Nine Simple Outdoor Decorating Tips

One of the things I love about traveling is seeing how others live.  That includes seeing what they eat, what they wear, how they spend their time, and how they decorate their homes.  I picked up nine simple outdoor decorating tips when we were in Germany recently, and I thought you might like to see them.

 

 

 

 

Use window boxes to enhance a window.  There were window boxes all over Germany, and we have learned that the Europeans use them much, much more than we Americans do.  They love their window boxes and how they add color and excitement to their homes.

 

 

Paint a border around a window to make it look larger.  This is my favorite tip.  I love the way this homeowner made the window of this house look larger with just some paint.  All of the windows had this border, and it was so clever.

 

 

 A tea cup makes an excellent vessel for succulents.  We saw this little trick all over, too.

 

 

Put large lanterns by your front door.  We saw this over and over again mostly at restaurants, but I thought it was such a cute idea.  There were plants and lanterns at the entrances of many, many restaurants.  This is another tip we have seen all over Europe.

 

 

Add some sculpture/art to your yard.  This lady might creep you out, but I was/am mesmerized by her.  One day while cycling, we stopped and ate lunch in the yard belonging to a sculptor.  He had interesting pieces of art throughout the yard and garden.  This gal was leaning over a short brick wall.  After seeing how the art enhanced his yard, I decided that it was a really great idea.

 

 Murals add an interesting touch to a blank wall.  We saw tons of murals on big and small buildings.  If a mural had not been painted on that wall, it would have just been a boring ole wall.  This apartment building was right beside our bike trail, and I bet everyone who sees it smiles.  Cheers to the person who came up with the idea.  Murals can be big or small and simple or complicated, but they certainly take plain to special.

 

 

Chairs don’t have to be for sitting, and wreaths don’t have to be for hanging.  Enough said on that one.

 

 

Moss and/or vines growing on a building add character.  I know they might also damage the brick, but the buildings we saw with ivy and moss were old, and they look as if they were doing just fine.

 

 

Add a touch of whimsy to your planters.  This herb planter had a candle, a teapot, and a piece of driftwood and was loaded with personality.

 

I love it when people think outside of the box, and these tips were definitely that.  I hope you can use a few where you live.

 

Take care.