Best Ideas for Outdoor Living Spaces You Don’t Want to Miss

Are you excited that summer is here? Ready to get your outdoor living spaces ready for summertime? Here are some of the best ideas for outdoor living spaces you don’t want to miss.

Whether you have a lush green yard, a shaded patio, or an urban balcony, transforming your space into your dream outdoor oasis is easier than you might think!

With Memorial Day behind us, summer is “unofficially” here.

We will spend more time outside relaxing, entertaining or enjoying our backyard space. I’m excited to share ideas for creating your dream outdoor destination.

Top Trends for Outdoor Living Spaces

With so many choices in outdoor style, we can choose different styles to fit our own aesthetic, location, or climate.

These ideas for outdoor living spaces will give you plenty of comfortable choices for your outdoor enjoyment.

Coastal Influence 

No matter where you all home, coastal-inspired hues and patterns are sure to bring an airy, calming vibe to your outdoor space.

For seaside style without the kitsch, incorporate breezy wicker furniture and natural tones for a more elevated take on classic coastal. For additional seating, lounge furniture like an updated Adirondack or laidback lawn chairs will have you in full relaxation mode.

Botanical Oasis

This style will remain relevant for years to come. It embraces vibrant shades and takes inspiration from organic colors and textiles to create a playful homage to nature.

Remember to have plenty of seating for guests.

Shop this Look: Wicker Patio Love Seat

Industrial Minimalism

Look no further than the industrial style if you want to bring modern minimalism to your outside living spaces.

Mixing strong metals and natural wood with modern accents, such as mesh and metal seating, keeps this style sleek and simple.

Use Color to Create Your Outdoor Oasis

Color is so important in setting the style of your summer outdoor space. Green grass, trees, and bushes provide the backdrop, and flowers provide a rainbow of colors.

Outdoor furniture and accessories create an outdoor space where we enjoy relaxing and entertaining friends.

Where can you use color in your outdoor space?

• furniture – chairs, lounges, sofas
• rugs
• planters
• candles
• accessories
• pillows
• umbrellas
• pool floats

I have to say that I love blue and white. It’s crisp, fresh, and classic. It’s a palette that never goes out of style. It’s the color scheme that I chose for our recent backyard makeover.  

Our New Outdoor Space

We have a small backyard with a small swimming pool, which functions as a large water feature. Two large flower beds, one in the shade behind our breakfast room picture window and a sunny raised bed on the far side of our swimming pool, surround the pool with color and texture.

Here are more pictures and gardening information for a small backyard to make it its best.

I think you should use as much space as possible for comfortable seating in the shade.

TIP: If you can’t get enough seating in one shade area, try creating two spaces to accommodate more people.

In August of 2021, we constructed a new stone patio. Most importantly, we constructed a new covered patio that includes a 12 x 12-foot wood-shingled roof. The supports are cedar beams and Austin stone. We chose exposed wood with a gable notch to bring in more light and architectural interest.

It’s a sophisticated Texas look that is meant to feel like an outside room.

This has been some of the best money we have ever spent on our home. Now we can relax even on hot days because the seating area is totally covered. In our Dallas summer heat, shade and a breeze are essential for comfort.

This new outside seating area allows for relaxing and entertaining. We included a ceiling fan (to move that hot air around!), lighting on dimmers, and a lovely seating area. It’s a lovely area to visit with friends in the shade.

At night, we have spotlights and string lights that make the outdoor space seem magical. Lanterns and battery-operated solar candles create a magical ambiance.

We covered the original stamped concrete with artificial turf, which cuts down on heat, adds the beautiful green “grass” we were missing, and literally drops the temperature several degrees. The turf is also easier on the feet. I can now walk outside barefoot.

Our Aussie Labradoodle Nola absolutely loves it.

Dining Outdoors

I love to dine alfresco, whether it’s at a restaurant or in our backyard.

A few years ago I found an old, decrepit teak table at an estate sale and refinished it. It sits on the shady side of our backyard. I needed some lightweight and easy chairs to go with it which I ordered from Wayfair.

However, during the daytime, we still need more shade for dining. Originially, we ordered a blue and white stripe umbrella from All Modern through Wayfair. It adds not only shade, but also a great pop of blue – which is my favorite design color.

At the end of last summer, a huge storm came through and bent over our umbrella pole. We replaced the umbrella with a new one from Ballard Design.

This is not our “forever” backyard dining table, but it works for now. (I actually have a repurposing plan for the table.) I’m on the lookout for a new patio table that will seat more people.

For dining outside, I love dishes and glassware that are outdoor-friendly.

One thing on my outdoor living space wish list is a set of new outdoor dishware. I think that would be a lovely addition to our outdoor entertaining. Melamine and plastic glasses, pitchers, and serving pieces remove anxiety over breaking dishes. It’s also safer, especially when you have a pool.

Here are some options that I’m considering:

I do love to entertain outdoors (between April and July and then October – to early December).

Having a place to set outside serving pieces is essential. Several years ago I found a great outdoor bar cart that has come in so handy. We use it for holding drinks, pitchers, an ice bucket or appetizers. Now that we have the covered patio, it will be used even more.

I love that it’s collapsible for easy storage.

Here is how helpful a bar cart can be for outdoor entertaining.

A few years later, I painted the bar cart a bright navy to go better with our patio cushions.

Outdoor placemats or pretty tablecloths that are easy to wipe down are another great dining essential.

In addition to the pieces I’ve already mentioned, versatile tables and comfortable seating are essential. Good patio furniture that is well-made and stylish is a smart investment.

Fortunately, we still had the patio furniture (love seat and 4 chairs) from our previous home, which we loved. We did have new custom cushions made since the size and shape of the cushions aren’t standard.

This is one of Nola’s favorite spots outside. Even she appreciates the new cooler, covered patio. The loveseat cushions are from Lowe’s.

Bright pillows that fit your style add pops of color to your outdoor space. If you like to add a special touch, try making these easy patriotic pillows.

A great outdoor coffee table and side tables are essential as places to set a drink, coasters, candles, a plant, or a favorite book.

We ordered our wood and metal coffee table from Wayfair and four new side tables a few years ago. I love them all for their style and functionality. The metal of the side tables works so well with the metal frames of our existing furniture.

I love pillows for adding style, color, and comfort to any room. Outdoor living spaces are no exception.

An outdoor rug is another practical and design essential for creating a fresh outdoor room experience. I love our blue and white stripe outdoor rug from Wayfair. It grounds the space and coordinates beautifully with the solid navy love seat cushions and the navy and white pattern on the chair cushions.

In full transparency, we first ordered the 5 X 7 patio rug in 2020 before we constructed the new patio and cover. We loved it and it held up just fine to the elements. The patio only had a partial awning at the time so the rug and cushions got wet whenever it rained. Even the fabric and the wood on the tabletop faded because of the sun.

Once we built the new patio cover, we had more room to spread out the patio furniture which made the area look even bigger. We needed a bigger rug. Since I loved the first rug so much, I ordered it again, but this time in a 6 X 9 size. It looks amazing.

With the bigger rug, we were able to spread out the furniture, which makes the entire area bigger.

Outdoor accessories are so important for outdoor living space. Lighting is essential. A combination of overhead lighting, spotlighting, and accent lighting works together to create a beautiful ambiance at night.

I love the solar-operated lanterns that come on when the sun goes down. They add light and ambiance

Here is another easy way to add lighting to your outdoor living space.

Pretty planters are also essential. I love our white square planters from Wayfair. I have five spread across our back metal fence. Since we added artificial turf, the classic white style looks even better against the green grass.

We plant them with Mandevilla, which will get big and full of flowers. They will last until November.

Cooking in the Backyard

Summer is about enjoying your backyard for barbecues, grilling, and smoking meats. Entertaining in the backyard is about good food – have you ever noticed how people are hungrier in the summer?

I found a resource that offers any piece of equipment for outdoor cooking that you can think of.

Whatever style you choose for your outdoor living space, focus first on functionality. There are many design choices that you will find the style that matches your practical needs.

Shop for Your Outdoor Spaces

Here are some fun items to include in your new backyard outdoor spaces.

I hope you discovered some new ideas for outdoor living spaces and love the suggestions for outdoor products I shared. Want to save these ideas? Then, PIN this post.