Ways to Perk Up Your Courtyard
From simple elegance to colorful and eclectic decor, choose ways to perk up your courtyard that fit your lifestyle. How you plan to use your outdoor living space will help you pick the design elements and features that invite you to spend more time outdoors.
Outdoor living spaces allow us to get closer to nature and enjoy the fresh air. A beautiful courtyard invites you to step out of your home and into an outdoor environment that soothes your soul.
Ways to Perk Up Your Courtyard
Choose A Theme
Do you already have a vision for your outdoor living space? If not, think about how you will use the space. Is it going to be a private area for reading with tea or coffee surrounded by flowers and an herb garden? Or will you have an outdoor kitchen and comfortable furniture for entertaining? Of course, outdoor spaces can be versatile and serve many purposes. And, you can style your courtyard for each season so it feels new and inviting all year round.
Define Your Style with Furniture
If your courtyard is an extension of your inside living space, you can compliment and carry the style and colors through with your outdoor furnishings. To keep the outdoor living space inviting, pick comfortable seating that’s made to handle the sun and rain and still look good.
Depending on the size of your outdoor area, you may have room for a dining table with chairs and a sectional sofa with coffee table. Otherwise, choose furniture that can serve as both. If possible have at least one small separate seating area as a personal space for reading, having coffee or a glass of wine when you want some quiet relaxing time outdoors.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas
Improve the ambiance of your courtyard in the evenings by adding a combination of lighting techniques. Hanging lights can be mounted along the eaves of your house or on any outdoor structure including a large umbrella over your dining table. In-ground solar lights around the perimeter of our outdoor living area define the space with a soft warm glow.
Portable battery-powered lighting is a simple way to improve the ambiance of your courtyard at night and have light where you need it. Candlelight is also a great way to create a soft glow for ambiance while entertaining and dining outside, provided it is safe to do so.
Add Some Color
One of the best ways to perk up your courtyard is by adding color to your outdoor living space. Flowering plants in colored pots and small trees planted in containers give your courtyard a natural look with pleasing colors. Coordinate your plantings with outdoor fabrics including pillows, rugs, umbrellas and other furnishings to pull everything together.
If you like gardening, herbs planted in pots mounted on a trellis or around the edge of your courtyard add a nice natural green aesthetic with pleasing aromas. It’s also convenient to have fresh herbs at the ready when cooking and grilling outside.
Warm Up with a Firepit or Fireplace
A firepit creates a central gathering area in your courtyard and can be used all year. There are hundreds of firepit styles from simple portable bowl designs to built-in metal, concrete or ceramic tile. The style you choose may depend on how much space you have to safely operate a wood firepit.
If you live in a warm-to-hot climate and may not be using your firepit in the heat of summer, consider a raised design that can be covered with a wood or metal top to serve as a table when not in use. Most firepits are designed for burning wood, however, there are a lot of great designs that use propane or natural gas for fuel which is cleaner and works better in smaller spaces.
Depending on the layout of your outdoor living area you could add a free-standing or built-in wood or gas fireplace. A fireplace would typically stand near a wall or one edge of the courtyard leaving the central area open for furniture or other design elements.
Add A Relaxing Water Feature
The calming sound of a fountain or water feature enhances spending time in your outdoor living area. Design ideas are almost limitless from a simple free-standing bubbling vase to a large built-in wall fountain, or even a birdbath-style fountain. They can be built from metal, concrete, stone or even glass depending on what works best for your courtyard or patio and how much space you have.
Epcon Communities
Many of our floor plans include a private garden courtyard nestled next to the home which can be seen from the main living areas. The large windows overlooking the courtyard allow plenty of natural lighting into the house and provide beautiful views of your private courtyard.
There are options for a covered porch, screened porch or sitting room that connect the owner’s suite to the courtyard creating a peaceful, private space with natural light where you can enjoy your morning tea or coffee or read your favorite new book.
Our luxury single-family homes offer floor plans starting from 1,300 square feet up to over 3,000 square feet with 2-4 bedrooms. Many communities include resort-style amenities and landscape maintenance provided by the HOA so you can spend more of your time doing what you love!
View our photo gallery to discover the style and luxury built into each of our homes as well as some great ways to perk up your courtyard!
Contact us to learn more about Epcon communities in locations around the country and explore all the benefits we offer.
