5 Outdoor Living:
Bring the Comfort & Style of Home Outside

Some of my favorite rooms don’t have four walls.

A beautiful patio, welcoming front porch, shaded courtyard, or cozy spot in the garden can become one of the most-loved spaces in a home. And I believe outdoor spaces deserve the same decorating attention we give our interiors.

The goal isn’t simply to put a table and a few chairs outside. It’s to create an outdoor room one that feels comfortable, intentional, personal, and connected to the rest of your home.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to create that feeling.

Start With How You Want to Live

Before buying anything, think about how you really want to use the space.

Morning coffee for two? Family dinners? Cocktails with friends? A quiet place to read? Big gatherings around the pool?

Once you know the purpose, the decorating decisions become much easier.

Even a large patio can feel awkward when everything is floating around without a plan. Instead, create distinct areas for conversation, dining, cooking, lounging, or simply enjoying the view.

Just as I do inside a home, I like to give every outdoor area a clear function.

Make It Feel Like a Room

One of the easiest ways to elevate an outdoor space is to borrow decorating ideas from inside your home.

Start with comfortable furniture and then layer in the elements that make a room feel finished: an outdoor rug, pillows, throws, side tables, lamps or lanterns, planters, and accessories.

You don't need a lot.

A few well-chosen pieces will usually have more impact than filling the patio with small accessories.

And don't forget scale. A tiny rug under a large seating group or undersized planters beside a substantial doorway can make the entire space feel a little “off.” Outdoors, you can often go bigger than you think.

Let Your Indoor Style Wander Outside

Your outdoor space doesn't need to match your interior exactly, but the two should feel connected.

Repeat a few colors, materials, or design elements from inside the house. If your home has warm woods, natural stone, black accents, or a favorite shade of green, find subtle ways to carry those elements outdoors.

This creates a natural visual flow when you look through the windows or open the doors.

The transition should feel almost effortless like the outdoor space has always been another room in your home.

Add Color With Intention

Outdoor spaces are wonderful places to have a little fun with color.

Pillows, cushions, umbrellas, pottery, flowers, and outdoor rugs can introduce color without requiring a major investment.

But rather than adding every color you love, create a simple palette. Choose two or three colors and repeat them throughout the space.

And remember, you already have one very important color in the room: green. Trees, plants, grass, and landscaping are part of your decorating palette, too.

Create Shade—and a Little Shelter

Comfort is every bit as important as beauty.

Depending on where you live, that might mean a large umbrella, pergola, covered patio, retractable awning, shade sail, outdoor curtains, ceiling fan, fireplace, or portable heater.

Here in the West and Southwest, shade can completely change how often an outdoor space gets used. In cooler climates, warmth and shelter may be what extends outdoor living into spring and fall. Good design should always help you use a space more—not simply make it prettier.

Use Plants as Accessories

Think of plants as the finishing accessories of your outdoor room.

Large pots can frame an entrance or define a seating area. Groups of containers can soften hard patio surfaces. A tall plant can add height to an empty corner, while flowers can introduce seasonal color.

One of my favorite tricks is grouping planters in different heights rather than lining up lots of small pots. It feels more collected, more intentional, and usually makes a bigger visual statement.

Don't Forget the Lighting

If you only think about your patio during daylight hours, you're missing half the decorating opportunity.

Outdoor lighting creates atmosphere.

Lanterns, sconces, landscape lighting, candles, string lights, and subtle lighting around steps or pathways can completely change how a space feels after sunset.

Instead of relying on one bright overhead light, layer your lighting just as you would indoors. The goal is a warm glow not an airport runway.

Give It Some Personality

This is the part that turns a nice patio into your patio.

Add something unexpected: an interesting sculpture, oversized pottery, a beautiful serving cart, a vintage piece, outdoor artwork, a fabulous patterned pillow, or something collected during your travels. Your outdoor spaces should tell a little bit of your story, too.

And Finally…Do the Room Scan

Stand back and look at the entire space.

Is there a focal point?
Does the furniture encourage conversation?
Is the scale right?
Does the color move around the space?
Is there enough texture?
Does something need height?
And most importantly, does it make you want to sit down and stay awhile?

If the answer is yes, you've done more than decorate a patio.

You've created another room to live in.

And that's what good decorating is really about.

Good Design Changes Lives—inside and out.