As a color consultant, when we enter the height of spring, I always enjoy discussing different ways to rearrange and inspire outdoor areas that often sit unmodified from one year to the next. Your outdoor patios, porches, gardens, and pergolas do not need to arrive each spring looking the same as they did the year before; it’s time to try something new, and color blocking can make a world of difference!
In this article, I will cover some of the design concepts behind “color blocking” and, more specifically, how you can use color blocking to create unique patio events for friends and family as the weather becomes more spring and summer-like!
What is Color Blocking?
So, if you’ve not heard the term before or just are vaguely familiar with the concept, color blocking is the intentional use of two or more bold, saturated colors as distinctive shapes or patterns juxtaposed with one another to create a visually striking composition. Color blocking is not a design scheme intended to slip into neutrality in the background; it’s meant to create an immediate visual impression.
Color blocking with exterior or interior design is usually meant to highlight a certain aspect of the space or create delineation between objects or room features. Also, the colors are almost exclusively complimentary colors and solid colors without patterns. For example, accent walls come under the umbrella of color blocking. A wall is painted with a juxtaposing color to stand out from the rest of the space and highlight a feature. Now color blocking doesn’t necessarily mean that the contrasting color(s) has to be in the shape of a block or square or even be a large section of the space. Color blocking can be accomplished without lifting a paintbrush or installing new appliances.
Color Blocking Your Patio
Many patios slip into the same color routines each year. Most of the time, they are full of neutral beiges and whites, with a splash of accent color here and there. I feel most of us are so excited to get out and use our patio spaces that the design and color inspiration efforts can become neglected, but not this year! Our outdoor spaces should be areas that are anything BUT ho-hum; these are spaces where we go outside to have a good time!
Color blocking your patio can add energy and vibrancy to your outdoor space while setting the scene for the event you are hosting! What do I mean by this? Let’s explore color blocking for entertaining purposes.
Learn About the Tasteful Impact of Colorful Minimalism!
Setting the Scene
We all host different events and get-togethers throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Some adventurous types do this in the winter too! This is why I will pose this question to you: why have the same color palettes and design schemes for different types of events!?
There’s a great opportunity to create a unique atmosphere with relatively low-cost and low-effort color-blocking techniques! Learn from my examples below:
- Formal Events
If I plan a formal event, such as a cocktail or anniversary party, I will opt for darker colors to provide that classic “old Hollywood” feel. Think blacks and whites set against the backdrop of golds and silvers, or maybe even a copper or glow of a warm orange! Without much expense, black square tabletop dining cloths can be placed on all tables and end tables, while rice-paper Japanese lanterns can be hung from the overhangs or pergolas, while golden champagnes fill crystal flutes in all your guests’ hands!
- Fun in the Sun
Let’s say you’ve got a pool-side patio on your property, and you want to create a fun, bubbly atmosphere that is intentionally kitschy and heavy on the pops of color. Think of a “Barbie’s Poolside Bash” or a 1960s cocktail lounge. Excess in color is the point. Well, color blocking is perfect for this type of atmosphere!
Pinks and lime greens work wonderfully as loud color-blocking options. You can also go with classic bright white and cobalt blue accent pieces! Picture white chaise lounges by the pool with colorful outdoor throw pillows on each one and pink or yellow sun towels draped over each chair. The well-defined shapes and loud colors are wonderfully playful against the backdrop of the pool. The cherry on top would be an inflatable bright pink flamingo floating around too!
- Inspired by Nature
For something a little less exciting and more seamless with surrounding natural environments, I think utilizing deep forest greens and deep blues against exposed natural woods is a great look that doesn’t get swallowed by the backdrop of the forest or trees. A brighter green, along with rusty orange, is another natural color palette that will compliment the patio surroundings.
If you’ve got an outdoor kitchen on your patio, consider color-blocking the cabinetry with a royal-blue or moss-green matte paint finish. And highlight the cabinetry by incorporating a deep, dark-stained cherry or oak wood dining table. A simple highlight could be using light, sun-yellow placemats for a luncheon or brunch. The whole ambiance supports nature yet still earns its own visual distinction.
Don’t Sit Uninspired
When it’s time to enjoy our outdoor spaces again, don’t let the design opportunities pass you by! Whether it’s a full renovation or a few quick, simple changes, color-blocking is a great way to help define your patio and give it a new identity when it’s called for!
If you’d like more color-blocking ideas and inspiration, check out the color themes in my color app Color911! It will show you what colors complement each other beautifully; once you find a color theme that inspires you, you can use it as your guide to pull together your whole design! There’s endless color inspiration out there; we just have to start looking!
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