How to Spruce Up Your Deck for Summer

We’re well into spring here in Portland, and now is the perfect time to start cleaning and preparing your outdoor deck for summer. Many homeowners think that sprucing up your outdoor deck simply means cleaning it and maybe, just maybe, giving it a fresh layer of finish. While these methods are all fine and dandy, there are many different ways you can add a creative flair to your deck that goes above and beyond the old clean-and-finish. Here are four of our favorite ways you can spruce up your deck for summer. Enjoy!

 

1. Create a painted “rug”.

Painting a part of your deck to look like an area rug is one of the most fun and affordable ways you can add visual interest to your humdrum deck. Simply use a tape measure to determine the dimensions you’ll want for the rug, mark off the outside edges with painters tape, and then add several coats of exterior paint in the color of your choice. Voila! A beautiful area rug illusion that is sure to get your guests talking.

 

 

2. Get creative with parquet patterns.

Indoor hardwood flooring is not the only place you can find interesting parquet use. Many creative homeowners are applying the same techniques to their outdoor decks. The squares, rectangles, and triangles in parquetry make for amazing outdoor deck designs. Don’t believe us? Take a look for yourself:

 

 

 

 

3. Use a ton of plants.

Flowers, herbs, and climbing vines are a great way to customize your deck or patio. You can use these colorful and fragrant decorations in pots, baskets, planter boxes, clay pots, or as the centerpiece of a table.

 

 

4. Think inside, out.

One of the most popular ways to spruce up your outdoor deck is to give it the look and feel of an indoor room. This can be interpreted in many different ways, but the most common indoor-to-outdoor ideas we’ve seen involve using furniture such as couches, ottomans, and coffee tables. Make sure to protect your furniture from the elements! The rain in Portland is fairly unpredictable, and you don’t want to ruin your favorite leather loveseat just for the sake of impressing your BBQ guests.

 

 

What are your favorite ways of sprucing up your outdoor deck for summer? Leave us a comment and let us know!