Whether it’s flipping through a home decor magazine, visiting friends or staying at a hotel – we have all been exposed to a luxurious outdoor space that motivates us to want something similar.
It often leads to the question: how can we afford it? Beautiful water fountains, lush plants, plush trendy furniture, stunning accents – it all adds up.
What if there was a way to get an extravagant look without breaking the bank? Well, we’re here to help! Our team has compiled 5 of our top tips on how to help achieve these luxurious (yet affordable) looks – some even without spending a dime.
- Start With What Inspires You: Pick A Style, One Style
Have you heard the statement less is more? This is the perfect scenario for that. Pick one style and stick with it. Mixing styles can be a tricky business, and sometimes cheapen the look. Avoid that risk altogether for a clean, defined look.
TIP: There are so many new products and trends that come out every day – how do you even begin to know where to start when it comes to style? Easy. Start collecting pictures (or pinning pics on Pinterest) of outdoor spaces that you like. Yes- it’s that simple.
By doing this, you get to know what styles you like and what attracts you. You may like more than one style, but once you start collecting images, you’ll find a pattern of what you like the most. These will not only be your inspiration and starting point, they will give you ideas of what types of decor and furniture you’ll want to make sure are included in your space.
- Regular Maintenance of Your Natural Backdrop
Are you regularly keeping up with your landscaping? You should. Your outdoor space should be kept nice and tidy, like a room in your home. Trees, hedges, bushes should be manicured, along with gardens, flower pots and the lawn free of weeds and trimmed. This not only helps give a fresh backdrop to your space, it increases the curb appeal. Also re-evaluate any lawn ornaments or decor – remember tip #1: less is more.
Tip: If you are having trouble selecting what flowers to plant, pot or include in your decor, consider the style you are choosing to go with. For example, if you are decorating with an Urban Chic style, succulents may be a great option, or if Rustic is what you are going with, plant a mix of wild flowers in your garden – plus you also have these to put in a beautiful vase on your outdoor table!
- Defined by Design
Another common design mistake is to try to do too much with too little space. Make sure to keep your grilling area, your relaxation space, and your social area clearly defined and self-contained locations. Having them too close together can create the same visual effect as a sentence without spaces: it’s just plain hard to look at.
Tip: Outdoor rugs are great for defining these spaces – they provide an anchor for your furniture and create the feeling of a “room”. Also take a look at current outdoor furniture – what can you still use, what can you sell and what do you need?
- Create a Focal Point
The focal point in exterior design is to the exterior designer what the vanishing point is to the painter: the area around which everything else is organized. By ensuring that one space in your yard properly catches the eye and the other spaces serve merely to complement it rather than to compete against it, you create an artwork rather than a conglomeration of separate portraits.
Tip: How you decorate your outdoor living spaces is similar to indoors. Your living room may have a fireplace and you set up your seating area around that – it is your focal point.
- Properly Light Your Space
By now, you are well aware that less is more – well, the same goes with lighting. The main goal is to create an ambiance. Whether it’s string edison lights to create a cafe look, spotlights on your well manicured trees or lanterns for mood lighting – make sure to keep it very simple.
There is no need to send a message to outer space, so keep the lighting soft and “glowing” over bright and blinding, or using colored lights (save those for the holidays if need be).
Tip: Keep lighting placement in mind. Make sure that lights aren’t blinding and pointing in a direction where you or guests may be seated.
Create Your Dream Outdoor Living Space!
Creating a luxurious outdoor space isn’t always about purchasing the best and most expensive pieces, but can be simply evaluating what you already have, making adjustments and then working from there. When it does come to your outdoor furniture however, you save money in the long run by selecting quality. And when it comes to quality, we only work with the best names in the business. When you are ready to put your outdoor living space together, give our team a call at (919) 789-8444 or visit our showroom located at 8921 Glenwood Ave, where we have the largest in-house inventory in Raleigh.