Backyard junk now funky garden decor.
Repurpose discarded household items for garden decor
Don’t keep your creativity locked indoors this summer.
Although pretty annuals and blossoming bushes brighten up your yard, outdoor decor items can finish off a space to make it uniquely yours.
Gardens and patios are very much an extension of our homes. For landscape designer Julia Todorova, it’s important to add personality to your little slice of nature.
“It’s like when you go to the house inside and you feel like something is missing; You can tell right away when you go to a yard and something is missing,” Todorova says. “Could be the furniture. Could be the pots. It could be a statue or a fountain or some other feature.”
Todorova says there are garden decor items to splurge on. Then there are items you can upcycle, recycle or repurpose from garage sales or even your own home.
Patio sets are one splurge-worthy accent. Todorova says new outdoor furniture can turn an old concrete pad into a modern and welcoming openair retreat.
For interior designer Chantal Ross, investing in coloured and textured fabrics for your patio is money well spent.
“Splurge (items) would be the fabrics because they’re such a huge hit of colour and pattern, and such a nice addition to the outside with contrast to the foliage.
“Up here, in northern Alberta, it takes so much longer for our flowers to grow so with fabrics you have instant colour on your soft seating or draperies.
“It adds a punch where you can bring your inside outside.”
When it comes to planning out your space, Ross suggests browsing through magazines for inspiration.
Like in your home, you want to follow a certain direction to achieve the look you’ll feel comfortable with.
Florals prints, bright stripes, nautical and industrial themes as well as contemporary grey palettes are huge this season.
Colour blocking is also a popular trend, which is also an easy and inexpensive look to pull off by painting old pots.
“(Pots) can make a huge difference,” Todorova says, noting how one of her clients painted her clay pots bright yellow. “(They) just grab your eye.”
Ross says there are also great inexpensive accessories you can pick up from yard sales and repurpose for outdoor use.
Old side tables can be painted and placed under a covered section of your deck.
Mirrors can be repainted and hung to expand your space. You can even pop citronella candles in candle holders and lanterns that have fallen by the wayside.
“Go through your house and take out accessories that don’t excite you any more, put a shot of paint on them and put them outside,” Ross suggests. “You can do that in an afternoon.”
For Todorova, there’s no right or wrong way to decorate your yard. There isn’t even such thing as too little or too much. Some people like their decor sparse, while others like it busy.
It all comes down to who you are. “Expressing your personality is more important,” Todorova says.