Ways to Make it Peaceful and Inviting

My house is very small, and it can be a struggle finding space for things (see my post on space saving ideas for a small home). But one of the biggest selling points, other than it being on a very quiet street, has been the backyard space.

The house essentially borders forest area, so I see a lot of deer and other wildlife coming through the yard (even bears), which I think is cool. You can see the most amazing sunsets since it faces west. But even better, since the house sits on rock, the back has actually formed into a natural stone patio.

I’ve done some work to make this patio a bit more inviting; with sitting areas, etc, so it can be fully enjoyed during warmer months. In the summer, the patio is perfect for sitting outside and taking in some sun, enjoying a cocktail while watching the sun go down, or entertaining family and friends at one of my famous dinner parties (see my posts on Asian, Mexican, and Greek Dinner Parties)!

These additions to the patio meet all my family’s needs; and make the area so peaceful, welcoming and just a fun place to hang out!

Perfect Additions to Your Patio

Dining Area. A friend gave me this old table years ago, and I like the charming iron grating on it. To give it a more modern flare with some color, I got a red umbrella as well as matching red cushions for the chairs. They make this a comfortable eating area for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Couches for Casual Conversation. I wanted a more casual space for sharing a few drinks and appetizers too, and love this wicker couch set. It comes with five pieces that can be arranged in various ways, from a couch to individual seats. I like the cream color, with an accent of red pillows, to carry through the color scheme.

It comes with a lovely little table so feels like a dining room set. The only issue I have with cushions is that if you don’t have cover (which I don’t) from the elements, they will get rained on and soggy. I am always needing to dry out my cushions- and they also need to be occasionally washed- especially because of the beige color.

If you want to avoid that aggravation, I would suggest taking the cushions inside when not using them, or before a rain shower is predicted.

Relaxing Chairs. My daughter likes to sunbathe on warm and sunny days on the back patio. I just bought these zero gravity chairs for our lake house that I’ll be adding to our collection. I keep a little tray with suntan lotion, bug spray, towels, and books accessible for her to take outside when sunning, too.

Plants and Herbs. I love a natural look and to be surrounded by plants (even inside). The outside area is already a beautiful natural setting, but making the patio colorful and beautiful with a few flowers on the tables makes it even more lovely.

My fresh herbs (see my post on growing and using them) are on the patio too, which gives it a greener-feel, while making the herbs accessible for picking and using in delicious and healthy summer meals.

Citronella. I like to have a few citronella candles around, as well as torches with citronella oil. The flames on the torches give the patio a beautiful and romantic look at night, and serve the dual purpose of keeping the bugs at bay.

Grill. Every patio must have one in my opinion. We grill a lot in the summer, and it’s great having it right there where we’re setting up our meals. See my post on healthy summer grilling for some great recipes!

Hot Tub. We have loved the addition of an inflatable hot tub to our patio. My daughter and her friends have definitely enjoyed it too-you can make such a nice little party centering around the relaxing tub. Caring for a hot tub takes a little work (see my post on this), but it is totally worth it.

Music. We love these portable speakers that you can take anywhere like the lake, beach, or back yard. (Check out an upcoming blog on packing for a beach or lake day!) We use one on the patio with a fun summer Spotify playlist. Music adds a bit of fun to any environment we think!

Outside Movie Screen and Projector. A very successful present I got my husband a few years ago was an outdoor movie screen. He loves movies, and I thought the concept sounded cool. It has been a better investment that we expected…we even have a tradition now of watching a movie New Year’s Eve, no matter how cold!

We don’t have this set up permanently, but it’s something that we can pull out whenever we want to set it up. My daughter and her friends have actually watched a movie WHILE sitting in the hot tub. Ha.

Lighting. My husband would totally agree with the statement, “he is obsessed with the outside lighting at our home”. He installed a motion sensor light on our front porch, solar powered Christmas lights, a tree in the living room with a lighting timer, and now for our back patio, these pretty string lights that he sets to go on and off at certain times of day. I have to say it’s really nice to never worry about adjusting lights- and the patio lights are so pretty!

Drink Cart. One of the last things I have added to make my patio welcoming is this adorable drink cart that I inherited from my mother-in-law. I used it during our winter party to have the cutest hot chocolate bar (see the post)!

Unfortunately since this is made of metal, I cannot keep it outside where it will be subject to rusting. (Find a plastic one maybe?) So I keep it by the door, so that people can help themselves to a drink to enjoy outside.

Since it’s closer to the kitchen, it’s actually is easier to keep it stocked. If people are enjoying the patio, I make sure there is a container of ice and an assortment of seltzer, sodas, beers and wine. I also make a pitcher of iced tea and lemonade with some cut lemons and limes and beautiful glasses.

Do you love spending time on your patio in the summer? Let me know if you have any clever ideas for making your outside space extra special!