This post is in collaboration with MacKenzie-Childs
As I’ve mentioned before, our house was vacant for about three years before we purchased it in January, so to say it was FAR from entertaining and just a little blah is an understatement. Our outdoor spaces were especially in bad shape, but we quickly realized it doesn’t take too much to bring a little character to a space to make sure it’s ready for guests and relaxing evenings watching the sunset (too cheesy?). I like to treat our outdoor spaces as an extension of our home, just another “room” to decorate if you will. I followed a few simple guidelines when trying to add some character to our outside, so I thought I’d share them with y’all today and you know my most beloved brand (Mackenzie-Childs) had to have a part!
Greenery, Greenery and then some more Greenery. There is no denying I love plants, so not only did we add some much needed landscaping outside, but we have many posts and planters on the actual patio. I love using unique planters like this frog planter (I’m obsessed with him) and these gorgeous Mum pots. I know buying fun pots may get pricey, so I mix in some simple terracotta pots to create a nice balance. We also have this fun frog (I do love frogs) trellis that I got a climbing plant to hang to. It’s such a fun, yet understated piece of décor that again, adds a little spark of character.
Have enough diversified seating. If your space is large enough, it never hurts to have a few little seating areas to allow people to pick and choose. I also like throwing in some relaxation seating like this hammock we often read in. If you don’t have a large space, some folding chairs are always a nice thing to keep on hand to store away.
Invest in outdoor entertainment ware. I personally think if you have an outdoor space, it’s SUPER helpful to have outdoor dishware. I actually use ours in and out, but I love grabbing non-breakables for outside use. Mackenzie-Childs enamelware is great because it’s durable, dishwasher safe and can fall on the ground without shattering. We have many different pieces from collections and I love mixing and matching them together. I really feel like ANY of Mackenzie-Childs patterns go together, that’s what I love about the brand, it’s fun, whimsical and classic. I linked all of our enamel dishware seen in photos below!
Nothing says ambiance and character like some great lighting. I love using lanterns with candles and hanging twinkle lights to create a fun summer night outdoor space. Throw in a fire and some s’mores and boom! Lanterns and lights are such an easy purchase and can be used almost anywhere! I love the busy bee items we have!
Decorate! Okay, 1-4 are definitely forms of decorating, but don’t forget about just plain decorating/accessorizing. We hung an iron mirror outside and added this little plant holder to our mailbox. I think people forget you can drill into things and hang things on exterior walls (just don’t go to crazy). Another thing people often pass up is accessorizing their seating spaces, don’t underestimate the power of outdoor pillows (like these gorgeous floral Mackenzie-Childs ones) and a great outdoor rug. We leave ours out at all time and they’re dry within an hour or two if/when it rains.
What did I miss friends? Thanks to some furniture and a little treasured pieces from Mackenzie-Childs, I feel like our space is slowly but surely coming together! Now if this heat would just cooperate so I could sit on the patio and get some work done instead of my boring office.
But first, as always, coffee!
I love that plant hanger!