• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Partner
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Southern Hospitality

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking, Fashion & Gardening

  • My Home
  • Categories
    • My Blog Story
    • Decorating
    • DIY/How-To
    • Family
    • Gardening
    • In the Kitchen
    • My Home Tours
    • Thrifting
    • Travel
  • DIY Gallery
  • Fashion
  • Feature Friday
  • Shop My Home
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

5 Ways to Cozy up a Porch or Patio

May 3, 2020 By Rhoda 4 Comments

166 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

You all know how much I love outdoor living spaces and today I’m joining a group of blog friends and we are all sharing our ideas on how to make the most of your porch or patio. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know how much I enjoy being outside and each house I’ve lived in, I’ve shared big and small ways to make those spaces cozy and liveable, no matter the space I had. I’ve had open deck spaces, a screened porch, and of course screened porches with a roof over head is the best in my opinion, but no matter what you have, there are ways to make them cozy and comfortable with a few ideas that can translate to any space.

I can’t wait to share our new patio/screened porch with you all next weekend, but in the meantime, enjoy this fun outdoor post!

First of all, Use All Weather Furniture

Add furniture that can take the weather so you don’t have to worry about that part. All weather wicker is great and I’ve had some for 10 years that’s still going strong from Big Lots. That brown wicker got my outdoor spaces going in a direction and I’ve got other pieces of brown wicker that all coordinate together just fine.

1.  Add Cozy Cushions, Throw pillows, throws, as well as an Outdoor Rug

It does take a bit of work to keep an open outdoor area clean all the time, but so worth it for outdoor relaxing and seating for a group. Cushions and pillows add that soft goods factor that you definitely want when you’re outdoors relaxing. A soft rug underfoot really makes an outdoor space cozy. Yes they get wet but an outdoor rug will dry out pretty fast and it just feels so good to walk on. Anchor your furniture with an outdoor rug for a real room feel. I look for outdoor rugs that are not heavily hooked or have too much fiber going on. The flatter ones work best for drying out fast. You can tell the difference when you’re looking.

Our current deck space.

My previous house had a cute screened porch and I loved adding cozy cushions and throws to the space.

2. Add an Umbrella

If you don’t have a covered space, there’s nothing better to help with sun issues than a big umbrella. Definitely worth the investment to have a place to gather under during the heat of summer. Umbrellas have been a big part of my outdoor living on patios and open decks.

This is my previous patio space at my old house and it was a great space to gather.

3. Add String Lights

String lights are easily found now and they add such an ambience at night when the sun goes down. It’s amazing how they add an instant resort atmosphere to your backyard. We love ours!

4. Add Plants and Planters

I dearly love plants and flowers and summer is the time to pull out all the stops and plant those planters with bursting blooms for summer. I can’t imagine my outdoor spaces without them.

 

5. Add Lanterns with Remote Control Candles

This is something I’m doing in our new screen porch, adding hanging lanterns and remote control candles. Easy to use and they add so much at night to your outdoor spaces. You could place lanterns on the floor as well with battery powered candles or the real thing if you want.

My old home’s screened in porch which I dearly loved as well.

That’s my top 5 tips for creating a cozy outdoor space. I hope you incorporate some of these into your own outdoor spaces for maximum living this summer. I adore being outdoors during the summer months and it really adds so much extra living space to our home.

My friends are also sharing their best tips for outdoor spaces, so be sure and visit them all!

 

Porch Decor Tips from On Sutton Place

Use Pillows & Throws

from Ann at On Sutton Place

One of my favorite things to do to cozy up our porch & patio is to add soft furnishings…specifically pillows and throw blankets. Our front porch is covered, so I use pillows year round. For our patio, which is not covered, I keep pillows in our family room, and bring them out when needed. Use colors that coordinate with your home, or use the colors of the season. Adding a throw blanket to chairs and sofas during the cooler months of the year makes your outdoor space comfortable and inviting, and adds some extra color too. I’ve been asked many times what I do if my porch pillows get wet…and the answer is that I don’t do anything! I simply wait for them to dry out…which they eventually do. To get more information about the porch decor pictured above, click {HERE.}

 

Deck Decor from Designthusiasm

Use One Element to Tie Everything Together

from Lory at Designthusiasm

The single most effective way to turn your patio into a cozy outdoor room is by adding a unifying element that ties everything together. The best way I know to do that is with an outdoor rug. Start with a conversation area comprised of neutral furniture. Use as much seating as comfortably fits in your space, with sofas and chairs facing each other, possibly arranged around a coffee table. Accent your pieces with decorative pillows and other pretty decor. Then add a rug to pull everything together. An outdoor rug helps define the borders of your space, adding a sense of intimacy and warmth. You can use colors that mirror the tones in your pillows and decor or stay neutral to allow the opportunity to easily update your palette each year. If you approach the space as you would an indoor room, you can be sure a rug underfoot will deliver a cozy summer patio. You can read about the evolution of our patio as we refined our space or join me at Designthusiasm for more decorating tips and ideas for living your life with casual elegance.

Summer Peony Wreath from StoneGable

Add a Wreath

from Yvonne at StoneGable

Nothing adds summer punch and pizzazz to your porch and front door like a big wreath filled with summer blooms! Talk about WOW factor, my friend! Making a front door wreath is not hard to do with a few easy tips! My very best wreath making tip is to double the base wreaths! Easy, right? Doubling the base wreaths will give your creation a designer look! Doing this one thing will make a huge difference in the way a wreath looks! If using a grapevine wreath like the SUMMER FRONT DOOR WREATH, put two wreaths together with wire or zip ties. What a difference! Even if you are not using a grapevine wreath, add one as the bottom layer! The idea is to give a wreath more visual weight and bring the wreath away from the door a little. In the SUMMER FRONT DOOR WREATH DIY, I am sharing a formula or recipe so you can make a fabulous wreath every time!!!
My old home’s screened in porch which I dearly loved.
Screened in Porch Decor from Southern Hospitality

Bring the Inside Out

from Rhoda at Southern Hospitality

Outdoor spaces are my favorite, and I’ve found that it’s easy with just a few tips to make an outdoor space comfortable, cozy with the feel of a real room and extension of your indoor spaces. Adding cozy outdoor rugs, cushions and pillows to a space is a definite must for an outdoor space. Plants also add life and texture, as well as artwork, side tables to place a drink, hanging lanterns for cozy ambient lighting. If you add all those elements to your outdoor rooms, they will instantly feel like home.

Adding Shade to an Outdoor Space from Shabbyfufu

Add Some Shade

from Janet at Shabbyfufu

Summer is a long season here in the south! We often use our outdoor areas as an extension of the home, and strive to ensure that they are comfortable. Not only do we want to keep ourselves and our guests cool, but it’s essential to shield everyone from the sun and provide protection from the rain. One of the most budget friendly ways to add shade is with a patio umbrella. There are so many color and size options available and currently many are on pre-season sale. If you have a yard or small garden space, consider a pop up cabana or canopy. Another great option is a pergola to create the feel of an outdoor room and fill with seating to enjoy. For more ideas on freshening up your patio for the warm months, click HERE.

Outdoor Chandeliers from Maison de Cinq

Outdoor Lighting

from Sheila at Maison de Cinq

One of the things I love about French farmhouse style is how it really captures that romantic feeling – even when those spaces are outdoors! Last year we revamped our outdoor living space, but since we don’t have electricity out there, and I didn’t want to spend money to add it, I decided to go the European route and add romantic outdoor chandeliers. After all, what’s more romantic than eating by candlelight? It’s amazing how different it looks now, and how much cozier it feels! Come on over to Maison de Cinq to see how much ambiance they add, as well as lots more French farmhouse inspiration!

Outdoor Wind Chimes from In My Own Style

Add the Element of Sound

from Diane at In My Own Style

When choosing how to decorate your patio, deck or porch for outdoor living in style this year, don’t forget to add the element of sound in the way of wind chimes. Think all sound alike? Think again. Find out where you can listen to audio samples to choose just the right sound and design that will not only add some pretty, but also add a relaxing effect on the energy and mood of your outdoor living space.

Front Door Decor from Rough Luxe Lifestyle

Achieve a Collected Look

from Cindy at Rough Luxe Lifestyle

Achieving a collected look on your porch or patio is easy if you mix and match styles, finishes, and textures for interest. Add character and charm by combining the old and the new. Mix in your found treasures for personality and fun. Please come over to Rough Luxe Lifestyle to get the rest of my tips, and to see our porch!

Related


Don't Miss a Post, join my list!

Filed Under: Blog hop, Decorating Ideas 4 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Becky in 'Bama says

    May 4, 2020 at 12:58 am

    Loving all these tips. Hoping that by this time next year we will have finished our covered and screened porch/deck area. So looking forward to sitting on the deck without being eaten alive by mosquitoes or thinking about rain. I am making lots of mental notes when the time comes to furnish it. I DO WANT TO ADD HERE: we have lots of ‘close’ neighbors and on our side of the street everyone can see everyone’s deck/porch. PLEASE if you do hang outside lights around your porch, pergola, deck, etc.. be mindful to douse the lights after 9 pm. during the week. One of our neighbors’ outdoor lights are bright enough to land a small jet. LOL. Remember, not everyone is up late and those lights can be blinding in a bedroom window. Hint. Hint. 🙂

    Reply
    • Rhoda says

      May 4, 2020 at 8:47 am

      HI, Becky, that’s a good thing to remember. Ours are not that close to our neighbors so I don’t think it would be an issue for either side of us, but that’s a good point to make. Here’s to outdoor living!

Trackbacks

  1. Cozy Outdoor Decor Ideas: 6 Bloggers' Best Patio Decorating Tips says:
    May 3, 2020 at 6:01 am

    […] Outdoor spaces are my favorite, and I’ve found that it’s easy with just a few tips to make an outdoor space comfortable, cozy with the feel of a real room and extension of your indoor spaces. Adding cozy outdoor rugs, cushions and pillows to a space is a definite must for an outdoor space. Plants also add life and texture, as well as artwork, side tables to place a drink, hanging lanterns for cozy ambient lighting. If you add all those elements to your outdoor rooms, they will instantly feel like home. […]

    Reply
  2. 8 Tips for Porch Patio and Deck Decorating | In My Own Style says:
    January 20, 2021 at 10:30 pm

    […] Outdoor spaces are my favorite, and I’ve found that it’s easy with just a few tips to make an outdoor space comfortable, cozy with the feel of a real room and extension of your indoor spaces. Adding cozy outdoor rugs, cushions and pillows to a space is a definite must for an outdoor space. Plants also add life and texture, as well as artwork, side tables to place a drink, hanging lanterns for cozy ambient lighting. If you add all those elements to your outdoor rooms, they will instantly feel like home. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Thanks for stopping by! I'm Rhoda, from Atlanta, GA and I love decorating and DIY projects. Decorating a home doesn't have to cost a fortune and I've spent years thrifting at antiques markets and yard sales, finding those treasures that make a home unique. I'm here to inspire and encourage other women to find their own inner creativity. Won't you join me?

Subscribe

Click Here

Click Here

Subscribe to the Blog
How to Decorate in
Classic Timeless Style
.....without breaking the bank!

House Renovation Journey!

Our Paint Colors

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header2

Featured here:

Better Homes and Gardens
Atlanta Magazine
Better Homes and Gardens

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Partner

Copyright © 2025 · Southern Hospitality · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy