It’s summer and with summer come great ideas for home improvements. One of the best ideas for the summer is fixing up your patio, deck or veranda into a little piece of paradise where you can relax and not think about work problems.
Even though people believe it is very expensive, with some careful planning and budgeting, you can do it done fairly cheaply and still be happy with the results.
Make Your Deck Your Oasis of Peace
Mirror to the World
Why not start with the part of your home which looks out to the deck. There is a trend of a glass wall which enables you to enjoy your deck even when you are indoors. This glass wall usually goes with a sliding door. Experts on sliding doors, Sliding Solutions give you some tips on how to choose the ideal door for your patio in this article http://slidingsolutions.com/quick-tips-for-choosing-the-right-sliding-patio-door.htm.
Repaint
A lot of the visual aspect of your deck depends on the paint. If the paint is old and chipped, you won’t be as happy there. However, a transformation is just a coat of paint away. If you want to keep the natural color of wood, find an appropriate varnish and coat it once or twice for that fresh new look.
If, however, you opt for colors, you should know which colors go well with summer and patios. Since you are trying to evoke summer and possibly the seaside, the suggestion is cool colors, such as pale blue (the shade ‘Maui blue’ fits the bill), or off-whites, such as ivory.
Add Greenery
People feel comfortable in nature. So why not make your oasis full of greenery. Potted plants are fairly inexpensive, but they can transform your plain old patio into a tropical oasis if you so wish, or a flower garden that even the Babylonians would envy. If you have the time and money, you can also plant some shrubs and trees; the more the merrier.
An additional benefit of planting trees is the shade. In fact, as reported by the EPA, greenery can reduce the temperature during summer drastically.
New Furniture
If you have some cash to burn, you can invest in some new furniture. The market is full of different patio furniture options, from quite modest and minimalist, to quite lavish and extravagant. Find your comfort zone, and get yourself something that suits you.
Decoration
To complete the look of your patio, you can add various patio decorations. If you need ideas, look them up online, as there are numerous examples of both complete design ideas, as well as small details which complete the look and feel of your patio.
The most common addition suggested by landscapers are those small solar lamps. Not only are they a functional item, providing enough light during the summer, but they can also change the way you see your patio, both during the day and during the night.
Apart from that, a big trend this year is to have mosaic tables. The tops of these tables are made from either colorful glass or painted ceramics and arranged into patterns which evoke the sea, just like the colors mentioned before.
Barbecue
The summer is an ideal season for barbecues. First of all, it’s warm enough to cook outdoors in the late afternoon or early evening. What’s more, it can actually be unpleasantly hot to cook indoors. With kids free from school and many people on holidays as well, it’s a perfect time for a barbecue party.
Make sure you can live up to the expectations, and invest in a quality grill. Your family and friends will thank you.
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Photo Credit: Cherry Laithang
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