Get fast and easy ideas for taking any outdoor space and creating an outdoor living room design! Your outdoor decor can be just as warm and cozy as the interior of your home – learn how!
Sometimes you don’t need a big makeover, just little tweaks to make your home feel more inviting. I love that the same decorating ideas that apply indoors can create incredible outdoor living design inspiration, too!
Today I’m sharing some outdoor design ideas that take very little time, but add a lot of ambience to your outdoor spaces. It’s possible to take any outdoor space and turn it into a charming retreat that will add significant value to your home.
I love bringing you ideas for upgrading all the spaces in your home – it’s one of my favorite subjects! Find my tips for creating a warm and cozy minimalist home, 10 ways to make an old home feel new, and 15 ways to add charm to your home.
Tour our Neutral Living Room and our Modern Living Room, too!
Table of Contents
Creating an Outdoor Living Space
Yes, I like to think of the exterior spaces of our home as living areas. We are lucky enough to have a screened in porch that we now use as an outdoor dining area, and this little deck space off to the side serves as a cozy place to enjoy a glass of wine while watching the sun set.
Psst… if you’re interested in seeing how we took this deck from drab to fab with a soft paint color, check it out!
Whether it’s in your front yard or your backyard, or even a tiny space you carve off to the side somewhere, outdoor rooms can truly add square footage to your house.
Finding Outdoor Design Inspiration
I love perusing the outdoor spaces in magazines and even real estate listings, because it’s just as much fun as looking at the interior of homes! There are incredible ways to upgrade your spaces – gorgeous landscape design, outdoor kitchens and more.
However, those options aren’t always feasible and they’re certainly not fast, even if your budget eventually allows. These outdoor décor ideas are easy to implement, many of them in 10 minutes or less!
Read about the outdoor living room we created with Underdecking as part of our new Vinyl Deck at the lake!
Fast and Easy Outdoor Living Design Tips
These ideas are not only easy to implement, they are often inexpensive, too! Learn how to create a cozy outdoor living room one step at a time.
Choose patio furniture that is comfortable. This is very important. I always consider comfort when we are contemplating a furniture purchase.
We wanted our kitchen stools to be comfortable to encourage lingering at parties, and we wanted comfortable dining chairs so our guests would feel welcome for longer!
The concept is the same for outside. If you want to truly linger in an outdoor living room, you need your furniture to be as comfortable as possible! Choose pieces with thick cushions and comfortable arms – you’ll never regret upgrading those key pieces.
Add a side table. Offer plenty of places to set books and drinks with side tables. This is a wood stool doubles as a side table, providing versatility and bringing in another element to an otherwise matched set of furniture.
Add a throw! Is there anything more cozy? It makes you want to curl up on a chilly night, extending the use of your patio or deck. It’s also a great way to add a pop of color.
Add throw pillows. Pillows are a beautiful way to add comfort and patterns. They can be easily updated as your taste and trends change.
Incorporate plants! They’re my favorite decorative element! Use them to add various heights, textures and colors. They’re also great to fill awkward corners.
Add lighting. String lights, candle light and fixed lighting all add to a space. Lighting is just as important on the exterior of your home as it is on the inside. It will truly add the ambiance that your home deserves.
Define the area with a rug. Just like inside your house in a living room or dining room, a rug can define your living space and ground the elements in a furniture grouping. This creates a cozy feeling and connects all your furniture (and people!) when you’re sharing the space.
Incorporate functional accents that your whole family can enjoy, like a copper hummingbird feeder! We all get so much enjoyment out of those tiny little birds in a feeding frenzy!
Even if it’s something like a purely functional outdoor thermostat- these items can create interest and add to conversation each day!
Consider an outdoor fireplace for a true focal point in your outdoor areas. You can even add a more portable style of fire pit for a cozy gathering spot to make s’mores and enjoy family time!
What about a water feature? And no, I don’t mean a swimming pool – although wouldn’t that be nice? Add a modern outdoor fountain. They can cover any background noise and create a feeling of zen that is a proven calming technique!
Photography: Clary Pfeiffer
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More Outdoor Living and Gardening Ideas
- Tour our garden
- Growing Meyer Lemon Trees
- Underdecking
- How to water plants while you’re away
- DIY Garden Markers
- Why You’ll Love a Solo Stove
- Planning an outdoor dinner night
- Covered patio before and after
Hi, thank you for confirming the now discontinued 😢 deck furniture. Do you recommend spray painting my black set to a soft white shade? I love the graciousness of your blog and your home,
Thank you
Unfortunately I’m not sure it would paint well – I believe it would be nearly impossible to get between all the woven nooks and crannies. I’m so sorry!
Love your blog! I have a question concerning your deck furniture. I have the very same set but in black. I really like your white. Did your set come in white? Can the black be painted?
Also I need to replace my cushions on the settee and want to go with the same taupe color. Do you know if the manufacturer still offers replacement cushions? If so can you share the manufacturer’s name?
Thank you!
Unfortunately I believe it has been discontinued. It’s Martha Stewart from the Home Decorator’s Collection.
I love following your blog! Several years now.
Your outdoor space is beautiful! I have been looking at outdoor furniture two years now for my uncovered patio.
May I ask where you purchased yours? Looks comfortable and durable! Thank you!
Thank you, Patricia! Sorry for the delay. It was Martha Stewart Decorators Collection.
I love your blog Julie and this back deck is just gorgeous! I have a deck that has a gazebo covering it but nothing on the sides. I’ve never had trouble with this before but last year I had squirrels start chewing on my couch and chair cushions. These are obviously not cheap so I don’t want to replace them. (I’m able to flip them over to cover the chewing for now) My question: do you take your cushions in every night or do you leave them out? And do you know of something I can do to keep the pesky squirrels from doing that? I live in Michigan where we treasure our Spring, Summer and Fall weather as it’s warm enough to get outside and enjoy.
Hi Laurie!
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry I’m just now seeing your message. I hate that you’re dealing with that, that is horrible! Squirrels and chipmunks can do so much damage.
I wish I had advice for you! We are lucky that we haven’t had that problem – we do leave our cushions out in STL all the time, but we like to cover our teak seat on the deck at the lake. Not sure if that has kept them at bay or not, but so far so good!
I have heard of people using apple cider vinegar and soap as deterrents, so maybe look into that?
Good luck and thanks for reading!
Julie
That looks so cozy. I also added petunia’s to my space and the smell in the evening is wonderful. My deck is covered, but I think they would do well in full sun also.
I loved the wooden fixtures you recommended hanging in your garden or outdoor area. I’ve been meaning to spruce up my garden for a while, as I want it to be great for guests. I’ll have to find wooden fixtures, as it blends in well with the environment and helps give the area a great natural aesthetic.
I like your ideas to find unique ideas for lighting and to get a bird feeder. We get a lot of hummingbirds in my neighborhood and I’d love to see them stick around my yard a bit more. When I can’t find the decor I’m looking for in stores, I usually like to check online because there’s a bigger selection online. This is especially helpful if I’m looking for something specific like a copper bird feeder.
Do you find that the wicker type furniture holds up on an exposed deck area? Love the look but wondering how long it would last on an open deck. Think humid with occasional summer storms 🙂
Not true wicker but mine is just made to look like wicker but made of weatherproof material. Wicker couldn’t tolerate the extreme weather we have in the Midwest for too many years.
Your taste is impeccable! I am a less is more kind of girl, when it comes to decorating, so I love following your blog, and seeing how you transform a room, with classic, elegant, small touches of décor. Where did you get your lovely outdoor furniture from? It looks like exactly what I have been searching for.
Thank you, Illeana! You can find it here. Enjoy!
I love the idea of using the stool as an end table! It’s a great way to use the space and have some extra space! Thanks for sharing these tips, I’m going to have to try these.
Oh, how lovely is THIS!? I am obsessed with the beautiful oasis you have created…Bravo!
Thank you, friend!
All fabulous ideas and gorgeous photos!! I love that plant too, what is it?
It’s a hydrangea, but I can’t recall the specific variety. I always use patio plants that I can plant in our yard late in the year so that I don’t waste.
such a gorgeous place to sit and relax!
Thanks, Cassie! I wish you could join me!
It looks beautiful! Thanks for joining us this month!