Turn Your Outdoors into an Oasis with These Ideas

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It’s official. I’m in summer mode, and with that comes all the fun summer accessories I’m shopping for. I’m rounding up some of my thoughts and favorite picks with you—all from Amazon!

With these ideas, you can style up your outdoor spaces in a beautiful and practical way. (The featured image is via Jenni Kayne.)

Outdoor Accessories

Unpopular Opinion: I’m not really a fan of outdoor pillows and rugs anymore. Cushion furniture should be included in that as well. Even though the materials are rated for outdoor use, I find they get dirty quickly, fade from the sun, and most of the time, people move them around or kick them to the ground while sitting.

These days, I’m more about functionality and practicality. I might buy a few things here or there, but I don’t go crazy or skip altogether. It’s made my life so much easier.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I still love an outdoor pillow on a covered porch or patio! Pillows do make things more cozy, but I don’t think you need an entire couch’s worth of pillows to get the vibe. The same goes for outdoor rugs. For covered spaces or screened-in porches, outdoor rugs are almost a must for me. But outside in the elements? Not so much – I let the pavers shine!

I want to show you some other ways you can spruce up your spaces without using outdoor pillows and rugs. Just imagine not having to go out there every time it rains to collect and wash those pillows! Always think in terms of practicality. For instance, a slew of beautiful woven sun hats are practical and make fantastic wall decor.

I love to add character to a patio space with planters. Terracotta and crisp white planters are some of my favorites, and they go with a variety of styles. I like to vary the heights and cluster planters together. This is also a great way to add some greenery and floral elements and to define the borders of a patio space.

And when you need height — a trellis is your best friend. Add a beautiful climbing vine to it, and you’ll feel like you stepped into a storybook Cape Cod home!

Cafe lights and candles are also a great way to kick the ambiance up a notch. A simple trio of hurricanes with candles makes everything look so fancy and special!

Now, I’m not completely anti-textile outdoors. If I’m entertaining or having a party outside, I like to put a striped or gingham tablecloth over our long white table. This brings in a dose of color and helps everything look a bit softer. Clean-up is also a breeze because I can simply shake it out and machine-wash it for next time.

I also love a couple of beautiful throw blankets flung over the arms of our Adirondack chairs around the fire pit, which makes for a cozy spot and is practical when it cools down at night.

Outdoor Furniture

I think it’s best to go with neutral outdoor furniture. Let nature and the landscape sing here. Make sure your furniture is specially rated and treated for outdoor use. (I owned a teak table in the past, and it was completely destroyed by the elements.)

We have Polywood Adirondack chairs, which are made of weather-resistant material. All we need to do is power wash them occasionally and they are good to go.

We also invested in these mesh aluminum pool chaise loungers this year, and I have to say they live up to the hype! They are comfortable, take the rain like a champ, and are so easy to keep clean.

We have mostly white furniture outside because I love the lighter furniture against our darker gray house and dark blue pool. The trick is to balance it out with some wood or texture.

Pair your large neutral furniture with smaller textured side tables and garden stools. You can even DIY these concrete tables, which add a textured vibe and are extremely weatherproof. Add in a couple of wood chairs or a cedar potting station (and bonus—it doubles as a buffet/drink station!).

Eventually, I would love to swap out a couple of our white outdoor dining chairs for something with a little more character, like these wicker ones.