It’s our favorite time of year… time to break out the cardigan, make sure you have those tiny marshmallows for the hot chocolate, and marvel at the kaleidoscope display Mother Nature has for us along the wooded hills. Your outdoor space could use a little love in getting ready for fall, and we’ve got some fantastic fall ideas to decorate your patio in the best of the season. Let’s take a look…
The entrance to your home is not just a doorway, it’s where your guests form their first impression of your home. Does your entrance welcome your guests with open arms? Outfit your entrance for the fall by adding seasonally color-coordinated throw pillows, a festive wreath upon the front door, or a humorous seasonal doormat (ours says, “Do not disturb… watching football!”). Make sure you have comfortable seating as your guests will want to enjoy the crisp fall air. Don’t forget that your guests enjoying your entrance space will get chilly in the late afternoons, we suggest adding an Aura Radiant Infrared Patio Heater to keep them comfy into the evening hours.
Let’s take a look at your outdoor seating. Are you still rockin’ the teal pillows that looked so good a decade ago? It’s easy to ready your outdoor seating areas for the glory that Autumn brings… let’s start with adding fall colored throw pillows. Select from shades of orange, red, yellow, and brown to perfectly compliment the splendor of the changing leaves. Since the evenings cool down quickly, consider adding a thick, warm throw blanket to keep Jack Frost at a distance. Lastly, the addition of bright autumn-colored outdoor area rugs can help define conversation areas and fit in perfectly with the season. Again, we can’t recommend enough that you help keep your guests comfortable by adding an Aura radiant infrared patio heater to perfectly warm those chilly evenings.
One of our favorite decorative elements, especially in the fall, is the use of seasonal-appropriate foliage and florals. Who doesn’t smile inside, even just a little, when a vase has a smirky pumpkin face and is holding a few multicolored leave branches within it? A smattering of various colors and sizes of gourds (you know, the pumpkin wannabees?) set around your patio pushes your guests into an autumnal mood. A small garland across a window or doorway made up of pinecones, acorns and festive autumnal ribbons is a perfect way to set the tone. Of course, seasonal baskets displayed in orange hanging baskets will brighten your patio and welcome both your guests and the cooler weather. Our #1 suggestion for making your patio ready for the fall is simple – make it comfortable for your guests to stay outdoors by adding Solaira infrared patio heaters to take that little chill out of the air.
Of the various types of lighting, ambient lighting is the “general” light that fills an area with a uniform light level, and this is just as important on your patio as it is in your dining room. Perhaps raise a series of string lights over your patio to give a nice even glow or add LED candles (not susceptible to wind) sprinkled around your patio for the same effect. Perhaps adding a few lanterns is more your style, and they’re a perfect way to illuminate your outdoor oasis. One of our favorite dual-purpose patio treasures is the SimplyShade Bali Pro starlight cantilever umbrella provides shade from the sun during the hottest parts of the day, and as the evening approaches the built-in LED rib lights will light up your party all night long.
Setting your outdoor dining table is always as easy as pie (pumpkin pie, that is) until you get to the centerpieces, you’ll need to dress them up right. Take some natural fall goodies like green apples or small gourds and place them inside of a large glass decanter. Perhaps set out four or five pillar candles and lay pinecones and multi-colored leaves between them to create a long centerpiece perfect for the season. Use natural materials (like wooden crates or small baskets) filled with leaves and cinnamon sticks to not only freshen up your table, but the air as well. Again, remember that your goal is to have a warm and comfortable place for you and your guests, so make sure you add an Aura radiant infrared patio heater.
Setting your outdoor dining table for your fall feast can be a fun experience. Start with a colorful charger (you know, those big “plates” that sit under your actual plate) that fits in with the season. Add a small try on top of the plate with a miniature pumpkin (perhaps with a small slot cut in it to hold place cards) and a couple of sticks of cinnamon. As you’re ready to sit down to your evening meal, you’ll be thankful for so many things… not the least of which is that you made the right move to add a Solaira radiant infrared patio heater to your dining space, knowing FOR SURE that your guests will be toasty – even before that 3rd bottle of wine is uncorked.
When it comes to ways to warm your patio during the autumn evenings, there is no more romantic way to do so than staring into a roaring fire. Something about the flames draws your guests toward the fire pit like a moth to a… well… flame. Here the Fire Sense Albany fire pit can provide this trance-inducing flickering flame from either liquid propane (lp) gas, or natural gas. Cuddle up next to the fire (about 18” – 24” away) with a cozy blanket and your evening’s all set. To warm a larger area with more people, nothing will beat an infrared patio heater… but those flames sure look appealing.
Living on a large family farm, I know a thing or two about harvest-themed decorations. One of our favorites is to buy 6-10 stalks of corn from your local farmer, stack them in the corner (shuck the front of the corn so it shows) with a few pumpkins at the base to an instant fall-themed hit. Use small straw bales (not hay bales) as a base for your autumnal decorations and place some fall-harvest items upon them. Consider adding colorful scarecrows (note: NOT the scary kind), cornucopias, and sets of Indian corn (a cousin to popcorn…) upon them. Ingenuity counts, and every little piece you add to your outdoor oasis just raises your fall decorative quotient that much higher.
If you have the shelf space in your outdoor kitchen (or would like to make a rolling cart), a fall-inspired beverage station can really spice up your next shindig. Imagine your guests sidling up to your beverage station and selecting a pumpkin spiced latte with cinnamon sprinkled on top, or a hot cocoa complete with slowly melting marshmallows. Let’s not forget the fall favorite Apple Cider (with or without the “Hard” in front of it) to get your party moving along. Pair these seasonal favorite drinks with fall treats (apple cider donuts with pumpkin latte, a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie with your hot chocolate or a toffee crunch cookie with your cider treat) and your guests will sing your praises until the cows come home.
Gone are the days when you relied on your fire building skills to warm your guests… today’s patio heaters can run on propane, natural gas or electricity. And, with radiant infrared heating they are crazy-efficient as they don’t warm the air but use radiant heat (like the sun) to warm things (like people, pets, concrete and your patio furniture). The better question is what patio heaters have to do with fall décor. Take a look at the Bromic Heating Eclipse portable patio heater we have here… a drop-dead gorgeous electric portable patio heater with a build-in LED lighting system to add warmth and light for your guests. With adjustable heating levels and adjustable lighting levels, it’s easy to dial in just the right settings to keep everyone comfy. Just plug in the 240v cord and you’re good-to-go!
Fall is a fantastic time of year and getting your home outfitted to celebrate the cooler temperatures, changing leaves and shorter days can be easy with a little inspiration. Take some of our fall patio décor ideas and spruce up your outdoor oasis just in time for your next important get-together.
Here at Patio Heat and Shade, we’re hyper-focused on your enjoying your outdoor spaces to the fullest, keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer maximizing your outdoor time. As you go through these home décor ideas, if you need a little help with which patio heater would be right for you don’t hesitate to call us. We’ve got the absolute best patio experts in the business ready to take your call and get you what you need to do the job right. We’re here for you – just give us a call, and we promise to treat you like family.