One of the many projects that I’ve been slowly working on around the house is our deck.  I’m excited to get this outdoor space completed so we can enjoy the beautiful (and hot) spring and summer weather here in Atlanta.

We live in a three level townhouse so the deck is located off the second floor at the back of the house.  It’s not a large space but spacious enough to create a cozy lounge and entertaining space.

One of the first things we’re working on is adding privacy.  When you walk out on the deck, you’re looking at the neighbors behind us on one side and at the street on the other.  For the side facing the street, we’re going to add a privacy fence to match the one between us and the house next door.  And to give us some privacy facing out, we’ve added some potted trees.  We purchased the pots from At Home and after quizzing all the garden pros in town, we decided on the JJapanese Privet, Ligustrum.    We’ve also purchased an outdoor rug, umbrella and a few lanterns.  Now the hard part–selecting furniture.

Just like when I’m working with design clients, I decided the best way to envision the space was to create an inspiration board (or three).  If you’re working on decorating your house, I highly recommend creating an inspiration board.  Having a visual reference will allow you to see the space in totality and make the best decorating decisions.

 Here are three inspiration boards I pulled together with the furniture sets I’m considering.  And at the end of the post I’m sharing a few outdoor decorating tips  in case you’re decorating your outdoor oasis too.

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 OUTDOOR DECOR–THE VISION

The vision for our outdoor space is to create a space that is conducive to lounging, entertaining and socializing.  I want to maximize the seating as much a possible while still keeping the small space open.

Option #1:  Neutrals with a pop of red since its my favorite color.  The overall look is classic with the red and aqua color combo adding energy and spunk. The only downside to this plan is the seating is a bit limited unless I add an additional chair or two which could be an option.

Option #2:  It’s no secret that I love blue and white so that’s what inspired this inspiration board.  This look is subtle without being flat or lifeless.  There are two downsides to this plan– 1) the design of the furniture is not my absolute favorite–I prefer furniture with a square frame versus rounded. And second, the blue furniture cushions are more limiting when it comes to switching out accent pillows.

Option #3:  This third inspiration board is a nice mix of classic and transitional styling.  I love the dark, rich colors in the pillows and also the metal garden stool.  The only downside here is the color of the furniture–I’d love it if it were a little darker.

 

I really can’t go wrong with any of these designs, it’s just a matter of going with the one that feels the most like us. If you have a favorite design board, leave me a comment and let me know which one you think I should pick.

Here are those decorating tips I promised…

I’ll share updates as I work on the space over the coming weeks.  My goal is to pull it all together right after we get back for our cruise in early June.