is the deck going to be used for? Daily meals and relaxing with the newspaper? Is the laptop going to be used? How about entertaining? Kids and pets playing? TV viewing? Taking an afternoon snooze? Are you going to use the deck in both the daytime and nightime?

Think about what it is you like to do, or usually do indoors and translate it to the outdoors. You'll then be on your way to creating a useable and pleasant space to be in.

If you are in the market for new furniture for your deck there are a few points to consider. Is your deck covered or not covered? This is huge. Do you want to carry cushions in and out everyday? Do you have a place to store them? If your deck is uncovered then you will have to consider this. There are however great reasonably priced covers that you can purchase to protect everything from your grill and deep seating conversation set to your table and chairs.

If you do have a covered deck it's still a good idea to cover cushions especially. And of course, make sure the cushions are specially designed for outdoor use. There are so many new products available for outdoor furniture. I happen to like resin/wicker type and metal framed furniture, however some people want only natural furniture made out of wood. Resin takes little care, whereas wood may need to be treated yearly. Keep in mind what type of maintenance you are willing to do, or have the time for.

Whatever you do choose, try to stick with the same style or at least color of your furniture. If you have a black metal table and chairs, then try and choose your occasional lounge chairs in the same color. This will unify things. If you already have a mismatched lot of furniture, then pull it altogether with an accent color in pillows, rugs, candles, table cloth/runner. This will work beautifully as well.

Get out a piece of paper and draw your deck. You don't need to be fancy, (like mine, lol ) or at this point have the dimensions or draw it to scale, just a quick outline will do.

Next to your drawing write down all the things you want to use it for. Think of every possible scenario. This will only take a few minutes, I'll give you 5, so go ahead and do it now, I'll wait. ;-)

Ok, so now you have your deck drawing and all the things you are going to do or would like to do on your deck. If you have a printer/copier it would probably be wise to make a few copies before the next step.

Next, divide your deck into different zones. For example: If you chose conversing or snoozing as one of your uses, then pick the best spot on your deck for a deep seating set. This would be your conversation area, (snoozing is also an option).
Draw in your existing furniture, or furniture you are planning on purchasing.
This will help you visualize how these things will fit together. If you feel ambitious enough you can even grab some of your kids crayons or colored markers and color in you color scheme. Hey, I'm all for any excuse to color!

If dining is one of your uses then find a spot on the deck that would be most conducive to dining. Usually that would be closest to the door of the house so that it is convenient to bring the food in and out. These are just a couple of examples, and of course there are no real rules here, but setting up zones lends itself to a more cohesive <-------(good word..;-0 ) space. Oh heck, it will just look better and work better for you.

If your deck is small, then you would have one zone that is multi-functional. You could have one or two deep seating chairs in the corners with your table and chair set in the middle of the deck. Or you could use deep seated chairs around your table which would give you both comfort and function all in one space. If you don't have room for deep seated chairs you may be able to buy an outdoor bench that will fit along the railing. Be creative.

A good place to start is with an outdoor rug to warm up the space, ground a conversation zone and add texture. There are endless designs and colors to choose from! Choose something with colors that you love, one that makes you smile. Just as you would inside your house, you will pull colors from this rug to add color elsewhere on your deck, so make sure you get one that is going work color wise.

I would recommend buying a rug with an abundance of colors so that you have many to choose from if you decide in the future to change you accessories. Or, buy a neutral rug that will work with any color you choose. A colorful rug will always suggest a festive feel to the space, whereas a neutral one could go either way depending on the colors you choose for your accessories.

If you choose not to add a rug, then choose colors that you love and go for it!
Look around and find what inspires you; the green of the trees, the color of the sky, the bright red tulips you have in your garden.

Perhaps you could pull some colors out of an adjoining room to make the spaces flow into each other. Or as crazy as it may sound look to your closet! What seems to be the color of most of your clothes, or perhaps your favorite blouse? Inspiration is everywhere so take a look around you.

Think about what you want to feel like when you step onto your deck? Do you want a festive, bright energized atmosphere with variations of clear true turqouises and oranges?
Or do you want to feel relaxed and serene with cool soft sky blues and sage greens? Maybe you like a little of both? If so keep you larger pieces neutral and soft and add a punch of your orange, or turquoise or red here and there. Accessories are easy and inexpensive to change, larger pieces are not.

Whatever choices you make during your planning stages will make it easier further along in the process when it is time to buy accessories, pillows, cushions etc.

This is a picture of my deck when it was being built. Notice the mis-matched furniture. Some is salvageable, so I will paint the table and the chairs black to unify them. Once this is done, I am going to purchase a conversation grouping and some covers to keep them dry. After that it will be time to layer on the goodies!

( This obviously is not a picture of my deck. I apologize. I tried to update the picture, which didn't work. I tried to upload the orignal picture and unfortunately it is also being rejected for file size. I appreciate your patience. I am working to remedy this problem and will update as soon as possible.)

PLANTS, PLANTS, PLANTS!
Yes, I'll say it again. Plants do wonders for warming up a deck. Even if you don't want to add flowers, just the greenery alone will warm up the deck and soften the space. Also collecting large branches that have fallen can make a modern display by simply "planting" them into large colorful or neutral pots. If you don't have a lot of side tables or plant stands then hang them off the railing.

Recently I purchased 3 deck rail planters in a terra cotta color and added pretty colorful pansies. This has done wonders for adding warmth and color. These are particularly useful on a small deck where you may not have room for a large pot.

OUTDOOR ART
Yes, ART! You can purchase these "paintings" or make them yourself. Hang them on your house just as you would on your walls inside your home. There are also metal medalions etc that you can hang. Even an outdoor clock or mirror. Be creative here. Just about anything can be art as long as you like it. I plan on buying a bunch of wicker baskets in various sizes and shapes, spray paint them with a good outdoor type paint and hang in a grouping.

MOSQUITO NETTING
If your deck is covered, run a line of wire to each beam to use as your curtain rod. You can leave the netting to flow freely, tie them back, or close them for privacy or bug control. Be sure to weight each panel with drapery weights.
If you're lucky enough to have a pergola, gazebo or an arbor you can also add netting to soften the lines of the structure.

NIC NACS
Think color. Think decorative. Think outside the box. Your outdoor decor does not have to be statues of squirrels, owls and frogs (but if that's what you like then go for it). Anything used indoors can be used outdoors provided they will stand up to to the elements. Statues, bowls, pretty plates, etc. Check out any garden center for ideas.

LAMPS
Who would've thought there are outdoor lamps that you can buy! Adding a lamp to your conversation area will give you that cozy livingroom feel and at night give off a warm and inviting glow.

UMBRELLAS AND AWNINGS
Of course you will need some sort of covering for your deck if you don't have something already to protect you from the hot sun. When choosing an umbrella or a retractable awning you can choose a bright or dramatic color to add a strong punch of color or something more neutral that will go with anything.

Think about the cost of changing an item like this when you tire of it or it no longer goes with the other colors you choose as accents. Just like in your home you tend to go with more neutral colors on the larger ticket items and bring color in with the more affordable and easily changed items like pillows, accessories, and throw rugs, it may be wise to follow this same guideline outdoors as well.

SOLAR LIGHTS
These are truly one of my favorite things. There are all types of solar lights to choose from and the best part is that they are a "green" product, which saves energy and money. As you can see from my photo I bought solar light caps which give off such a pretty glow at night. During the day they give the posts a nice polished look and protect the wood as well.
You can buy spots, lights that clamp to your deck, riser lighting for your stairs, etc. Purely decorative solar lights that perhaps change colors, or are shaped like flowers or butterflies are a great way to add a little "glow" to different parts of you deck. "Plant" them in your large flower pots among your plants to add a touch of color, light and whimsy.

I can't say enought about lighting! Function of course is one of the main reasons to add lighting.

Ambiance is nearly as important however. The feeling that washes over me when I walk out onto this deck at night is truly magical.

I tried but couldn't capture that feeling in this picture. Maybe during one of my online shopping sprees I will look for a good camera! Ahhhh...but that is another whole article... ;-)

WATER FEATURES
Your water feature can be as extravagant and large as you want becoming the focal point of your deck, to a small table top style. A lighted solar water feature is especially nice for when the sun goes down.

CHIMINEAS, FIREPITS, OUTDOOR HEATERS
Consider whether you are looking for a bit of heat and a lot of atmosphere, or do you need to actually heat the area? While chimineas and firepits do throw some heat they really do not do the job of heating your deck. An outdoor heating unit will heat an area of your deck to a tolerable temperature. There are floor models and table models available on the market to suit your needs.

BAR AND COOKING
If you have the room a bar is a great addition for entertaining and daily use as well. You can go all out and either buy or make a full bar /cooking area equipped with a built in grill, sink, and yes even a fridge. Or your bar can be as simple as a thick piece of wood hung on the wall or the deck rail. Add a couple of barstools and you have an instant bar or serving/buffet area.
There are also some nice bars on the market right now that are less permanent. So if you change your mind in a year or two and decide you want to put the bar somewhere else you can with no difficulty.

STORAGE AND SHELVES
Storage comes in many forms for the outdoors. A storage bench is a great way to store kids toys, pillows, cushions, etc. A plant stand is great for plants of course, but also for nicnacs and lightweight items. You can even attach shelving to your house with L brackets to put plants and decorative items on.

CANDLES
There isn't much to say about this. We all know what a bunch of candles can do for atmosphere. They bring color and warmth to wherever you put them. When choosing candle holders look for ones that will resist wind (for obvious reasons). I have a lantern that is hung on a pole and it holds a small candle.

TEXTILES
Adding throw pillows, floor pillows, rugs, tablecloths, napkins, placemats, table runners, not only bring color to your space, but will lend to that cozy indoor feel that you're looking for.

BENCHES
I love benches. Look for durability and comfort. There are countless styles to choose from. Keep in mind that a backless bench can double as a foot rest or coffee table,and storage is always a nice bonus. Double duty!

OUTDOOR SPEAKERS AND TELEVISON
Yes, there are outdoor tv's that will withstand all kinds of weather. Also outdoor speakers for parties, or for the music lover is also a great addition to any deck adding another dimension to entertaining and relaxation.. Wireless speakers eliminate the need for wiring and are portable making them easy to move around to various parts of the deck. Great ways to bring what you enjoy inside to the outside!

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING
No matter how large or small your deck is you can make it a place that your family and friends will WANT to use. Treat it just like any other room in your house and it will transform into a beautiful and useable extension of your home. The possibilities are endless!
Don't stress about it, enjoy the process.

Begin at the beginning, start with a plan and stick with it...color choices, styles, etc. then everything else will fall into place.

Make it festive, inviting, cozy, functional and most of all make it fun!
- Remember, there are no rules.