Spend More Time on Your Porch This Spring

Spring is here! And that means that we’re all being gradually lured outside with the milder weather and warm sunshine. Do you have a patio at your house? Patios, porches, decks, and other outdoor living spaces give us a chance to enjoy the great outdoors without leaving the comfort of a nice chair. It encourages us to slow down and watch a sunset while having a relaxing conversation with our loved ones.

If you’re considering creating or sprucing up an outdoor living area, here are some tips for your project:

What makes it a living space instead of just another corner of the yard? Seating! The trouble with outdoor furniture is that it usually doesn’t stay beautiful and comfortable for long, when it’s exposed to the elements. Rain and damp can set into seat cushions and pillows, making them smell like mold or mildew. The sun saps color from paint and fabric, and the fluctuation between heat and cold might cause paint coatings to crack.

One really smart way around this is to buy furniture specially created for the outdoors. Certain cushions resist color-bleaching and are filled with fibers that prevent mold. And one of the best things you can do for outdoor items is to choose powder coating instead of traditional paint. Powder coatings are fused onto the metal using electrostatic charge and heat-curing, which means that they’re solvent-free and flexible enough to adapt to temperature changes and furniture that moves and bends.

Right now, during the first stirrings of spring, it might be hard to imagine wanting shade from the rays of the sun. However, once the heat of the summer sets in, you’ll be begging for a little bit of shelter. Usually, the shelter for a patio or porch is provided by the structure itself, which might include a deck roof, or even an overhang on the house from the upper stories. However, if your space doesn’t have built-in shelter, you can still achieve the same effect with other methods, whether that’s a tree that offers generous shade, or a pergola or smaller-scale arbor.

In order to fill out your patio space and make it an area where you’ll really love spending time, it’s important to add decorative accents that suit the space. A foolproof way to do this is with potted plants. Simple shrubs and flowering bushes add a cool touch of greenery to the area and can even be arranged to give more privacy and shade to the area.

Don’t stop there, though. You can make your patio a real feature by adding elements that you’ve always wanted to have. A firepit or fountain can add some excitement to the area. An accent wall with wall-sconce pots can add an impressive backdrop. Carefully placed pavers and stonework on the ground can define your space and add decorative intricacy.

Powder coating is an excellent option for everything that you incorporate into your newly-spruced patio, from the iron railings to decorative metal elements. Powder coating works so great for outdoor items because it holds its beautiful hues long after traditional paint–no matter the quality–has started to fade, chip, and crack. Make the most of your outdoor living space with weather-smart powder coatings. Click here to check out our variety of colors and textures.

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