Think of your porch or deck like a blank canvas. You are the best artist for the job — you know your likes and tastes and understand how you want to feel while spending time in that space. Do you want a social space to host friends or prefer a quiet nook for personal retreats? Do you see time spent enjoying a meal with your family? Are you hoping to create your own outdoor masterpiece?
A large part of creating your own space is choosing the right accessories. Once again — it all depends on you. Are you feeling a something modern and colorful, or classic and timeless? Whatever look you envision, you can use decorative items and accessories to help accomplish it.
Flowers, Plants and Greenery
Living, breathing plants or mini gardens are one of the most colorful and eye-catching ways to decorate your outdoor space. With a deck top rail, also referred to as a “cocktail rail”, you can have even more space for décor, plants and flowers. Barrette Outdoor Living’s RDI Collection offers deck top railing as an option in its Avalon Aluminum Railing and Finyl Line vinyl railing systems. To take it one step further, match the deck board to the color and make of your deck. Barrette Outdoor Living Decking, offers several durable and effortless capped composite decking options — not just for your cocktail rail, but for your entire deck too.
Decorative Screen Panels and Lattice also make a great option to display greenery. Create an indoor or outdoor garden and use these accents to hang plants, flowers and more.
Whether you line a cocktail rail with succulents or hang seasonal blooms on lattice, you can use the many colors, shapes and sizes of flowers and plants in either a uniform or mix-and-match way to create the ultimate living accessory.
Lighting
Spaces can be elevated with simple accessories, such as string lights. Draping or hanging lights on furniture, over a cocktail rail or threading them through lattice can offer a sophisticated and dreamy feel to your porch. Or you can take your lighting to the next level with post caps, under rail, post and other LED lighting options, also available as part of the RDI Collection. With our Bluetooth transformer, you’ll be able to set timers and control the lights right from your smartphone, so your porch can automatically light up once dusk arrives.
Furniture
There are so many options for outdoor furniture — chairs, chaise lounges, patio sets and even full-size sofas — offering both form and function. Whether you want furniture that compliments your greenery, blends nicely with your yard, creates an outdoor dining space for family dinners or acts as a colorful focal point, there are many options available to fit your needs and budget. Add in some side tables or floor pillows and make your porch or deck even more dynamic.
And don’t be afraid to play with color and textures — let your inner artist explore! Adding color statement pillows or an area rug under your outdoor dining table can give your space a fun and unique feel. Toss in a few colorful throw blankets and cute coffee table books for a chic twist.
Backyard Bar
If you would like to take hosting friends and family to the next level, consider adding a backyard bar to your porch or deck. Get DIY and build your own bar cart, or use that cocktail rail for additional surface space for drinks, entertaining, and more. To add even more of a nightlife feel, include LED under rail lighting for the perfect amount of ambiance. A bar area is also a great opportunity to add colorful accents, such as stools, signage or cocktail sets.
Fire Pit
So you’ve strung up some ambient lighting and picked out the perfect cushions to match the flowers in your landscaping, now all you need is a little something to make your nights outside warm and cozy — a fire pit. Not only do fire pits provide another decorative accent, they come in all different shapes and sizes — making it easy to find one that works for your space and suits your style. Offering that extra bit of comfort on chilly evenings, fire pits can be the final accessory that tie everything together.
With so many accessories to choose from, you have the ability to make your space unique to you. Whether you’re more into an outdoor retreat or prefer an entertainment hub, Barrette Outdoor Living’s RDI Collection has many options to help make your vision come to life. And with a new season coming up, check out our tips on how to spruce up your space for springtime.
