Simple Ideas to Refresh Your Outdoor Living Spaces

Jodi Blake
May 7
6 min read

Updated: May 7

Outdoor seating area with yellow accessory accents on the sofa and coffee table and frondy plants and a stacked stone water feature in the background

Attending barbeques with friends and family. Sitting around a firepit as the stars start twinkling overhead. Enjoying a cup of coffee or a smoothie outside on your porch or balcony in the morning sunshine. Reading a good book or taking an afternoon nap in a hammock on the deck. We all have our favorite ways to enjoy the warmer weather in our outdoor living spaces. It’s an escape from being cooped up indoors during the colder months.

In anticipation of celebrating all those great moments, let’s spruce up our porches, decks, patios, balconies and other gathering spots in our yards. In a short amount of time and with a fresh eye for possibilities, you can make your outdoor living spaces the go-to destination for you, your family and your friends.

Don’t worry that you’re not a fancy interior designer (or would it be exterior designer?) and that you don’t have a huge budget to buy new patio furniture or a fancy gas grill. With some simple changes, you can revamp your spaces with what you already have and/or check out local thrift stores, online marketplaces and the sales sections of home decor stores/sites for just the right additions to create a revamped outdoor living setting.

Start With a Clean Slate

My front porch and backyard deck always have a layer of grime after the winter months, so I always need to plan a couple hours of de-griming as I get ready for outdoor summer living. It’s truly amazing how much better everything looks afterwards – the cobwebs and dried leaves are swept away and the chairs look inviting to sit in again. Now you can start making the changes that will re-energize your space.

Here is a quick cleaning checklist:

Power wash or hose off both horizontal and vertical hard surfaces (concrete and paver patios, porch floors, balconies, doors, windows). If it’s not possible to reach your outdoor living space with a hose, then the old-fashioned mop-and-bucket approach can do the trick, too.
Don’t forget the outdoor light fixtures. Give them a good cleaning so they sparkle again.
Vacuum and spot clean outdoor furniture cushions. If they are removable and can be washed, throw them in your washing machine for a more thorough cleaning.
Scrub off any plant containers, statuary or signage. Even if these items were stored in a garage during the off season, they deserve a good cleaning so they can best enhance your space.
Repaint, restain or reseal furnishings, accessories and outdoor surfaces that are looking a bit tired.

Rearrange the Layout

One of the simplest reset options to breathe new energy into your outdoor living spaces is to reorganize the layout of your furnishings. Think about how you currently use these spaces and if there are other ways you want to use them. On our deck, I’m going to move the gas grill to the opposite side. It will be a bit closer to our sliding door for better access, and it will allow a larger area for a seating area that isn’t possible now because of the dining table and chairs.

You can experiment with creating a different seating area that is more intimate or shaded, for example. Maybe there is room to add a bistro table and two chairs by opening up a corner space. Start with the current furniture and accessories you have and then take note of new pieces you may want to add.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about the layout of your outdoor living spaces:

Create a different seating arrangement – for example, for conversations, reading, entertaining, dining or grilling.
Add privacy with a row of potted tall shrubs or grasses. You could also add a free-standing pergola with fabric drapes or slatted panels that can also diffuse the sunlight.
Use an outdoor rug to define a seating or dining area.
Save space by substituting smaller side tables near chairs for your larger dining table.

Front entrance decorated with a bench, area rug, plants and a floral wreath on the wooden door

Refresh the Accessories

A living space comes alive with those special touches that add a punch of color, help set an overall vibe, and bring out your personality. Take a look at your existing accessories and determine which ones still enhance your outdoor living space, which ones could be updated or repurposed, and which ones you no longer want to use. What’s missing to complete the overall look? Check out your favorite shops in person or online to find the perfect finishing touches, such as these items:

Place throw pillows on chairs or use large floor cushions for additional seating.
Look for interchangeable pillow covers to decorate for different seasons and holidays.
Add decorative candles to tabletops or set larger lanterns on the floor.
Dress up your dining table with placemats or tablerunners in colors and designs to match the overall aesthetic of the space.
Select whimsical or thematic knickknacks (make sure they are weather resistant) to add some extra interest.
Place a coordinating doormat or small rug at door entries.
Use storage chests or boxes for blankets and pillows.

Small outdoor seating area by the railing on a deck with a wooden chair with lime green back cushion, small table with electronic tablet and coffee mug, and a grouping of pots planted with flowers

Bring Nature Into the Space

Although the spaces we’re talking about are already outdoors, there can still be opportunities to let nature shine even more. Talk about the perfect accessories! Just be sure to consider the amount of sunlight the space receives and how easy it will be to water plants if your area doesn’t get enough rainfall or you don’t have or can’t run irrigation. For example, my backyard deck receives morning sun only while my front porch bakes in the hot afternoon sun, but the landscaping areas just beyond the porch are watered with a sprinkler system.

Think about adding touches of nature in these ways:

Cultivate a grouping of potted flowering annuals – perhaps with a different color palette than you normally grow or some new varieties.
Move some of your houseplants outside for the warmer months. They will love the new environment and so will your budget.
Hang a seasonal wreath (real or artificial foliage) on your front door or attach the wreath to a glass sliding door using large suction cups with hooks.
Use placemats or other accessories made of woven natural materials like wicker, bamboo or palm fronds.

Outdoor seating area at twilight with lighted floor lamp, several lit candles, and overhead strings of lightbulbs

Light It Up to Extend Your Outdoor Living Time

Let’s not forget that we also spend time in these outdoor living spaces after the sun goes down, so it’s important to think about lighting these areas – both for ambiance and for safety. How might you use the space once it’s dark outside? How well do your existing light sources work for different scenarios such as entertaining or enjoying a quiet conversation with your spouse or best friend?

Here are some lighting ideas:

Hang a string of lights along a porch or balcony railing, through tree branches or on the underside of a large patio umbrella. Use zip ties to temporarily but securely hold the lights in place.
Add solar-powered lights along the border of the outdoor space or throughout nearby landscaping beds. They even work when placed in container pots amongst your flowers.
Place solar-/battery-powered or rechargeable lamps on tables.
Light tabletop candles with tall sides to protect the flame for a cozy or romantic feel.
Don't forget how inviting the light is from a fire in a firepit.

Photo 1: Ceiling fans help keep flying insects away. / Photos 2-4: Lantana, lavender and cintronella plants are all great for repelling insects in outdoor living spaces.

Bonus Idea: Ban the Bugs

Unwelcome guests to your patio or deck always seem to find you and your guests – mosquitos, bees and wasps, or flies. Don’t let them drive you away from enjoying your time outside. In addition to applying insect repellent sprays or creams on your skin, you can take other actions to ward off the little buggers.

Consider these ideas:

Install an outdoor ceiling fan or set up oscillating fans around the area. The air movement keeps many flying insects away.
Light citronella or other insect-repellent candles around your space.
Use a solar-powered bug zapper and hang traps for catching wasps or sweat bees.
Eliminate excess or standing water in your yard that can become a breeding ground for mosquitos.
Clean up any spilled foods and liquids to deter ants from visiting.
Plant insect-repelling plants in pots or the ground around the perimeter of the area. There are several insect-repelling plant species to consider, including citronella, lavender, lemongrass, mint and rosemary.
Switch your lighting to yellow bug lights or LEDs labeled as insect repelling. Insects are often attracted to white and blue-tinted lights.

Let the Outdoor Living Begin!

What’s your game plan to re-energize your porch, patio, deck or balcony? My focus this year is to refresh our deck with the before-mentioned area rug under our dining table, a string of lights along the railing and a new seating area where I can enjoy some reading time outside in the mornings. I’d love to hear about your plans in the comments below.

Thanks for reading this post! We encourage you to comment – and if you do – would you consider signing off on your comment with your first name and last initial? We love to know who’s commenting, but we don’t want to require a sign-in to add your thoughts.

If you want to receive an email reminder about each new post, just visit this page to sign up (it’s easy, you can unsubscribe anytime, and we send only one email a week).

~ Heather M. and Jodi B.