Tips for Styling Your Outdoor Living Spaces

Time to prep your outdoor living space for this season’s cookouts, gatherings and more! Here are some helpful tips for making your space as inviting as possible for you and your guests. Designer Mary Goodwin from our Glastonbury showroom shares her favorite outdoor living design principles.

.01   Bring the Indoors Outdoors

Make your patio an extension of how you live. Consider bringing indoor pieces outside for your events - throw blankets, pillows, rugs - to create a cohesive flow from indoors to outdoors. This alone will up the cozy factor and make guests feel right at home. 

.02  Mix Materials

Just as we are seeing a trend with mismatched pieces in your interior design, mixing and matching materials in a vignette and in a singular piece of furniture is becoming more popular. “Don’t shy away from mixing textures and materials in your outdoor space. There are so many options to choose from - metal, wood, concrete, woven - the possibilities are endless,” said Mary. 

.03  Enclose Your Space

“I like to create spaces within other spaces,” said Mary. You don’t need walls to create a room. Think outside the box with oversized planters and grasses or trees to create a natural barrier. A place for your line of sight to stop at, creates a feeling of privacy and comfort. Embrace nature for creative options that work in your space. 

.04  Create Zones

Mary always advises clients to consider how each space will be used. Is it a dining space or a lounging area? If you have a large enough patio space, breaking it up into smaller zones will dictate how you style your spaces. You don’t want to place a dining table right in the middle of a high foot traffic path. It would make more sense to put the dining area where it is easily accessible from the kitchen or grill island. 

.05  Lean into Performance Fabrics

In New England, our weather is always ready to throw a curveball. Be prepared for anything and protect your investment by outfitting your patio furniture with performance fabric. At Saybrook Home, we offer a variety of performance fabric options based on the collection of outdoor furniture you’re shopping. 

.06  Lighting Matters

“You always want to take into consideration the patterns of the sun and where sunlight falls on your patio during the course of the day in conjunction with how you will be using those outdoor spaces,” advises Mary. You don’t want your poolside lounge area to be completely shaded, just as you don’t want your dining area to be full sun during mealtime hours. Proper planning can help create comfortable, practical outdoor living spaces to enjoy season-long. 

Shop our collection of patio furniture at Saybrook Home. Purchase off the floor or order custom pieces to fit your unique style.