Although you won’t catch me with a stencil kit, hand-painting trellis designs on my patio table, as author Kathy Peterson so effortlessly does for her book “Great Outdoor Decorating Makeovers,” here are some of her outdoor makeover tips that I can use: Make the outdoors a continuation of your indoors. Treat your outdoor space like a room without walls. “Connect the dots from indoors to out,” Peterson says. “Carry the color scheme through, so the two areas cohere, especially if you can see the outdoor space from inside.”
Use what you have. Raid linen closets, haul out old pillows and accessories. Bring your indoors out.
Protect the meek. To shelter outdoor accessories from rain, wind or harsh sun, get a large trunk or chest that can double as a bench or coffee table. Stash pillows, lanterns, candle holders and throws inside, for protection and easy access.
Enliven plain cement. Paint a cement patio to make it look tiled. First, power clean and prime the surface. Tape off would-be grout lines, then, using paint made for concrete, faux paint the rest using two tones of a similar color, say two shades of brown, or terra cotta, to get a mottled stone look.
Repaint tired furniture. To add gravity to a white wicker set, Peterson suggests spray painting it black, then top that with a light coat of brown to create a marbled effect that looks expensive.
Use durable fabrics. Vinyl and acrylic fabrics hold up well outdoors, as do weatherproof fabrics like Sunbrella and Taracloth. If you opt for a less durable fabric, such as canvas, spray it with a waterproof protectant to prevent mildew and water damage.
Go heavy on the greenery. Big green potted plants and trees are a must on decks and patios. They add texture, color and depth, so don’t skimp.
Pick flowers purposefully. Select them both for their sun preference and how their color coordinates with furniture fabrics. Shoot for one of these color schemes: high contrast (white and red geraniums against black plaid furniture fabric); monochromatic (varying shades of one color, say, pink or purple); complimentary (orange marigolds against cobalt blue seat cushions); or themed (a hydrangea-print fabric with real hydgrangeas nearby).
Then, when your friends come over and say, “Wow!” and your husband asks how much, just wave your hand and say, “It was nothing.”
