3 minute read
Every summer starts with a tiny little lie, well, it’s usually a very convincing one. This is the summer the patio’s finally going to get used properly. This is the year your backyard gets that upgrade, so you’ll have BBQs. This is the summer there’ll be iced coffee outside in the morning, dinner on the deck when it cools down, maybe a book, maybe a glass of something cold, maybe just sitting out there doing absolutely nothing for once. Granted, all of these sound great, but then it never happens because life just gets in the way of it all.
And sure, it’s fairly annoying here too. And it’s not like it’s because every garden has to turn into some perfect little summer film set, but because it’s frustrating having outside space and still spending the whole season indoors feeling vaguely robbed. A patio or deck can look lovely and still be weirdly useless, and that’s usually where summer starts feeling wasted. Not ruined, not tragic, just wasted in that low-key irritating way where the potential was there, and nothing really happened with it.
Stop Making Outside Feel Like Effort
Well, to start off with, if using the patio feels like a whole task, people aren’t going to bother. That’s just how it goes. If somebody has to wipe everything down first, drag cushions out, hunt for shade, move things around, and then still end up awkwardly balancing a drink on the floor, that’s not relaxing. Really, if it’s not worth the effort, then there’s no real reason to go out there in the first place.
But the nice thing, at least, is that other than the “foundation”, if you want to call it that (the patio itself, the deck itself, pavilion, ect), then everything else can actually be really easy to mitigate. For example, if you already have a deck, then all you really need to do is maybe swap or just make upgrades like outdoor furniture that’s cleaner and more comfortable, rather than what you currently own. Maybe getting a parasol or awning for some shade, some potted plants for color, a large outdoor rug, and maybe some lights (like string lights), if you are adamant about being out there at night.
Build it Around Ordinary Days
As in, a boring day, an average day, because this is where loads of outdoor spaces lose the plot a bit. They get set up for hosting, for barbecues, for imaginary guests, for some future version of summer that sounds lovely in theory and barely happens in real life. If you’re a millionaire, sure, have at it.
But realistically speaking, it’s better to think about everyday life. You need a space to pull its weight, its real weight, not the version that you have pictured in your mind. Besides, not every outdoor area needs to impress people. Sometimes it just needs to feel good enough that stepping outside sounds easier than staying in.
Stop Chasing Pretty
Well, you see here, people get caught up making a deck or patio look nice from inside the house, and that’s fine up to a point, but looking nice and feeling nice are not the same thing. Not even close. A space can be very cute and still be too exposed, too stiff, too hot, too awkward, or too annoying to spend actual time in. Which, of course, you don’t want, especially in the summer months here.
