With days and night getting warmer by the hour, it is about time to prep your porch, backyard or patio for some chilling out time and lots of outdoor entertainment. To achieve a stylish outcome and embrace a more inviting feel, you will need help from cool, soothing colours, retro-inspired style/ideas, and natural materials, which is what this season is all about.

No more plastic faux-wood furniture, no wrought iron pieces, no cold, modern concrete looks. Instead, natural materials, like teak and rattan, and the use of wood are both in. Spaces are becoming more rustic and rural, adorned by charming solid teak seating areas that age beautifully outdoors, creating a loving, weathered-grey look over the years.

Below are the top 10 summer 2017 trends to make sure your outdoor spaces reflect your personal style while being on trend, stylish, and comfortable at the same time.

1. Bring the Indoors out!

This is the #1 trend this season. The point is to let the indoors take over the outdoors through a seamless transition using, what else, outdoor rugs, layered blankets, side tables, ottomans, and throw pillows.

For many homeowners, their backyard has become an extension of their indoor space, which is why they are more than eager to decorate their outdoor areas with décor and furniture that looks as if meant for the indoors, the moment the weather allows it!

2. Splashy Patterned Pillows

Throwing fun printed pillows on your seating area in your patio or backyard is an excellent way to cozy up the place. Plus, the pillows are a highly versatile tool that can be easily switched out if the current trend becomes outdated. You can choose to go shopping for crazy throw pillows or have a tailor craft a few for you, if you have spotted a dream fabric that you would love having in your home somehow, somewhere!

3. Soft, Coastal Shades

Details, rugs, and other décor items (why not pieces of furniture too!) in cool blues and bisque/ivory colours can help transform your patio or porch. If you still have a few more weeks before hitting the beaches, you can bring the coastal breeze and feel into your backyard by savouring injections of blue and sandy beige all around you!

4. Outdoor Rugs

Hand-spun jute rugs are ideal for summer and outdoor spaces and offer a neutral foundation to transitional homes. In cool-toned taupe hues, jute rugs are perfect for a coastal appeal and texture layering. Other than that, wool and cotton rugs are also great, as long as they are water-, mold- and weather-resistant.

5. Retro-Inspired Furniture

Although we saw nothing wrong in plastic faux-wood furniture, pieces with a retro feeling (i.e. wicker-inspired and rattan furniture) are unbeatable right now. No wonder they are among the biggest trends emerging at the moment. We have seen a shift towards more natural styles the last few years and that change is now followed by crochet techniques and woven styles that not only add texture to a space (any space,actually) but bring in some sweet 70’s nostalgia (Baby Boomers understand completely!).

6. The Woven Trend

There is an earthquake taking place in woven furniture. Non-traditional colours, such as a beautiful, distressed light blue are being introduced this year, giving woven furniture a totally fresh look. Off-white shades (aka Parchment) also dominate and offer subtle nuances of whites that create colour-enhancing accents for dynamic spaces, but suit serene, tranquil environments too. Both those new colours mix very well with the more traditional (darker) shades we have got used to seeing in outdoor furniture.

7. Florals are Here to Stay (probably forever!)

Although mostly related to spring, floral prints are having a much-welcoming revamp, offering new, surprising ways to incorporate them in our outdoor décor (i.e. galvanised flowers to decorate a wall). In short, the 2017 summer florals come in unexpected forms, shapes, and materials, and we love it. All you need is to put your imagination and creativity into action and see what happens.

8. Mosaic Tables

They are having a strong comeback after a long time of idleness and oblivion. Mosaic accents and dining tables have been a huge trend the last few years and they are not going anywhere, at least for this year. Their vintage style and materials that range from glass and ceramic to natural stone are some of the reasons they are particularly loved by so many homeowners and designers alike.

9. Tableaux Decorative Grilles

Although not a recent trend, tableaux decorative grilles are decidedly an exciting part of decorating and furnishing a home. They are the perfect means to let your creativity come to life, as their applications are limitless.

Without a doubt, tableaux decorative grilles are among the most versatile pieces to use when you want your home to exude your personal style. They come in a wide variety of designs, sizes (even custom sizes available), materials, shapes, and finishes, and can be used in exteriors, pass-throughs, wall décor, ceilings, cabinetry, custom applications, windows, transoms, and any other space you find lackluster and you need to renovate or redecorate.

Needless to say, they can be made to fit a modern, traditional or eclectic home (indeed a fab way to add subtle detail). Or you could let them become the focal point of your outdoor or indoor space (even be what you and your guests see when they turn eyes on the sky!). Paired with natural woven shade will also give you added levels of privacy while they also have anti-termite, anti-rot, and anti-moisture properties.

10. Outdoor Curtains/Sheers

White, long fabric curtains and sheers are perfect for breezy summer days and nights. They need to be more lightweight than those winter curtains you have inside the home, and more cheerful too. Rest assured they will change the ambiance, even if you prefer to have them tied to the columns surrounding a patio or pergola.

With the use of the right fabrics and outdoor curtain style, feel free to prepare yourself for many relaxing evening on the deck, protected from mosquitoes and flies, and (to some extent) shielded from the heat.

For those lucky ones that have a roofed gazebo or terrace, some light-coloured curtains will help make your space a great entertaining area, which involves a cozy seating area and, perhaps, an inviting dining area, for guests and family members to enjoy and chill out

Now, if you need more privacy or shade, outdoor curtains with a slightly tighter weave (i.e. linen or cotton) will do the job just fine without losing their aesthetic appeal.

Besides white curtains, you may also use coloured ones, which, admittedly, look fantastic in rustic settings due to their warm, earthy tones.

No matter how you choose to use your outdoor curtains, one thing is for sure; your deck, porch, patio, terrace or backyard will look much more elegant and refined than without them.Enjoy your summer in your newly-revamped, trendy outdoor areas!

Want to decorate your home with accessories like a pro? We have an interesting post for you! Do feel free to check out our other posts for tips to refresh your home on the cheap and many more!