Spring has sprung!

Tuesday, March 20th marked the official first day of Spring, and I couldn’t be more excited! To me, a little Spring Tweaking is essential around this time. Tweaking your outdoor spaces is the perfect way to get ready for summer! But all too often, it’s easy to neglect these spaces when the weather isn’t comfortable. I get it. Outdoor decorating has it’s challenges. It’s not always easy finding the perfect outdoor furniture that can withstand the elements AND also match your personal style.

I will say this…

I’ve been decorating for over 20 years and every time I have an opportunity to design outdoor spaces, I get really excited!!! I love being outside and the calming affect it has on me. I try to incorporate elements from nature into interior spaces whenever possible.

You may want to consider this too…

Studies show that nature heals. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It may even reduce mortality, according to scientists such as public health researchers Stamatakis and Mitchell. Wow, and it’s all natural too, no prescription necessary!

In honor of Spring Tweaking,

We put together a round-up of our favorite Tweaked patio spaces! Hopefully, these spaces will inspire you to get outdoors and start Tweaking!

Here’s a tip! Choose a decorating style for your outdoor spaces that also works with the design of your interior spaces. This is especially important if there are glass doors, or windows, separating the two spaces. Meaning, both spaces can be seen at the same time whether you’re standing inside or out. Creating complimentary interior and exterior spaces gives you flexibility. For example – if you need extra seating. It’s a bonus that the chairs from one space will favor the decor of the other space. Another added bonus is the illusion of more space. Creating and indoor/outdoor view gives you the feeling of being in a much larger space.

Patio Inspiration:

The Herringbone House Interior

The Herringbone House called for a relaxed yet intricate design. Those bay front windows had a statement to make! We used organic elements, such as wood and wicker to help make the connection between the outdoors and in.

The Herringbone House Exterior

Using elements of wicker indoors and out, allowed for the two spaces to BLEND and speak to one another. I kept the color palette consistent from one space to the next, using gray tones found in both the indoor and outdoor spaces. The outdoor fabric on the sectional is a light taupe/gray with darker gray piping specifically chosen to hide any dust or dirt that finds its way up to this 10th floor balcony.

The Moroccan House Interior

The Moroccan House was a really fun project. Once the overall design style had been established, I knew I needed to find just the right outdoor pieces to tie the indoors to the out. A pictures is worth a 1000 words, they say!

The Moroccan House Exterior

Those are authentic Moroccan tiles used on the wall!

Don’t be afraid to go bold. Remember, if you use the tip I gave you, your interior decor will support the design aesthetic for your exterior, and vise versa!

The Lanai House Interior

Here’s another Tip! Let the outdoors inspire your interior. Let nature do some of the work for you when deciding on a color palette, or just an accent color.

In The Lanai House you can see water from just about every window. Being surrounded by water gave us the opportunity to use different shades of blue coming from the bay, canal, and swimming pool, to use as our accent color for the living room. It was important with this Tweak that the indoor and outdoor spaces had a cohesive feel, connecting its occupants to the outdoors and surrounding water. Bi-folding exterior glass doors completely opened up the living room – to the lanai, and beyond!

The Lanai House Exterior

The Details: Net Globe Pendants from Pottery Barn were used over the Salvaged Wood & Weathered Concrete Beam Dining Table, Aviara side chairs, and Havana end chairs from Restoration Hardware. FYI- the table weighed in at 450 pounds. Yikes! It’s all in the details! The openness of the chairs were perfect. They did not obstruct the view allowing you to see through them to the gorgeous vista!

Urban Loft Interior

The Urban Loft design is full of organic, rich elements. This 5-story loft sits within the trees. It’s soothing, industrial, decor really takes a keen liking to items from nature!

Urban Loft Exterior

Keeping it simple on the balcony was key since space was limited. By only painting one wall charcoal gray, this created a nice focal point and backdrop for the cactus tub and tractor front. The galvanized tub and watering can are vintage pieces selected for their chalky, matte, finishes, and lean toward industrial style. Now, the balcony speaks to the rest of the loft while also being functional and fun!

The Santa Barbara House Interior

The Santa Barbara House features rich earth tones – chocolate browns, grays, and some green accents. The kitchen opens to the outdoor dining and pool area. By using like colors, this creates a smooth visual transition from the indoors out. Check out their Tweaked patio below!

The Santa Barbara House Exterior

The Wrap Up…

For all five (5) exterior spaces, both Tips were utilized creating seamless transitions and cohesive spaces, harmonizing beautifully between the indoors and the outdoors!

How to Make Your Outdoor Spaces Speak to Your Design Style