Dress-Up Your Deck (or Patio) with Outdoor Decor and Flowers

The weather is finally getting nicer, thank G-d! And while this time of year always has me thinking about spring trends and fashion for the closet… It also has me thinking of ways to spruce up the outdoor space, aka dress my deck. And at this particular moment in time, I think the whole subject of outdoor space deserves some extra attention.

Why? Because with this pain in the a** virus, we’re spending so much more time at home. Having an outdoor space to “escape to” helps make the shelter at home thing more bearable. And, when the time finally comes that we can entertain, it’s easier to have some socially distanced human interaction outdoors – so if we are going to see family or friends, it’s most likely going to be in our outdoor spaces.

Outdoor Decor

When I think of my outdoor space, I like to approach it as an extension of the other rooms in my home. Literally, like another living room, that we only use in the warmer months, but a room, not just the backyard. Putting a little effort into the outdoor decor and flowers can have a big payoff in terms of the look and feel of the space.

There are a few key tips I’ve learned that help make my outdoor space feel “homey” and a place the whole family wants to spend time…

• Link your interior and outdoor color schemes.

Again, this makes the outside space feel like another room of your house, not an afterthought space. Just like with an outfit, the colors don’t need to match perfectly, but they need to flow or have something that ties it all together. My home uses a lot of black, grey and white, with accents of tan and green. We carried this to our outdoor decor as well. Our couches and lounge chairs are black and white and I add accents in the other colors.

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• Start with an Inspiration Piece you LOVE.

My aunt is a very talented decorator, and while she does not help me with my home anymore, she gave me the best tip when I was decorating my first home. Start with an inspiration piece. A fabric, painting, or rug that you love. Once you have that one piece (that you LOVE, mind you) it becomes easier to build around it and create something cohesive. Similarly, when I work with clients on outfits, I like to start with a few pieces they LOVE and build from there (or if they have foot/shoe issues we start with shoes and build the outfits from the ground up).

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• Define the Space with a Rug. 

There are so many great and reasonably priced outdoor rugs these days. And adding one to your outdoor space really helps make it feel like another room. A rug helps create a flow to your space. And it’s a great way to add in a pattern or some color as well. We typically pick a 9×12 size rug in the $200 range and replace it when it starts looking gross – usually every other year.

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• Have a Focal Point. 

Just like the indoor space, having a gathering place is important when dressing your deck. A bar cart or fire pit can serve as a visual center of attention as well as a place for family and friends to gather. Our real bar is just inside our patio, so as much as I love the idea of a bar cart, it’s not what we needed. The firepit, however, has been a big hit. There is nothing quite like making your own s’ mores under the stars – whether you’re a little kid or a big one like me.

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•  Set the Mood. 

Both music and lighting are integral to setting the mood in any space. Investing in a Sonos has allowed us to have great sound both indoors and out. Then we just need to agree on which family members playlist we listen to. On the agenda, this year is to add string lights to add to the mood. Not the Christmas kind of string lights but the old school, globe kind. I’m excited to see what it’ll look like.

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•  Add Color With Flowers.

I think this might be the most impactful tip of all. Adding flowers to any space, but especially outdoor space dresses it all up. It’s like the jewelry on an outfit. 

In My Fantasy Life…

While I want to be one of those green thumb girls that plant her own flowers (and veggies for that matter) and knows which plant needs sun and which needs shade, that is my fantasy version of myself. The real me has tried this DIY project before, a few times in fact, and it rarely ends well. 

While I don’t love the fact that I suck at gardening, it’s my truth. And instead of beating my self up over the fact that I’m a work in progress in that department OR just forgoing flowers because of my lacking, I decided to look for someone to help. Because at the end of the day, I still want the end result of colorful flowers to dress my deck – even if I’m not the one doing the actual planting.

Facebook S.O.S – I’m Looking for a Flower Lady

So a few years ago I put out an SOS on Facebook, asking if there was a person that plants flowers as a business. I wasn’t sure what to even call what I was looking for in order to Google it.  A flower lady? Probably a politically incorrect term, but I truly didn’t know what to type in the search box. Not a whole gardening company, or landscape architect, but a person who had a green thumb, and a good eye and could make my yard come alive with strategically potted flowers.

I wanted to invest a little, not a lot. And not spend time on a project that would bring me disappointment and frustration when I looked at it because it was only ok, not good.

Sort of like how people hire me to help with their wardrobes – it’s my area of expertise. Yes, they CAN shop and get dressed by themselves or ask a friend to help… but hiring a professional tends to avoid missteps and bad purchases,  saves time and money, and the end result is usually much better. 

Enter Fawn Peters Glick from Dreams In Color

Say what you will about social media, but my Facebook community came in strong with my need for a flower lady. Multiple people raved Fawn Peters Glick, and I now know why. She is FLIPPIN’ AMAZING!!! Fawn’s flowers literally transformed my patio. So much so, that my mother-in-law, who has been at our house a zillion times asked if we got new furniture! We did not. All we did was add flowers. But flowers that were done by a pro.

Fawn went to the nursery and got the right type of flowers for my space. She got the soil, fertilizer, made sure there was variety in height, and then planted all the pots. Literally, when I’ve tried to do it myself, it takes 10 times as long, makes a big old mess, and costs almost as much. This service has changed my life!

Oh, and she also has maintenance packages, so if your thumb is brown like mine, your flowers have a fighting chance!

It Makes a GREAT Mother’s Day Gift

Last week I did a whole post on Mother’s Day gift ideas. And if you read it and placed an order in time three cheers for you!

But, if you didn’t, you can still get mom something she’ll love… Hire Fawn to plant flowers in her yard or on her deck. I am telling you, she will be forever grateful. And, there’s nothing wrong with a little Happy Mother’s Day to ME, gift for yourself either!

Here’s how to contact Fawn:  Facebook or Email – claygirl223@yahoo.com

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Cheers to warmer days ahead and hopefully, the chance to entertain those you love soon.