Spring usually comes kinda late to CT but we’ve gotten a few tastes of spring-like weather here and there and I’m itching to get our backyard patio all prettied up and ready for hanging out. If you’re ready to freshen up your outdoor spaces too, we’ve got lots of quick and easy ideas for you – my blogging friends (Lisa of Shine Your Light, Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles, and Pam of Simple Details) and I are each sharing our five favorite ways to decorate outdoor spaces as part of this month’s My Five Favorites series. And we’re welcoming Julia of Cuckoo 4 Design as our guest host this month! Julia’s home is gorgeous both inside and out and she has the most beautiful, creative ideas for outdoor living like this fabulous DIY cabana (don’t you love it??):
Thanks for joining us Julia! Let’s get going and check out my five favorite ways to decorate outdoor spaces (post includes some affiliate links – full disclosure statement {here}):
Flower-Filled Window Boxes
Our front door is barely visible from the street so to add some spring color to our home we have a pair of window boxes that I fill with spring flowers that you can see right when you drive up to our house. It’s a great way to add a little pop of color on our otherwise neutral exterior:
A Trio of Lanterns
I love home accessories that I can use year-round by making simple seasonal changes like this trio of lanterns (found {here} that flank my front door. By tying some seasonal wire-edged ribbon onto the largest of the lanterns, they can easily transition from fall to the holidays to spring:
Galvanized Tubs, Buckets, & Pails
Galvanized tubs, buckets, and pails not only make awesome outdoor planters but they are also the perfect shabby chic coolers for summer parties! I love the large one below that you can find {here}. For helpful tips on using galvanized containers as planters, check out {this post}.
Front Walkway Arbor
For our home, it’s an arbor over our front walkway while for your home it might be a beautiful fountain or a garden statue – whatever it may be, I love having something unique in a home’s front yard that gives guests a taste of your style before they even walk through the front door!
Outdoor Pillows
One of the easiest ways to give your outdoor space a new look for the season is with a few outdoor throw pillows. While most people choose outdoor pillows in colorful, vibrant shades, you can get a totally different look by choosing a sophisticated mix of black and white like these beauties from Williams-Sonoma Home:
Pillows are going to be playing a big role in zhushing up our boring backyard patio – a project that’s on my to-do list for later this month!
So there you have it – my five favorite tips for decorating outdoor spaces! Now it’s time to hop over and check out my friends’ tips:
Julia – Cuckoo 4 Design
Pam – Simple Details
Jennifer – Dimples & Tangles
Lisa – Shine Your Light
I’ll be back tomorrow with a quick update on my One Room Challenge master bedroom makeover – there’s only one week left until show time!!
That arbor is so so pretty and such a lush garden. I love those pillows too, they would look amazing on my porch 😉 Thanks so much for having me today and sorry that I messed up my link, it’s a new one now 🙁
Thanks Julia and you’re right – those pillows are very you! No worries about the link – I had just linked to your home page anyway 🙂
love that gorgeous arbor! when i was a kid i dreamed of a house with a white picket fence with an arbor at the entry to the yard. 🙂
Me too Cassie! This is definitely not my dream house but I do at least have my arbor and picket fence 🙂
Your patio is so pretty Kris. I love how it is surrounded by hedges and plantings, so private and peaceful!
Thanks Lisa – you’ll have to come visit me this summer so we can hang out on it together!!
I die every time I see your gorgeous yard and all of your hydrangeas! So lovely! One of these I want to add some window boxes…
Oh gosh, I love your arbor!! We used to have one over our front walk but the weather finally took its toll on it. Every time I see yours it makes me want to put that at the top of my list!
I need window boxes ASAP!
For your outdoor lanterns, do you use real candles? Do you actually light them? I love that look but know I wouldn’t ever light them if it was too much work! Hahaha. LOVE your blog and design aesthetic. Gorgeous and so dreamy. 🙂
What a beautiful back patio! I really need to work on the back of our house. Our old decaying deck just has to go….but my husband is not convinced yet. Love your window boxes too! Great tips!
Shelley
We’ve been having so much rain lately that I haven’t even begun to worry about our backyard but now that I’ve seen this I’m so excited to get started. I love that shabby chic cooler for the backyard. What do you use it for when you aren’t hosting?
Simply fabulous! LOVE that gingham fabric on the chair!
I have an area in the front right side of my home that I’ve been trying to get it to look exactly like your, but each time I plant tree, large flowers like yours, it just do not turn out the way I had hoped. I love your garden, and wish I had one like your fabulous garden. I too have an arbor leading to the sues of the house, but still unable to create that “wow punch”
Thank you for the sweet compliment! I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we live somewhere with perfect weather for growing things in the spring and summer!
I love that idea Rachel!