Using the 5 Senses for Home Decor | Outdoor Living Edition
Using the 5 senses for home decor is so important for a peaceful and unified space. We’ll be keeping the 5 senses in mind for this outdoor living makeover.
I always love the Pottery Barn aesthetic, so I will be looking at some of their patio design photos as inspiration and will explain how I got that Pottery Barn look for less money.
// the before
Let’s get started by taking a look at the before.
We’re going all out and getting new furniture and decor since I’m really appreciating this Colorado weather, after living through so many hot Texas Summers. I found most of these items on Amazon, so it was really easy to shop for what I needed and have it delivered to the front door. That was especially appreciated for the large outdoor sofa we ended up getting!
1 // sight
Let’s start with the first of the 5 senses…sight. I started by looking at some Pottery Barn inspiration photos online. Building a mood board is so important because it gathers all your favorite ideas in one place and then you can pinpoint exactly what you like about all of your inspiration photos.
I liked the sectional idea and having lots of pillows. I also wanted a table that was high enough to eat at or bring my laptop out and work at. It seems like all these patio designs have a similar color scheme. They took one or two colors and worked them into most of the decor items.
Since the walls of our patio are taupe, I will play off of that and work it into the color scheme of everything we purchase.
I found a beige grill cover to replace the black one. You can see what a difference just a grill cover can make! And such a cheap purchase, too.
I found some beige furniture and it was really nice having this large package shipped to our doorstep. The quality is great on this sectional and table. It came with the pillows for the sofa, but I wanted a few more pillows because the Pottery Barn looks always have lots and lots of pillows.
To add even more beige, I got these curtains to give this space a cabana, by-the-pool feel, even though we don’t have a pool. We just drilled hooks into the wall and got the tie backs and they look really elegant hanging on this outdoor curtain rod.
I liked the idea of having something on that plain stucco wall. I wanted to use white as an accent color to break up all the beige. So, I found this set of three white wall planters.
You could put real plants in these, but I filled mine with fake ones because they would be a little hard to reach for watering and changing up the soil.
For more pops of white, I got this beautiful garden stool.
And this white pot for some succulents will be nice to add to the table, when we’re not using it for eating. With succulents, you want to use a special soil and also add a layer of rocks on top. Make sure their roots are fully below the soil. And wait a day or two before watering, so they can settle in.
I ordered my succulents on Amazon and they actually showed up in good condition!
2 // smell
Let’s talk about the sense of smell. I bet you can guess how we’re going to add a nice scent to this backyard patio. With some flowers, of course! Since moving to Colorado, I have been in awe of all the different flowers that they have here.
There was such a nice variety and beautiful colors and scents at Lowe’s. I picked a up these, which are supposed to grow well in Colorado and I planted them in a grey pot that I found on Amazon. This pot did come in a set of 2, but I was able to fit this plant in one pot and will use the other one for something else.
Adding flowers is a great way to give your patio space a nice scent. But if you’re allergic or just don’t like caring for flowers, then you could always put a little essential oil diffuser outside and just have it going while you’re enjoying the outdoors. Below is the exact diffuser I have and it has been going strong for several years.
3 // touch
The sense of touch is all about mixing and matching several different textures to make the space more interesting.
Start by looking at what you already have in the space. Since we have stucco on the walls, which is a very rough texture, I want to add some softness in the form of pillows, rugs and maybe a throw or two. If your outdoor space is covered, like mine, then go all out and make this as much like your living room as possible – the cozier, the better!
I put a Ruggable out here, which is a washable rug. You just peel off the top layer and throw it in the washing machine. Ruggable’s are perfect for outdoor use because dust and dirt can build up on those outdoor rugs.
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4 // sound
For sound I have a couple different ideas for you. In our case, we want to block noises from the outside world, so those curtains not only protect us from the elements and provide privacy, but they also create a bit of a sound barrier.
You could pick up a small water feature for your patio. I’ve had something like these in the past and they really add a nice water sound that’s really soothing to listen to.
Another option would be to bring out some music. I have a Jawbone speaker and you can listen to spa type music, if you want a relaxing time on your patio. Or get some fun tunes going for a small get together. I like that this speaker is cordless, so I can have it charged and no worries about plugging it in. It connects with bluetooth to my phone, so it’s super easy to use.
5 // taste
For taste you may be wondering how in the world do you work that into home decor. I wanted this area to be somewhere to enjoy a meal, or a morning coffee or tea. It’s a peaceful relaxing outdoor living area and definitely invites us to dine at this table. I created a beautiful dining tablescape because this treats the outdoor dining area the same way you would the indoor and makes it feel special and inviting.
I had already duped this tray from Pottery Barn in this post.
It seemed like a lot of the Pottery Barn Summer decor is using black and white, so I brought out these dishes and think they add a stark pop of black and white to contrast with the beige color scheme and tie in with the white accents I used.
// the reveal
Now that we have all 5 senses covered for our patio makeover, here is the reminder of the before. Lots of empty space out there!
And here is the final reveal, which definitely reminds me of a Pottery Barn showroom!
Here is more design inspiration for your creative mind. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a creative day!
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How about some Target Dollar Spot crafts and Dollar Tree coastal transformations. We’ll be putting together tiered tray miniatures to decorate our little coastal vignette.