Interior design tips to help you redesign your outdoor space

Kristen Pawlak, owner of the Louisville-based KP Designs/Decorating Den Interiors, says when people aren’t spending time outside year-round, the idea of decorating outdoor spaces usually only comes to mind once the weather warms up.

“Outdoor spaces (around here) can be an afterthought,” Pawlak told The Courier Journal. “We have all four seasons, but we almost go from (a) warm winter to 90-degree weather, (so) the timeline for outdoor rooms here is not as long as (other places). (But) I wish people would focus on it more. They are a lot of fun, and for me personally, if I could live outdoors, I would. I absolutely love it.”

She adds that homeowners should remember to include their outdoor spaces when planning interior design.

“It would be nice if people really thought to … earmark some of their budget for it, because it’s totally worth it,” she said.

Home of the Week:English-style home on 88-acres in Shelbyville featured on Fox’s ‘American Dream Home’

Here, Pawlak describes three outdoor areas that have been decorated and designed to level up al fresco living for a few homeowners this season.

Clean and classic

The sunroom of this walkout-ranch home in Lyndon leads to a covered deck that boasts columns and brick flooring.

“It’s a traditional-style home, but the (homeowners) love a more modern (look and) clean lines,” Pawlak said. “So, we call it a mod-trad look.”

The large patio is filled with metal-framed furniture and slate-blue hues. Though the space is covered, the cushions feature outdoor fabric to withstand all types of weather. A complementary rug pulls the look together, while urns full of bright flowers add different pops of color. A few steps lead down toward the exposed patio area, which offers additional seating in a similar color scheme.

“(It’s) a really great outdoor (space),” Pawlak said. “(The homeowner) says it’s her favorite room in the house. I did the entire house — and it’s pretty big — but this is her favorite room.”

Neat and neutral

This covered brick porch and patio in Mockingbird Valley is outfitted in colors that have been pulled from other parts of the house.

“The color palette here has a lot of greens and neutrals in it that really come from (inside) the home,” Pawlak explained. “In the family room as well as the kitchen, you’ll see a lot of similar colors. We like to do a lot of outdoor rooms that really just feed off the indoor palettes.”

In order to make the indoor look vibe work for the outside, Pawlak incorporated faux teak furniture. Though it looks like the real thing, the faux wood will hold up better through rough weather while maintaining its color.

Home of the Week:One with nature: Explore this luxury ‘Glamping’ getaway in Kentucky

Pawlak describes this transitional space as homey and cozy, adding that the lightweight, armless chairs off to one end can easily be moved toward the middle for additional seating in the main area.

“We also did fun things like paint the ceiling a very pale blue,” she said, explaining that this is something commonly seen in a lot of southern cities. “It mimics the color of the sky. … This was quite an update for this (homeowner, who) had a little bit of a hodgepodge of furnishings. … This was just a nice way to give her a nice, finished look (to) bring it all together.”

Bright and bold

The open-air deck of this Indiana home features furniture with a woven, rattan-like look. The synthetic materials are made for the outdoors, and like the first two homes, the upholstery used is made to withstand humidity and major temperature changes.

“This is different than the faux teak look and the metal look (of the previous two homes),” Pawlak said. “(There are) a lot more pops of color. … It’s a sunnier, brighter look.”