A little tweaking and revamping can go a long way. We’ve seen how homes have evolved as far as design and architecture goes, from the living room to the kitchen and even the bathroom. Now, it’s your outdoor areas’ time to shine! Make them even more up-to-date and stylish from futuristic shapes to attention-grabbing pieces. Here are 8 ways to make your outdoor spaces at home look more vibrant and modern.
Make Your Façade The Star!
Guests will surely first notice the façade, so start with a boom! Your façade shows your taste and personality. Let it shine by applying your favorite elements to home exterior design, but with a sleeker, more futuristic, and more polished touch.
To make your façade pop, include a standout design, like asymmetrical metal bars or any oddly shaped installment. The marks of a modern façade include cladding on the walls, and a monochromatic palette or colors of similar tones. If you want to be consistent all throughout the house, you can do some remodeling to have a flat roof and even a cantilevered second floor.
Additionally, you can put wide glass railings for a sleek and elegant touch. For cheaper alternatives, try using mixed materials to both maintain the modern look and make use of lower cost materials at the same time. One example would be bamboo, stone, and wood together. These materials are a bang for your buck, because they’re multipurpose without compromising on visual appeal, especially if blended well together by someone with an eye for design.
Above is a great example of blending all modern elements to the façade, like a flat roof (not pointy like most traditional houses), cladding (stones of different sizes and colors but in a similar shape, direction, and tone), a similar color palette (all neutrals and earth tones) and using mixed materials (wood, metal, stone, and glass, among others).
Free Up Some Front Yard Space!
Whether you’re into wide and suburban lawns, or flat concrete spaces, your front yard can still use a more polished look. Feel free to use the empty space in your front yard, and don’t hold back when it comes to creativity!
For owners with larger houses who aren’t big fans of landscaping or rewilding gardens, you can still opt for a clear lawn with fresh or artificial grass. To make this area come to life, you can use lights especially at night, a water installation like a small fountain, or a border made of small stones.
For those who are into greenery, you can fill your front yard with shrubs, bushes, tall grass, and even topiary. If you’re into tropical themes or just a fresh vibe to liven up the front yard, then this is for you. If you have a pool in your front yard, then have some bright lights installed and enjoy its look especially at night when it glows. Some pool owners even illuminate their pools with lights of their favorite colors, so go ahead and feel free to put your own little spin on it.
Meanwhile, living spaces like condominiums and apartments don’t really have front yards. No worries, as the front area can still be spruced up! Choose a main door that blends well with the texture and colorway of your unit. If your furniture or theme is wooden, then your door must also be the same. If your furniture is made of marble or colored a certain way, your door must also reflect that.
Build A Killer Garage!
Your garage: sometimes a tiny home for your car, sometimes a place where your clutter piles up. The main problem with most garages is the little things around the actual vehicle that make the garage feel cramped and narrow, like bikes, ladders, or even clotheslines. These can be eyesores especially to friends and relatives that you'll have over. If you’re not feeling the current look of your garage, then it’s time to give it an overhaul.
If your front yard also doubles as your garage, then make sure the first thing that people notice is outstanding. Notice the choice of colors, shapes, and texture contrasts that actually complement one another. In this case, the big grey door is a contrast to the lighter gray stone walls, and wooden window linings and ceilings.
Unlike American garages like the one pictured above, garages in the Philippines tend to be open air garages and visible from the outside. To improve its look, clear out your garage and put all your boxes and other things for storage where they should belong: at the bodega or the stockroom. Maintain cleanliness by keeping a regular schedule for tidying up the garage. If you have a vehicle/vehicles, then make sure you take charge of it/them too, so the cleanliness is consistent all throughout the garage.
Dine Al Fresco In Your Terrace!
Do you love going on dates and dining al fresco with your loved one? Do you miss reading a book while having coffee and cheesecake at your favorite café? Recreate the look and feel of outdoor dining at home!
Your front porch, patio, and/or terrace needs a little company. Veer away from the usual cold metal chairs and swap it with trendy and sturdy woven chairs instead. Woven furniture is all the rage this season, so create a nice outdoor dining atmosphere with it.
If you want more company, dust off your wooden dining table and set up 4-6 woven chairs in your patio or terrace. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just snacks and meals in between, you can have an al fresco experience just in the comfort of your home!
Breathe Life Into Your Garden!
Gardens can be modified in so many ways. Depending on what you like, you can grow a garden with crawling plants, or have your very own flower garden. Some homeowners prefer a fruit-bearing garden for free fruits for their dessert recipes, or a topiary garden for livelier surroundings, among many other types of gardens.
Do the modern forest-themed houses appeal to you? Not really? If you’re more into pops of color, then a flower garden is ideal for you. Especially if your area is big, has good exposure to moisture and sunlight, and if you want to contribute to preserving the ecosystem by feeding bees and butterflies, then flowers are your best friend.
You can also opt for a succulent garden, especially if you’re busy. Succulents require little water, which means less time for supervision. You can just leave them and pay them a visit from time to time.
Some people prefer fruit-bearing plants in their gardens to save up on food bills. Trees that are commonly planted in Filipino home gardens are mango, lime or calamansi, and papaya trees. Coconut trees are also grown, but more in the countryside/provinces.
Throw A Backyard Party!
Nothing says “business in the front, party in the back” better than a creative, well-designed backyard. Upgrade your barbecue parties and get-togethers, and bring the whole gang to the back of your home.
Tired of how plain or cluttered your backyard looks? Then it looks like it's time to give your backyard a fresh look. Make your gazebo area even livelier with draping curtains, fairy lights, a couch with throw pillows, and your favorite potted plants!
Prevent spoiling the fun due to rain by putting a covering on your backyard. This way, both extreme heat and heavy rains won’t ruin your backyard setup. For family gatherings, you can set up a campfire or a movie watching area. Get a projector and a projection screen. To make it closer to home, put your karaoke machine there and sing your heart out with your loved ones.
Spice Up Your Balcony!
Turn your balcony into an herbs and spices garden, or just decorative plants like ferns or flowers of your choice. You can also put a small chair on it for slow days, and just take your time taking in the view and being in the company of plants. Take advantage of the position of your balcony and its exposure to sunlight by putting lifeforms on it.
Spices like fenugreek, cumin, fennel, and mustard can be put on pots. You can also try herbs like basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, and oregano, among others. Just make sure that you’ve done enough research on whether or not these plants will survive the conditions in your balcony or just the country’s tropical climate in general.
Don’t like plants? That’s alright. You can put other things on your balcony, like folding chairs and tables so they don’t take up too much space. You can install good lighting too, like wall sconces if you want a subtle pop, or fairy lights if you’re into Bohemian chic.
If you’re adventurous with colors, you can take inspiration from Mykonos in Greece. Especially if your house is plain white, and you’re into ‘bringing your travels home’, then have your balcony painted bright colors by all means. It will instantly catch people’s attention!
Escape From Stress At The Rooftop!
Days for decompressing are beneficial to your mental health. Let some steam off and reset your system on your own rooftop.
If you live in a high rise building, then you must enjoy the view of skyscrapers. Couple that with a personal rooftop bar for special events, or a gym if you’re health conscious. You can also put a metal swing so you can unwind there on chill days.
Fun ideas will never run out, especially for your outdoor spaces! You just have to go out there and be experimental. Keep in mind the modern design elements, comfort, edge, and of course, trusting your own taste to successfully curate your dreamy escape at home.
Sources:
Bennett, J. (2020, April 13). 24 Budget-Friendly Backyard Ideas to Create the Ultimate Outdoor Getaway. Better Homes&Gardens. https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/cheap-backyard-ideas/
Rothweiler, D. (2020, June 16). Beautiful and Super Easy Backyard Makeover Ideas. Rothweiler Event Design. https://rothweilereventdesign.com/easy-backyard-makeover/
Staff, C. L. (2021, February 28). 85 Best Backyard Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank. Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/g2314/backyard-ideas/
Stanley, J. (2021, August 24). 13 Before and After Backyard Makeovers You Can Do in a Weekend. Family Handyman.https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/13-before-and-after-backyard-makeovers-you-can-do-in-a-weekend/
Stick, E. (2021, July 26). Your DIY Guide to a Backyard Makeover on a Budget. Extra Space Storage.https://www.extraspace.com/blog/home-organization/diy-projects/diy-guide-to-a-backyard-makeover-on-a-budget/