Bring glamour to your outdoor space

(NC) There's no need to travel to the great outdoors when it can be found as close as your own backyard. All it takes is a little creativity.

Do you want an urban but homey feel, or a Zen, clean look? It is the same items that make for great rooms inside – cozy furniture, romantic lighting and creative accessories – that can bring so much character to your outdoor space. Here are some tips to create beautiful rooms beyond your back door:

Living and lounging

• Urban: For an eclectic lounge, build wooden benches directly into fences. Go classically chic with wrought iron candle lamps, striped outdoor carpets and monochromatic palettes. Portable fire pits and outdoor heaters add warmth, making your lounge a multi-season destination.

• Zen: Minimalist-lovers may craft their ideal lounge with a pergola, plus low, modern seating, cream cushions, and a flowing wall-mounted water fountain.

Dining al fresco

• Urban: Take stone garden décor, add metal or light wood furniture and you have the makings of a great dinner out. Update the look with a colourful outdoor carpet or a compact metallic table and sleek vinyl armchairs.

• Zen: Keep your outdoor dining aesthetic, clean and uncluttered with a bricked terrace and streamlined lacquered tables and chairs. For something eye-catching, but easy to find, the Home Depot offers bistro, conversation, and dining sets to suit the décor you are creating. White-screened lanterns add the perfect understated lighting.

The solitary retreat

• Urban: Create a backyard getaway with a gazebo and decorate with a variety of hanging baskets. For lazy days, outfit your sanctuary with drapery panels and wile away the hours in the breeze.

• Zen: To create a calm corner in even the tiniest of outdoor arenas, set up a sleek metal lounger or string a hammock in a secluded corner. Define the space with a few sculptural evergreens.

Regardless of preference for a lounge, dining room, or private sanctuary, the effort you make this season is going to be an instant, stress-free home addition. More information and guidance is available at www.homedepot.ca, including the patio buying guide and inspiration gallery.

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