An outdoor room is one of my favorite spaces in the home, especially during the summer months. When it’s hot out and you have a lazy weekend to yourself, there really is nothing better than relaxing in the cool and comfortable confines of a screened-in porch or sunroom, is there?
But, like any other room in the house, I like to update every now and then, especially according to the season. With a sunroom, I find a little creativity goes a long way, from a vase of bright summery flowers, to a new area rug and floral throw pillows. Over the years, I’ve accumulated some of my favorite ways to decorate an outdoor room for the summer.
Photo above courtesy of Patio Enclosures
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Bring in summery furniture
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Wicker, wire and rattan furniture says summertime more than anything else. If you have the room, bring out some fun red wire chairs for a mini dining space or invest in a pretty wicker coffee table to have a place for all the iced tea you’ll be drinking.
Photo above courtesy of Patio Enclosures
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Add fresh vases of summer flowers
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Honestly, nothing brightens up a room more naturally than a fresh vase of colorful, fragrant flowers. There are many ways to spice up your sunroom with flowers. You can mix it up with vases in different shapes, colors and sizes and fill them up with one type of flower, or mix it up with a variety of flowers in one type of vase. To make the space really chic, color coordinate your flowers. For instance, golden yellow Coreopsis will brighten up a black and white space (black, white and yellow is the new classic color combination, by the way), or blue delphiniums to accent a mostly orange color palette.
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Accent accordingly
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I love home décor accents because they allow you to decorate your space for relatively little money and they can be quite versatile. For true versatility, look for throw and floor pillows with removable covers, so you can switch up your look from season to season or week to week! Other great summery accents include tea lights, side lamps, candelabras, curtains and pottery.
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Add a punch of color
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Decorate in bright colors like turquoise, fuchsia, yellow, or tangerine tango - Pantone’s color of the year. It can be as simple as a new pillow, or a new coat of blue-green paint on your accent wall.
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Throw down a striped jute rug or two
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Jute is a great material in the summer. It cleans easily, it’s durable and it’s breathable. Pair a couple of black and white striped jute area rugs for a unique, yet casual Palm Beach look.
Photo courtesy of Green Guys
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Find a fun side table
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Let your surroundings be your inspiration
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If you’re lucky enough to live on or near a beach, most of your décor accessories can probably come from the likes of shells, dried starfish, cat o’ nine tails and pretty glass jars of sand. On the other hand, a shabby chic look will complement a country cottage very easily. Think distressed white furniture, antiqued floral patterns and pastel colors. While your sunroom is an extension of your home, use that gorgeous – and enviable – view to guide your decorating choices. You’ll be surprised at the sort of inspiration you’ll find upon glancing out those big windows!
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Graphics, prints, and patterns… Oh my!
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I love the colorful boldness of trellis, ikat and kilim prints in a bright, white sunroom. A graphic design or pretty pattern can add instant chic in the form of a pillow, a rug, a tapestry on the wall or even wall art. If you want to be really crazy, mix up your prints, but stay along a simple color palette. For instance, accent your blue and white ikat print chair with a blue and white trellis pillow!
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Slip on a slipcover
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There’s a reason slipcovers are so popular, they’re easy to clean and they let you change up your look. Based on your sunroom’s color palette, keep one or two colored or patterned slipcovers, in addition to a classic white one, handy. You’ll create a new dynamic in that space with the simple change of a cover.
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Create a summer tablescape
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If you have a table in your sunroom, create a tablescape that’s chic, casual and summery. Set it with pretty tableware, a vase of your favorite summer flowers, a couple of outdoor lanterns and plop some colorful cushions on the chairs. It’s an instant and easy way to update your space.
The great thing about decorating your sunroom in the summer is that you get to be just a little bit more bold and colorful in your decorating choices. Need a bit of visual inspiration? Take a look through Patio Enclosure’s gallery of sunrooms and porches; they have hundreds of gorgeous images for all your inspiration needs!
About the Author:
Lindsey Gregory is a design blogger with a strong background in journalism and freelance writing. She’s worked as a staff writer for a local newspaper and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Georgia State University. Before getting her degree in English she studied Photography and Creative Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design. You can read more of her articles on the Patio Enclosures Blog.
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