Outdoor Living: Cheerful Patio Ideas for Relaxing at Home
In this post: Looking forward to outdoor living this summer? These simple and affordable patio ideas will help you prepare your space for relaxing at home.⇒ 
I could practically taste it.
Those few unseasonably warm days we had in early spring were a real tease. I’d gotten in the habit of wrapping up in a blanket and nestling in a sunny corner of our large sectional sofa on the patio. But everything was bare. No plants, no flowers, no color.
Then April came and just like the old adage, so did the showers. It was chilly, rainy and grey.
But the one certainty was that summer was coming. And I was chomping at the bit.
Now that it’s upon us I am so ready!
Outdoor Living
I am crazy about the outdoors and I’m always aching for it to warm up.
I should clarify, I don’t mean in a ‘nature girl’ way. While I do enjoy exercise, I’m hardly an adventurer nor even a hiker. No, when I say I love outdoor living, I mean I enjoy sunbathing. And dining al fresco. And reading a magazine on the patio. Such simple things that make me happy year after year.
All I need is a patio with some creature comforts and a sunny day. That’s enough to feel like vacation and keep me satisfied for a long time.
If you feel your patio could use some cheering up, today I’m sharing 6 upbeat patio ideas for bringing joy and optimism to your home.
Colorful Pillows
I’ve mentioned many times that my decorating strategy is to use neutrals for the larger investment furniture and change out the accent pieces for an inexpensive update.
This is exactly the approach I took for my lively summer patio and the easiest place to start is with the decorative pillows. I like to pick a color palette and then find pieces that fit my story, ultimately winding up with a wardrobe of pillows.
These lovely spring green pillows set a cheerful tone and come in several coordinating patterns that work beautifully together. They are super affordable, and yet plush and full.
Floral Outdoor Dishes
Eating outside is one of my favorite things to do! Because we’re in a townhouse with only the one patio for outdoor living, I don’t have a large table set up for dining. Instead we have our coffee at the small bistro table by the window, but we still enjoy casual dinners on the sectional around the coffee table.
I love using melamine dishes for this. They are super convenient, light and unbreakable and come in many different patterns. I selected a gorgeous hydrangea pattern this year that marries the purples and greens from my current palette.
We do have a grill on the deck which makes impromptu meals very easy.
Vibrant Outdoor Drinkware
Along with the dishes, outdoor drinkware is an obvious convenience, and I could just as easily have found clear glasses. But how much more fun is a punch of purple, like in the set above? Whether we just have iced tea or lemonade in the afternoon, or for evening have a bit more fun with margaritas and mojitos, this very inexpensive pop of color adds a sense of playfulness to our summer patio.
Flowering Potted Plants
If you look around your patio and you think something is missing, there’s a good chance you can solve the problem with flowering potted plants. I am absolutely the worst gardener, but even I can keep flowering plants alive for a good part of the summer.
They add lush color and varied texture, and most of all, simple beauty.
You may have a large garden beyond your sitting area, but that does not preclude adding flowers in containers to the patio area. For me they make all the difference in the world and selecting planters that reflect your style and plants that look charming together is where the magic lies.
Vivid Throw Blankets
If you live in a region that gets warm in the summer, you won’t be needing heavy blankets, but a lightweight throw in a vivid color is perfect for breezy evenings and provides another opportunity for adding a convivial feel. There’s no need to be shy here. You can layer upbeat tones pulled right from your flower garden, or match colors from your dishes or pillow patterns.
If you have lounge chairs, you can achieve the same effect with neatly rolled up towels in similar colors.
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Hanging Baskets
There’s no need to limit your plants to the floor or table surfaces. To spread the color out and add highs and lows, try hanging baskets with additional colorful blooms. I hated the look of our window, which felt flat and uninteresting, until I added distressed brackets and hanging baskets for flowers. It adds a whole new dimension to the patio and it cost hardly anything.
Each day we draw closer to the relaxing heart of summer and I am so enjoying it!
While I use white and neutrals throughout my home, having peeled away the color over the past few years, the one place I want rich splashes of color is out on the patio against a backdrop of clear blue sky.
Some years I tone it down favoring paler hues, but this year I’m pining for the intensity of lavish brights.
I can practically taste it.
Resource Guide
To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
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Please be sure to visit all of the other posts below!
On Sutton Place | Porch Sitting Area Decor
Shabbyfufu | Decorating A Gazebo And Outdoor Living
StoneGable | Adding a Pretty Front Door Decal
In My Own Style | Patio Umbrella Table Centerpiece
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I am the same “outdoor” type, and really, what can be better than a magazine with a cup of tea? We have both a screened in porch and a patio on our lower level. We are just beginning to emerge after the wet, rainy spring in Massachusetts. Always a bit of a stay at home, this sheltering in place has really gotten to me.
I too, have brought the color of lavender/ light purple out, but to my bedroom with throw pillows and an Afghan that I made. Too bad I can’t send pictures. The items you show are lovely and I will admit very reasonable, but recent events have made me very aware and I’m now committed to not buying products made in China. I’m willing to pay more and go without if necessary. I would urge all the bloggers to provide information about products made in the USA and/or Europe who can really use our support right now.
Margo, I’m right in there with you! Very well stated!
I so agree about the magazine and a cup of tea! Your bedroom sounds lovely… 🙂
As for the products, I would absolutely love to feature products made in the US, but they are quite hard to find. I worked in the garment center for many years with production both domestic and imported. I have visited factories both here and overseas, as well. The thing to keep in mind is that buying products from American companies who import from China IS supporting Americans because these companies provide plenty of jobs to Americans, including in design, product development, merchandising, production, sales, accounting, IT, shipping, customer service and many other areas. The factory is only one small part in the chain, and even if an item is produced in the US, it doesn’t mean the fabric or materials originated here either. Add to that the people who work in import/export offices in the US, people who work in transportation to import these items and on and on and I think you can feel comfortable that plenty of Americans are employed by companies that import from overseas.
It would be vey nice if manufacturing came back to the US, but it only helps if Americans are willing to take these factory jobs. It’s pointless if we open factories only to find we have to import laborers to do the work.
That said, I will certainly continue looking for American made products… 🙂
Love the purple and green. As a matter of fact it’s one of my favorite color combinations. It seems my taste is so much like yours Lori. French country is my happy place. Thank you for sharing Jean
Thank you, Jean! It’s funny because I recently realized how many posts I have featuring purple and green. One day I will do a round up post with all of them linked… 🙂
Where’s the beautiful blue rug? I love it! Was that your patio I saw it on? The lavenders and greens are so lovely together and purple really adds a flair that welcomes Spring!
I still have it! Just like to be able to switch off from time to time… 🙂
We also live in a townhouse. ( It has three floors and a basement.). We have a porch and courtyard, and that’s just the right amount of space for gardening and decorating. Not too much and not too little.
Sounds just perfect!
I absolutely loved your suggestions of ways on how to add floral designs to a patio setup, especially by using things like potted plants and dishware. Flowers are my biggest fascination, and I wanted to devote an entire area of my yard to be a place where my family and I can just relax while sniffing them and looking at them. These patio designs are wonderful ways of doing that, so along with your tips, I’ll use the example photos you gave as a reference when I find a patio installation company to talk to.
That’s awesome! I’m a bit flower obsessed too, so I totally get it… 🙂 Would love to plant a cutting garden.