12 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Outdoor Walls This Upcoming Season

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 It isn’t unusual for a home purchase to include an ugly feature like a neighbor’s fence on the lot line, a cement retaining wall or even a bare wall between widely-spaced windows. While not ideal, you can turn a negative feature into a very attractive feature. A little creativity and some thinking outside the box may result in unexpected positives. Sometimes, planting a few shrubs or climbing plants can make all the difference by just covering an eyesore.Other times, that negative can be repurposed into a feature. If you're facing the challenge of a concrete retaining wall, consider the creative potential of incorporating retaining wall sleepers. These specialized materials can be strategically used to not only enhance the wall's appearance but also to transform it into a unique focal point. Here are more suggestions to stimulate your creativity. 

1. Cover with Bamboo. If you can see your neighbors’ fence, try covering your wall with bamboo. Bamboo will fit into the landscape because it is a natural material. Bamboo will make a great backdrop for living plants or it can stand alone as an attractive yet inexpensive covering for an undesirable feature in your yard. Bamboo fencing comes in rolls and can be easily removed, so it is ideal if you are renting.

2. Try vertical planting. Add trellising to the wall and use it to produce food. Grow climbing plants like peas or cucumbers and turn an eyesore into a productive growing space. Amend the soil at the foot of the wall with compost and maybe fertilizer and plant your seeds. For very little work, you will harvest fresh vegetables all summer.

3. Paint your wall. If you have a less than attractive wall that forms part of your patio, paint it. You could choose a color that complements the siding and trim on the exterior of your house. That is a safe choice along with neutrals. However, you could take it up a notch and paint the exterior wall the same color as the interior living space leading to the outdoors. Use an exterior paint that your painter has matched to the interior color and the effect will be to visually connect the two spaces into one continuous room.

4. Try Espaliering. This is a method of growing fruit trees against a wall. The tree is regularly pruned to remove any branches that want to grow toward the wall or out from the wall. Fruit trees are especially adaptable to this method of growing and will produce more fruit than you might expect. Some non-fruiting trees can also be grown with this method. It is not difficult to learn how to prune these trees, but it does require more involvement than with a regular growing method. The effect is almost a piece of art.

5. Cover with vining flowers. These can be plants that are grown in the ground at the foot of the wall or you could top the wall with planters and allow the vines to hang downward. Climbing flowers like autumn clematis, vining hydrangea or climbing roses would all be beautiful and cover the ugly wall completely with foliage and stunning blooms each season.

6. Paint a mural. Cover your wall with a mural. Your mural could be about the nature around the wall and include flowers and birds and butterflies. You could use the wall to paint a scene of how the area your home is located in used to look. Give the illusion of distance by painting a field of sunflowers disappearing in the distance or distant hills. There are artists who specialize in painting murals or ask an artistic family member to take on this project to make it extra special.

7. Use a living wreath. Purchase an oversize wreath frame and fill it with sphagnum moss or other material that will hold water. Then, plant with succulents or other plants that will do well in the light conditions you have on your wall. This type of wreath will need regular watering throughout the season if there is not enough rainfall that soaks the wreath. You can immerse the wreath in water or regular gentle spraying with a hose will also work.

8. Incorporate a sculpture. Use your wall for a backdrop for a large sculpture or other feature. Choose a sculpture that complements the style of the home you live in. A large metal sculpture would look stunning against a contemporary home. If you live in an old farmhouse, you might want to feature an antique piece of farm equipment. You will definitely want lighting to highlight this feature against the wall.

9. Use multiple planters. Cover your wall with window box-type planters in different sizes. Fill them with all different types of flowers to produce a riot of color on your wall. Keep all the boxes the same color or paint them to be as diverse in color as the flowers. Be sure to use enriched soil in your boxes with compost added. Regular fertilizing or a slow-release fertilizer will give you continuous flowering throughout the season.

10. Make a projector wall. If you have a big enough wall, consider hosting outdoor movies. Even on a front wall of your house, post a sign to invite your neighborhood to a movie night. Everyone brings their own chair or a blanket to sit on and their own snacks. You can also purchase TVs that are made to be outdoors. Invite your friends over for the ball game, a new release movie or an old classic.

11. Incorporate a water feature. An empty wall is a great opportunity to add a water feature. You could use a free-standing fountain or mount the water feature on the wall itself. Not only will it be a stunning feature, but you will enjoy the sound of the water falling as well.

12. Utilize specimen plants. Plant a specimen tree or shrub in front of the wall. Choose a plant with an interesting leaf structure that will add interest. An Acer Japanese Maple would be a good choice. Light the tree so that its shadow adds to the impact of this stunning plant.

Take another look at that large wall or fence and maybe now you will see an opportunity instead.

How to Design Your Front Patio for Optimal Security

Your front patio is essential, as this is where you can spend memorable moments with your family. Barbecues can never be as exciting as when you host them at the front patio. Security is one of the chief concerns for every homeowner. You can never spend a peaceful evening in your front yard without maximum safety.

Your furniture and any other equipment found within your compound need to be safe from harsh weather or theft. Continue reading to understand how you can design your front patio for optimum security.

Use a Steel Cable to Secure Your Outdoor Furniture

Steel cables are available in hardware stores and are ideal for securing outdoor furniture. They are affordable and come with an easy-to-use interface. Pass the cable through your furniture, locking the edges with a padlock. The tool serves as a criminal deterrent joining your valuable equipment to make one heavy package that an intruder cannot lift or drag.

Secure Your Patio With a Lock

If you have designed a courtyard for your furniture and space for tools, it is not secure if it remains unlocked. Lock the front patio when not in use. Add more security measures like CCTV cameras if the courtyard is far from your house. Keep the keys to the security doors safely to prevent them from getting into the wrong hands.

Consider Indoor Storage

Even though you may have security measures in place, it is challenging to keep your valuables entirely safe if you leave them outside. Moving the furniture indoors prevents them from harsh weather and possible theft. However, you do not need to move your furniture in and out of the house every day, but you must protect them during winter.

Leaving furniture outside for long makes them fade, rust, and develop cracks, among other damages. While it may be a hilly task to move outdoor furniture indoors, it is worth the hassle. Quality has more weight than effort, so this is the cost for keeping your valuables in perfect condition. If moving them is more challenging, use secure covers when not using the furniture.

Keep the Lights On

In conclusion, one way to enhance security at your front patio is by leaving the security lights on. It keeps away intruders and allows you to see clearly from your house. Install bulbs that distribute light to all corners of your home. If necessary, install motion sensors configured to trigger the floodlights automatically. Besides keeping criminals away, sufficient lighting allows you to move around your compound safely at night.

Tired of That Blank Wall? Creative Ways to Display Wall Art in Your Home

Wall art is a great way to spruce up your walls and make a space feel more like your own. But there are so many ways to utilize artwork that it can be difficult to choose what works best for your space. Here are some creative ways that you can display wall art in your home.

Examine the Artwork You Already Have

If you have a few good pieces, you don’t have to go out and buy more art. To give your space a smart, artistic upgrade, gather all of the artwork in your home, garage, attic, or basement. Take a close look at each piece and take note of the designs. Would a piece work best as an accent piece or somewhere where people will pass by every day? Is it flashy and loud, or subtle and subdued? 

If you don't own any wall art yet, what kind of artwork do you want? Once you round up some artwork, you can start transforming rooms.

Use Wall Art to Create a Cohesive Theme

You can use wall art to create a theme either in just a room or two or throughout your home. Using wall art right will make a room feel more cohesive, which will make it more comfortable for anyone who lives there or who is visiting. You can use art to complement your decor in many different ways. For example, you might choose something that picks up on the architectural elements of your interior design, like wood grain or brick walls. Or you might choose artwork that complements the color of the paint, furniture, and decorations.

Use Wall Art as a Focal Point

The most striking way to display wall art is by making it the focal point of a room. This is especially good for pieces that are meant to make a statement or bring attention to something. For example, if you have an expensive painting or a piece you made, show it off proudly. This technique also works well for pieces that have a strong visual style, like abstract paintings or art with bold colors and contrast.

Hang Wall Art With Custom Framing

Whether you want to make your wall art pop or stay subtle, you can invest in some gorgeous custom framing. A custom frame around a piece of art can change the way that it looks, and even the mood of the artwork. Try choosing different custom frames to perk up your picture gallery. For a low-key look, you can choose custom frames that are wooden or metal and made. Another way to display wall art is to put it in a frame that is a similar shade to the wall. This gives the artwork room to breathe and stand out more, as opposed to having to compete with a bold wall color. You can also choose to use a frame that contrasts with the color of the artwork to make the art pop.

Hang Wall Art That Makes a Statement

Wall art that’s striking and modern can really make a statement. If you hang great artwork in a living room or another space where it can catch people’s attention, it can become a conversation piece. This technique does not require artwork to play by the rules. For this, choose wall art with bold color schemes that have an intense amount of contrast or patterning to them. This works well for pieces that have a strong visual style as well, since you want it to stand out from the rest of decor. If you have a strong opinion, then having a piece of art that shows it off in a way that people will notice is great for making your views known.

Some wall art works best when it’s the main focal point of a space, and other pieces work better to pull the whole space together. Depending on what your design goals are, you must determine where to place the wall art you have. Whether you want to perk up your living space or tone it down, the right wall art can help you reach your goal. Now that you know some creative ways to display wall art in your home, you can get started.

Are you a digital hoarder?

Spring has sprung, which means organizing enthusiasts naturally have spring cleaning on their minds. But there’s one area of our day-to-day that even the most detailed cleaners overlook: our digital lives. 

Especially after 2020 — a year that put us all online more than ever — it’s best we all take the time to consider the digital clutter we’ve acquired. Think of those old cell phone photos, bookmarked recipes on our browsers, and even old, broken devices. All of these considered, and you may even be teetering toward digital hoarding. Of course, it’s hard to give attention to the clutter we don’t physically see. 

Which is why downsizing your digital data — deleting those cell phone photos, erasing the bookmarks, recycling those devices, and then some — is something we must proactive about. It’s not a one-and-done deal like decluttering your whole home. 

To put you on the right track, Norton pared down some digital hoarding tendencies to consider, plus tips to spring clean your digital lives, noted in the infographic below: