QUINCY — Summer is here, those long days and warm evenings tempting people to spend time outside. The question is how to make the most of that outdoor space, whatever it is.

Sherri Van Diest, owner of Wild Willow Interiors in Quincy, said she tells her clients to take into account how the indoors looks to make the most of the outdoors. 

“I think an outdoor space needs to kind of be an extension of the inside. And by extension I don’t think it needs to match exactly,” Van Diest said. “I like to use the term, they need to talk to each other. They need to have a few similarities.”

People can choose a color or pattern to bring outdoors, she said, something that ties the two spaces together. But people can take some risks outside.

“You want the outside to be bolder,” Van Diest said. “You want the textures to be bolder, colors (bolder), patterns bigger — you can just dream a little bigger on the outside, because you don’t have to live with it every day. So outside, there’s really no limit to your imagination with colors and patterns and textures.”

Depending on the space — and the budget — people can set up sections for specific uses.

“Your eating area, you want to be sure to have very fun tableware, appropriate for outside, but (with) bold colors, fun patterns, mix and match old and new to make it interesting,” Van Diest said. “In addition to a bigger seating area, if there’s room it’s also nice to have a smaller area, a little more intimate. Just a couple of chairs and a smaller table. That’s also a good place to use lounge chairs, if you want to use those. It’s nice to pull those away from the main eating (and) seating area.”

One more thing is important when it comes to seating.

“They need to be comfortable, those lounge chairs,” Van Diest said. “That needs to be taken into consideration, as well as (selecting) a style that you like that fits in with the aesthetic you’re going for.”

Outside is, well, outside, with no temperature control and no curtains for privacy. Fences, hedges and walls will help address the privacy question. But it doesn’t always require a fence or a wall, Van Diest said.

“We want potted plants, whether they be tall trees or flowers; they provide a little bit of privacy if they’re strategically placed. Because sometimes you don’t need a solid barrier for privacy. Sometimes it’s just some potted plants that are grouped together. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to strategically place something in front of a window. And those are flexible,” she said. 

There are shades of all sizes that provide protection from the sun and privacy to boot.

“The simplest (sun protection) would be table umbrellas, patio umbrellas. Those can be moved around (and) they can add a lot of fun color to the space,” she said. “There are screens — as long as you’ve got mounting points for screens, those can make excellent sun protection, wind protection.”

Van Diest said in her opinion a source of heat is one of the most important components in an outdoor space.

“A fire pit is always a must. If it’s a covered patio where a fire pit doesn’t make sense, then a patio heater, one or two patio heaters,” she said. “It completely extends your outdoor living season. And even on the nicest summer days, it still gets cool at night.”

There are a lot of outdoor lighting options, she said; the most important thing is to decide how they’re going to be installed, whether it’s around the perimeter or across the middle of a space. 

“You can change them anytime you want and just use your imagination and be creative with them,” she said. “We’re just kind of thinking of ideas that people can incorporate for what they have.”

Summer living is also about eating outdoors, and cooking outside might mean a grill or it might mean a whole kitchen.

“They can be as simple as a budget and the ability to pull them off allows,” Van Diest said. “One thing with an outdoor kitchen that is so, so functional is a pass-through window into the house. That can be by itself, or you can put a little bar top with that pass-through window and you can have a little seating as well. Those pass-through windows that go into the house are amazing.”

Where there is food there are beverages, and a bar is very useful, she said.

“If you don’t have room for a big bar, just a bar cart that can be moved out of the weather and the seasons,” she said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].

    Screens and old doors provide interest and privacy at Blue Rouge Nursery, Moses Lake, similar to their effect in a backyard.
  

    A chair, a table, some plants and just cool stuff like a sundial, here at Blue Rouge Nursery, would provide some interest in an outdoor space.
  

    Decorator Sherri Van Dienst said people should think about both large and small seating areas when planning their outdoor design.
  

    Plants in pots, like this example at Blue Rouge Nursery, provide plenty of options for outdoor decoration.
  

    Comfortable seating with cushions that can be stored is important on a patio, said decorator Sherri Van Diest.
  

    Sometimes something unusual, like a truck turned into a seat, can spruce up an outdoor space.