Being located in a sub-tropical climate means residents of the greater Charleston area have more months to enjoy the great outdoors. What better way to enjoy our wonderful weather than to spend time on your porch or patio.
Your outdoor living area can be as appealing and enjoyable as your indoor areas. We’re inspired by the latest trends to give a bit of pizzazz to our piazza, punch to our patio and dreaminess to our decks. Read on for cool ways to style your favorite outdoor spot as inspired by Pinterest’s 18 best Summer entertaining pins.
Porching in the Lowcountry
Rising high on the list of trends is “porching”. Naturally, we’d like to think that we Southerners created this trend. Our Lowcountry homes are appended by many types of porches: from front to side to back to screened, to wrap around, to double: we adore the porch. We love them for lounging, reading, playing board games and dining. [Read our article on why Lowcountry homes are so unique.]
CalAtlantic’s home in Carolina Park is fronted with a classic double porch.
To make your porch the ultimate outdoor room, think comfort and weather-proofing. Make sure to include a table and chairs and even a ceiling fan to keep pesky mosquitoes at bay. Paint your porch ceiling a lovely light blue — called haint blue — to create a tranquil environment.
Hang a bed swing on your porch to induce lazy afternoons of reading and day-dreaming. We recently noticed many of the homes in Nexton’s Brighton Park neighborhood sporting these capacious swings.
Nexton Instagram Post
According to Elle Decor some people are even using indoor style upholstered furniture out of doors. While this is a super idea and because we have lots of pop-up thunderstorms, make sure you use fabrics designed to repel water and dirt.
Give your porch a sense of enclosure and privacy with airy, breezy porch curtains. You can craft them from white cotton gauze or if durability is critical, choose painter’s drop cloths.
Pick a theme to direct your porch decoration or build your decor around a collection. Popular themes in Charleston would be the beach, or even wrought iron. Home interiors stores stock lots of products to help you complete a beach look for your porch. One popular Pinterest theme shows old fishing net floats as art on walls.
If vintage is your thing, hit up all the amazing shops in our area selling collectables from years gone by. Metal gliders and 1950s metal chairs are popular for their mid-century vibe. Adirondack chairs, too, are timeless additions.
Summers Corner Instagram post
Make sure to include lamps on your porch to provide a golden glow. Overhead lights are simply too harsh. Choose lamps with heavy, unbreakable bases to prevent being overturned in the wind.
Flooring trends for outdoor living spaces
Next up on the trend list is flooring. You’re seen concrete patterned tiles all over HGTV’s make-over shows and they’re now appearing on porches and decks around the country.
Inspired by ancient Moorish patterns, rainbow colors with graphic punch are most beloved. If you’ve traveled to Spain, you’ve no doubt seem them there.
Concrete tiles can be arranged to create all-over patterns or can be laid out as borders or even used to create the appearance of a “rug”, placing the patterns to create interest in a specific area.
If cement tiles are not your thing for a covered porch, look into Charleston’s own Mirth Studio which creates an astounding array of decorative tiles made of wood! Country Living used their tiles for this amazing porch floor.
Summer colors on trend
Elle Decor tells us that tangerine is the color of the moment. Not simply a pop of color, this saturated shade is a mega orange punch. Check out this screened porch at The Ponds to see how tangerine paired with a charcoal patterned rug and cushions is perfect for the porch.
For more ideas of how to decorate and enjoy your outdoor space, visit Pinterest’s inspiration board.
Lastly, don’t neglect to make time to enjoy your porch. Schedule family get-togethers accompanied by frosty pitchers of sweet tea and boiled peanuts to get your porch on right!
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Tagged as: Design Tips
Categories: The Guide