Easy Ways to Revitalize Your Outdoor Spaces {Dan Vick's Tips}

At about this time every year, we begin to venture out from our living rooms and dens into the porches, backyards and patios that will be our fresh-aired habitat for the next few months. Summer is here. This year more homeowners are avoiding expensive remodeling projects around the home, including large-scale outdoor projects like building new decks our patio spaces. Likewise, fewer people are spending money on big ticket items like high-end grills, above ground pools our lavish outdoor furniture sets. But reigning in spending doesn't mean you can't upgrade your outdoor life this summer.

Below are just a few ways you can liven up your deck, backyard or patio without shelling out big bucks.

Color Coordinate - The easiest way to breathe life into your patio, deck or porch is to commit to a vibrant color scheme. Tablecloths, napkins, outdoor rugs and throw pillows are all inexpensive touches that will add a cohesive splash of color to your surroundings. If you have a wood deck, you may consider staining or painting the decking in a new color (forgoing the bright accent hues for more subdued, complimentary tones).

Paint that Plastic - Plastic patio furniture has long been an inexpensive way to furnish outdoor spaces, but most plastic furniture sets have only been available in limited range of solid colors. Due to their unforgiving slick surface, customizing the look of plastic home and garden items was practically impossible. That has all changed with the engineering of new paints designed specifically for plastic surfaces. Using these new paint products, you can easily add a splash of summer color to furniture, garden equipment and children's toys.

Change Your Wicker Ways - You can also breathe new life into older wicker furniture with a little paint and some creativity (or failing that, some pre-made patterns). Start by spray-painting your wicker chairs or tables in bright tones. You can dress the furniture up even more by adding patterns with acrylics paints (whether freehand or with stencils). Protect your creation from the elements by adding a layer of spray varnish.

Pond in a Box - Adding water elements to a backyard or garden is attractive from an aesthetic standpoint, but can be something of a logistical nightmare (especially for those who try to go the Do-It-Yourself route). Water features require a certain amount of space, money and effort. Consider a lower impact alternative: a deck-top pond. If you're the least bit handy with a hammer, you can fashion your own miniature water garden using a handful of materials from the nearest home and garden center.

Most deck-top ponds are constructed with a distinct garden area (an arrangement of soil, rocks and plants) and a larger pond section that features submerged plants (which do not need soil), marginal plants (planted a pot which is then sunk) and "edge" plants (which are planted along the pond's banks). You can tailor the size of the water garden fit your needs, the materials and surfaces to match your décor and the plant choices to the amount of light available.

Paper Lanterns - Japanese style-lanterns are an inexpensive way to add color and style to your outdoor spaces. Once limited to Asian-inspired decorating schemes, today paper lanterns come in a wide variety of designs, shapes and colors. Try a simple set of white lanterns with white lights for understated elegance, or kaleidoscope of bright lanterns for a more avant-garde lighting scheme. You can also choose different colored bulbs for additional variety. Both corded and battery operated lights can be used in paper lanterns depending on your preference.

Summer Flowers- It takes but a few well-placed planters of flowers to create a park-like atmosphere. Planter boxes require less up-keep than in ground flowers, perfect for those of us who don't have the greenest of thumbs. A garden store expert can help you choose varieties that will match both your desired colors and the level of upkeep you're most comfortable with.

This post is by Dan Vick of RE/MAX of kc, 816-453-7400