Give outdoor spaces A SPRING REFRESH
WHERE TO BEGIN
Whether it's basic spring (garden) cleaning, painting or staining your home's exterior or deck, most people will have a long list of big and small outdoor jobs that require time and money. Start by writing everything down, beginning with the jobs you don't want to (or don't feel you can) do yourself, says Grech.
“If you need the help of a professional, it's never too early to connect and begin the quote process and scheduling of exterior work.”
PITFALLS TO AVOID
Canadians love to entertain outdoors, even when the weather is still a “little chilly,” says Grech.
“We Canadians love our blankets and a good fire pit!”
But if you plan on painting or staining anything outdoors, wait until the weather is consistently dry and above 5 C overnight.
The surface temperature and dryness of what you're painting or staining are just as important as the temperature and humidity in the air, she says. Painting and staining always require some prep work that generally begins with cleaning surfaces and allowing them to dry.
“This isn't the most fun part, but it will make a huge difference to the longevity of your finish, so be sure to include adequate time for prep when you are planning outdoor work,” she says.
OUTDOOR DESIGN TRENDS
Grech says it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish outdoor furniture and accessories from items designed for indoor use because of the major leap in material innovations and design style at all price points.
Like home interiors, we will see a lot of mixing and matching of various outdoor furniture styles this spring and summer, she says.
“Of note is rattan and wicker, both natural as well as manufactured, being combined for a contemporary look with metal and glass,” says Grech.
WHAT COLOURS ARE WE SEEING OUTDOORS?
Neutral greys and sands have a timeless appeal, especially when paired with traditional accents in navy, red, yellow, nature-inspired greens and “bolder higher chroma colours often as accent pieces paired with black and white,” says Grech.
Fun, retro-inspired shapes, motifs and colours are also having a moment in outdoor furniture and accent pieces, she adds.
SIMPLE WAYS TO REFRESH OUTDOOR SPACES
Painting your front door in a colour that contrasts with the body of the house is a fun and relatively easy way to change the look and personality of your home, says Grech.
Consider smaller accents like front doors, window frames, shutters, garage doors, pillars and even porch ceilings as quicker hits for a makeover that will add instant curb appeal.
Painting your outdoor furniture is a simple way to give a new look to and extend the life of existing pieces that feel dated but are otherwise in great condition. Furniture and porch ceilings are good areas to experiment with bolder colour choices that still complement your exterior scheme.
Grech says Benjamin Moore recently released its Woodluxe Exterior Stain collection in Translucent, Semi-transparent, Semi-solid and Solid.
“Staining is a great way to refresh and protect our outdoor wooden surfaces like decks, furniture and fences for the coming season and beyond.”
NEUTRAL COLOURS FOR HOME EXTERIORS
People are often less adventurous when it comes to colour choices for their home's exterior, mainly because there are only so many colour choices for exteriors, says Grech.
Exterior building materials are generally natural, such as stone, wood and brick, and even manufactured siding and other cladding options are inspired by natural elements.
“We do see an uptick in bolder, trendier colour choices for front doors and painted furniture where people feel a little more free to express their personality with these smaller, yet impactful areas.”
BIGGEST MISTAKE TO AVOID
One of the biggest mistakes people make when painting or staining the outside of their homes or outdoor areas is not testing out their paint or stain colour before purchasing multiple gallons of it.
“Colour is all about context and can be perceived quite differently in different lighting conditions and even appear different due to the adjacent colours. Lighting conditions change quite drastically throughout the day, so it is highly recommended to paint out your colour options on a board and view them throughout the day, comparing to the other fixed building materials and finishes,” she says.
When it comes to wood stain, it's even more important to test with actual wood stain samples.
“The more translucent stains are very dependent on the wood species, colour, age and condition, so always test on a piece of your actual wood to get a true read on the final colour,” says Grech.