My Five Favorite Porch & Patio Decorating Ideas

Every month some of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles, Kris of Driven by Decor, Lisa of Shine Your Light, and Pam of Simple Details, host a “My Five Favorites” series.   They always include a guest host and I was excited and flattered to receive the invite to for this month’s topic –  favorite porch and patio decorating ideas.   

We’ve done a lot of work on our 1964 home and converting our worn out deck to a screened porch is the space we are most proud of and get the most use out of!  We designed the space to have an area for dining and serving and an area for sitting, relaxing and enjoying the family.  The key thing that made this so successful and has kept us out here SO much over the last few years is that we brought the inside out.  We made an outdoor room that is a true extension of our indoor space.  So, without further ado, let’s get started on MY Five Favorite Porch & Patio Decorating Ideas.

Make a Seamless Transition from Indoors

Every step along the way – from designing the plan for the porch to adding in the decor – I knew I wanted a seamless transition from inside.  The porch opens off of both our den and our kitchen and I took this into consideration as well.

An easy way to ensure your outdoor space is an extension of your indoor space is to use a similar color scheme.  My den and kitchen areas are both full of creams, grays, tans and bits of aqua blue.  I did the same out here!  I even used the exact same indoor/outdoor rugs from the den and kitchen on the porch.

When I sketched out what I wanted the bones of the porch to look like for our contractor, I also had this in mind.  For example, I decided on a brick wall fireplace painted a similar color to the bring painted fireplace inside and had the mantle made as an exact replica, just on a smaller scale, of what we have in the den.  {Tour the Den HERE}

Create Specific Functions for Your Space

We enlarged the size of our deck space to be as big as we could and stay within hardscape constraints already in place in the yard.  No matter how big your porch or patio space is, however, it makes sense to create specific functions.  We went with a living room area, a dining area and a serving area between the two.  This makes everyday life and entertaining both very easy!

Use Rugs to Define Your Space

One inexpensive thing I LOVE to see in every outdoor space is a rug!  There are so many options in sizes, colors, patterns and price ranges these days.  I use two rugs on my porch to define the two key spaces – the living area and the dining area.  My rugs are from Ballard Designs but have been discontinued.  At our previous home, I used an outdoor rug on the patio.

Consider the Outdoor Lighting

Lighting is easy to forget in outdoor spaces.  On the porch I took a plain metal outdoor safe chandelier and overhauled it to suit my tastes using paint and oyster shells.  It’s a unique conversation piece that provides much needed lighting over the dining table.  In addition to the chandelier, wall sconces provide a more subtle lighting and recessed lights fully light the place up.

Bring Indoor Decor Outside

This one is my favorites and is SO easy to do, especially in a covered space – use indoor decor items outside.  I’ve hung inexpensive fabric for curtain panels, added vases of flowers cut from the yard (and my mother in law’s yard!), and inexpensive decorative items that would fare well in the elements.  Over the fireplace, my mother painted an oyster on canvas and I hung plates just like I enjoy doing inside.

If you have a covered porch, consider using reasonably priced furniture not particularly designed for outside.  (We do have deep eaves that prevent most rain storms from getting our porch wet.)  The dining table was on clearance from World Market and the coffee table was from the Ballard Designs Outlet.  Honey made the buffet table because I couldn’t find something the right size.  I’ve had ALL of this out here for years and it has all held up beautifully.

If you have a patio or deck space, you can still choose outdoor furnishings that don’t scream outdoors.  My sofa and chairs were from Target and are made for the elements.  However, the curved arms and cushions make them seem much more like indoor furniture than outdoor decor.  The garden stool would work anywhere.

I hope that you have been inspired for your own outdoor spaces!  A special thank you to the friends that invited me to participate in this month’s Five Favorites. Hop on over and check out their five favorites for porches and patios!

Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles
Lisa of Shine Your Light
Pam of Simple Details

And, if you’re joining me from one of the other ladies in the series, welcome.  I’m delighted you’re here!  You can learn more about me and this little piece of the internet HERE.

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