Simple Ways to Spruce Up Your Patio

Warm weather has arrived! Are you ready to take your quarantine from your living room to your outdoor space? We can help with that! For the final installment in our three-post series on getting your patio ready for the season, we're going to give you some inspiration for simple ways to spruce up your patio or outdoor space - without breaking your budget or putting in a ton of work!

Put a rug on it!

One of the simplest ways to add new life to your patio, or to create a cozy seating area in your outdoor space if you don't currently have one, is to add an outdoor rug. Think of your outdoor space as an extension of your home. In our homes, we pick out a rug for a room that will add a level of cozy comfort, bring more personality to that room and complete the look of it. A rug in your outdoor space will have the same effect, and if you don't have a deck, porch, pavers or concrete slab to put patio furniture on, a large outdoor rug is a perfect alternative. It will help create an obvious gathering space and seating area where you and your family can kick your shoes off and relax.

When you're looking for an outdoor rug, make sure that you look at the materials as well as the design. Polypropylene is the best all-around outdoor rug material; it's stain-resistant, easy to clean, won't fade in the sunlight, and will stand up to moisture from rain or humidity. We picked out a few of our favorite on-trend styles from Wayfair to get you inspired (pssst - some of our citronella candles and torches are available on Wayfair as well, so if you find some patio decor that you love, you can order our items at the same time and save on shipping!)

For a bold geometric pattern with a neutral color palette, we love this black and tan rug.

If you want to go all-in on the tropical trend we highlighted in our first post of the series, this fun palm tree print rug is a beautiful, bold option. If you're looking for a more subtle way to incorporate the trend, this beige and black rug is perfect for playing up the natural-look side of the tropical trend.

Color, Texture, Patterns!

Keep building on the comfort and personality that adding a rug created with smaller decorative pieces that will add different colors, textures, and patterns to your outdoor space. Think throw pillows, blankets, poufs, and decorative storage elements.

We love the idea of pairing a few pillows that have a bold, statement pattern on them with several more neutral pillows. For example, if you love the tropical fruit pop trend we showed in our first post in the series, try this lemon slice lumbar pillow with complementary solids like this throw pillow in ivory and navy (maybe throw one yellow in there too!)

For blankets, stick to lighter throws that can stand up to being washed regularly. Turkish towels are a great outdoor alternative to a standard throw blanket; they come in hundreds of colors and styles and are large and light enough to be used as a blanket once the sun goes down.

When you're picking out decorative storage for your patio, you don't have to stick with traditional patio furniture style storage, but you should keep the elements in mind. Wicker and rattan baskets like these will look great in your outdoor space, but they won't hold up well with the elements so you'd want to bring them indoors in inclement weather. A similar option that is more durable would this plastic utility basket that is 100% polypropylene but looks woven. If you want something with a cover that can help protect some of your decor, like your throw blankets, we'd suggest a more traditional deck box like this 13-gallon one that can double as a side table.

Light it up!

Our last tip for a simple patio update is the final piece to make your outdoor space feel warm and cozy on those chilly spring evenings or warm summer nights - light!

Of course, our favorite way to add a little light to your patio is through candlelight and torchlight. With our citronella candles, torches and outdoor lanterns, we recommend creating a "barrier of protection" to help keep the bugs away, and the bonus to that setup style is that all that glowing flame helps to create a cozy, welcoming outdoor space!

If you have yard space, standard torches are a fun and decorative way to spread the coziness around your outdoor space. In last week's blog post, we talked about different styles of standard torches and how to pick one that best suits your preferences. If your outdoor space is more confined to a patio or a front porch, tabletop torches are a great option.

Our citronella candles come in many shapes and sizes, and most already come in multi-packs (to help create a barrier of protection) but we love the idea of mixing and matching styles. Try pairing a few together, like our 80-ounce giant farmhouse bucket candle and our 6-ounce rustic pot citronella candle for a charming, seaside cottage vibe.

For a more permanent light source, string lights are a great option. They're simple to hang up and add just the right amount of glow to create a welcoming atmosphere. There are hundreds of choices, from these standard globe lights to these novelty pineapple lights.

Now that we've given you all our tips and inspiration, you're all set to create an outdoor space that you'll love! Once you're done updating your space, we'd love to see a photo - tag us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!