Are you feeling the island blues? Why not bring the island to your outdoor deck or patio and transform it into an oasis! We want to thank Wayfair for sponsoring this post and creating an island vibe oasis at home that brings us so much joy.
As many of you may know, I’m an island girl from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Officially, my last “for-pleasure” trip was in December when I went home to visit for the holidays. Ever since I got back, I’ve had a yearning to return, but with flights limited and a pandemic happening worldwide, we’ve decided to put all travel on hold for now.
However, as they say, you can take the girl out of the islands, but you can’t take the island out of the girl. With it being summer, I’ve been wondering how to recreate a piece of home that will bring me joy whenever I see it.
We recently had a backyard makeover, but the front was due for an update. I had the furniture, but it just seemed to be missing something. It wasn’t as inviting as it should have been. It didn’t scream; you’ve got to sit here and relax.
While we had recently replaced the deck with updated materials, we still needed to paint the rails, and it lacked appeal. My husband had recently bought me new palm leaf pillows to go with the palms we had on the patio, and I was planning on exchanging the darker brown wicker chairs for the lighter ones in the backyard as I thought they looked better in the front. There were also a few other things that I wanted to add to make it a much more relaxing experience for my company and me.
So how do you give your patio a bit of island vibe? How do you bring the island to your patio and transform it into the oasis of your dreams? Here are a few simple ways.
Begin With the Colors
I went with my island flag colors for my patio oasis, but these are also colors predominant in the Caribbean. St. Vincent and the Grenadines flag colors are blue, green, and yellow. Blue represents the ocean, green the scenery (mountains), and yellow the sun and warmth and friendliness of the people. So I knew that I was going with those traditional colors. Once you figure out your colors, you can go ahead with your transformation.
Add Plants
When you think of the tropics, you automatically start thinking of coconut trees, but not being able to have a real coconut tree on my patio, I went with the next best thing that reminds me of coconut trees – palms. Now, if you’re going with live plants, you’re going to need pots to put them in, as they usually come in plain ugly containers. Wayfair has a great selection of planter pots that you can add to your patio to give it a bit of pizzazz. I also got some lavender plants for a hint of natural fragrance, and they also act as a natural deterrent for mosquitos and other flying insects. I got these beautiful Kelleia Pot Planters that I could sit on the table, and they were perfect for my lavender plants. For those who have a brown thumb, like I do, and prefer having faux plants, you can go that route as well.
Consider a Water Feature
The Caribbean is known for its beautiful beaches, rivers, and gorgeous waterfalls. Consider adding a water feature to your patio. The soothing sounds of flowing water in your water fountain will bring stress relief and relaxation to your environment. The 5-Tier Tree Trunk Water Fountain with Light on my patio adds the perfect ambient sound after a long day.
Furniture
Conversation sets are great for patios; however, stick with neutral colors and furniture made of wood or wicker. I prefer single seats instead of sectionals, especially with social distancing. Depending on your patio’s space, you may add a rocker or two and/or a swing, or maybe even opt for a hammock. However, if space is an issue, consider a hanging egg chair, as they are the rage currently, and egg chairs take up less space than both a hammock and/or swing.
If you’re unable to update your furniture, no problem. Instead of purchasing new furniture, you can always update the pieces you already own with new outdoor throw pillows and cushions. For maximum savings, you can use pillow covers instead of pillows and inserts.
Don’t Forget the Pillows
Since we were going with blue, yellow, and green, I knew that I wanted them in my pillows. I already had the palm leaf pillows (Wayfair has a great selection of palm leaf pillows if you’re searching for some of your own), I, however, needed a set of solids, as too many patterns can be overkill. We went with solid yellow pillows to go with the palm leaves that we already had. For the swing, we went with blue throw pillows: one striped patterned and one solid.
Decor & Lighting
How about some wall decor? I decided to add some butterflies and flowers to my wall. For illumination, you can get some hanging lanterns. I already had a few hanging in my gazebo but decided to bring them up to the front. Lanterns remind me of days on the beach, back in the Caribbean. We would have beach picnics, and with no electricity, lamps were used to give light. Add some flameless pillar candles, and you’ll have some luminescence, and added ambiance at night. If you’re working with a gazebo or pergola, you may consider adding string lights.
Bring It All Together With a Rug
To bring it all together, find a simple rug, nothing with too glaring of a design or numerous colors. Sometimes less is more. I found this simple geometric blue rug once again at Wayfair that brought it all together. The hardest decision was choosing the outdoor carpet of my choice as Wayfair has such a large selection of outdoor rugs, all at amazing prices.
Having an outdoor oasis can be as straightforward or as complicated, as costly or as inexpensive as you want it to be. It’s all about your budget, using what you have and incorporating simple pieces such as new pillows, planters, and a rug, and if it’s in the budget, a water feature, and some wall decor. However, bringing it to life doesn’t have to mean numerous trips to different stores, as Wayfair has all your patio needs. Before this post, did you know that they had real-life plants? So make Wayfair your patio one-stop-shop destination because they have all you’ll ever need and more!
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