{"id":1751,"date":"2014-03-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/?guid=3f62cd6ea414c32666dc1ff875c1319a"},"modified":"2014-03-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-03-18T00:00:00","slug":"easy-tips-to-create-the-perfect-outdoor-living-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/easy-tips-to-create-the-perfect-outdoor-living-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy tips to create the perfect outdoor living room"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>(BPT) &#8211; It&rsquo;s that time of year &#8211; time to dust off your patio furniture, fill your planters and set up to spend the spring outdoors. While expanding an outdoor space is a top renovation project for homeowners and renters alike, it does not have to induce a state of pre-spring stress. With a few simple tips, you can create an outdoor space that adds value and comfort to your home.<\/p>\n<p>Focus on your front entrance<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Enhance your home&rsquo;s curb appeal by brightening up your front entrance,&rdquo; says The Home Depot&rsquo;s Director of Trend and Design, Sarah Fishburne. &ldquo;A coat of brightly colored paint on your front door can redefine the look of your home.&rdquo; This year, go bold with your color choice &ndash; try coral, tomato red, teal, aqua, violet, pistachio and cobalt. Add a wreath, doormat, kick plates and new door hardware to complete the look. Knobs and handles with a burnished bronze finish also hide fingerprints and don&rsquo;t show tarnish as easily. After all, a fabulous front entrance can make a powerful first impression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Design your dream deck<\/p>\n<p>The base of any great outdoor space is a clean slate. Start with a good scrub and power wash. Echo the feel of your interior to create a cohesive style that makes it easy for you to move indoor decor outside when you are hosting. Start by creating a sense of space with an arbor or trellis. Use colors, furniture finishes and seasonal accessories that complement each other, such as a beautiful custom patio set from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.homedepot.com\/s\/Brown%2520Jordan?NCNI-5\" rel=\"nofollow\">Brown Jordan<\/a>. If you&rsquo;re unsure where to start, use an online <a href=\"http:\/\/www6.homedepot.com\/patios\/desktop\/mixmatch.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">patio planning tool<\/a> to make it easier to customize the look. Mix and match patterns, textures and sheens for a designer-inspired finish. For urban dwellers in apartments or small spaces, you can create a great outdoor space by installing a vertical garden filled with succulents and a small cocktail table and chairs.<\/p>\n<p>Accessorize and add color<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Accessories aren&rsquo;t just about making a fashion statement,&rdquo; says Fishburne. &ldquo;In fact, adding finishing touches to your front and back porch creates a polished look and feel.&rdquo; Not only does a weather-resistant, indoor\/outdoor rug anchor furniture just like in a living room but it also adds a punch of pattern and color to complement your outdoor furniture. Adding big, bright flowers, such as red geraniums is a simple and cost effective way to brighten up your outdoor space. Not a gardener? Not a problem. Achieve beautiful results with minimal effort by using Drop &lsquo;N Bloom pre-mixed containers of bright spring flowers. For additional pop, whitewash or paint your tired planters with this season&rsquo;s hottest colors &ndash; pollen yellow or aquatic green.<\/p>\n<p>Plan for a party<\/p>\n<p>What&rsquo;s a great outdoor space without others to share it with? Set up your space to host parties all season long. Don&rsquo;t leave your guests in the dark &ndash; hang up string lights or place solar lights around the patio to get the party going. Create ambiance and a cool conversation piece with a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.homedepot.com\/s\/fire%2520pit?NCNI-5\" rel=\"nofollow\">fire pit<\/a> or add colorful throw pillows for your guests to sit back and relax. Finally, set yourself up for a season of signature meals by planting an herb garden. Make the night more interactive by inviting your guests to help pick herbs that will complement the meal.<\/p>\n<p>For this and more project inspiration, check out The Home Depot&rsquo;s Trend and Design <a href=\"http:\/\/designmeetstyle.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Tumblr<\/a>. For more quick and easy gardening tips, sign up for <a href=\"http:\/\/gardenclub.homedepot.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">The Garden Club<\/a>, which provides regionalized garden information, forums and deals.<\/p>\n<p><img src='http:\/\/www.brandpointcontent.com\/printsite\/ImageWriter.ashx?articleid=17734&#038;memberid=40132' border='0' width='1' height='1' \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(BPT) &#8211; It&rsquo;s that time of year &#8211; time to dust off your patio furniture, fill your planters and set up to spend the spring outdoors. While expanding an outdoor space is a top renovation project for homeowners and renters alike, it does not have to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[142,141,143],"class_list":["post-1751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lawn-and-garden","tag-garden-blog","tag-garden-ideas","tag-lawncare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1751\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homeimprovementblogs.com\/hg-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}