Colorful Touches for Outdoor Decorating

Paint dining chairs in bright colors and arrange them around a neutral tabletop. Distressed finishes and bold accessories give this open-air dining space even more personality.

Create an outdoor room with fabric. This deck's setup is similar to an indoor living room arrangement. Outdoor fabrics in pretty patterns cover the plush seat cushions. The arbor serves as a wall and ceiling, and panels hang from it like window treatments. Accents such as lanterns and throw pillows complete the look.

Add color to your outdoor decorating with a fence covered with suspended flowerpots. It's wall art for your outdoor room. Start with nine terra-cotta pots and coat the bases with spray paint. Next, plot the grid arrangement and secure pot hangers to the fence. Finish by suspending pots from hangers and filling each container with brightly colored annuals or herbs.

Outdoor dining is a treat in warm-weather months, so make it even more special with pretty table settings. A plain table runner gets a color boost from colorful appliques. Bright tableware adds splashes of color to the table. A white awning provides shade and brightens up the space.

Add a splash of color to an outdoor kitchen with bright chairs. In this space, green, pink, and orange metal chairs pop against the neutral deck.

Watch and learn how to install low-voltage and solar landscape lights in just an afternoon.

The home's blue French doors provide plenty of bright color for this patio. Because the patio is adjacent to the home's kitchen, the simple picnic table is great for taking meals outside.

Dress up a deck with a nautical theme. Here, an outdoor rug, blue throw pillows, and a multicolor tablecloth add seaside color to the deck. White chairs and shutters pop against the fabrics and the green yard. Tall shutters are unexpected accessories that add color and privacy.

Colorful containers are a simple way to brighten an outdoor space. Choose pots in various colors, sizes, and textures.

Unify furnishings in a spectrum of colors with the accessories you choose. An assortment of furniture pulls together as a seating area when they share stripe pillows. An outdoor rug unifies the arrangement.

An unassuming garden shed becomes a festive focal point with a new door color and scalloped molding. Before you begin, add a coat or two of water-base primer to the facade -- it will help your creative expressions last longer.

Hand-painted stencils, such as a botanical motif on the surface of this pillow, are an easy way to punch up outdoor fabric.

Lanterns with bright graphic designs can light up an outdoor setting even before the sun sets. After dark, turn on battery-powered lightbulbs to increase the glow.

Separate a garden from the rest of the backyard with a colorful fence. The bright green and blue hues pop against the grass and plants. The fence provides a colorful view from any angle.

Add pizzazz to a plain deck with colorful furniture. Mix and match chairs of a similar style in a variety of colors. Here, bright purples, blues, reds, and oranges fill the deck with summer colors.

Use outdoor fabric to add color and style to pool or patio furniture. Polka-dot outdoor fabric adds modern flair and durability to the chairs. A freestanding umbrella in yellow adds a pop of color to the green foliage and neutral patio backdrop.

Editor's Tip: Outdoor fabric is an ideal choice for sun-filled areas and outdoor rooms because it's waterproof and fade- and stain-resistant.

Create a twinkling treescape by suspending colored-glass votive holders from low-hanging tree branches with fishing line or wire. Colorful outdoor pillows, now readily available at retail, are a simple way to pop a little color into your backyard.

Metal furniture is generally affordable and it gives a cool color vibe to your garden or patio. A bar cart is always ready for a party, offering up a handy serving surface.

Small basic accessories such as this galvanized container can be brightened with paint for a personal look. To be on the safe side, don't let food come into contact with the surface unless the paint you used is labeled food-safe.

The home's exterior creates the perfect starting point for this patio's color scheme. Orange accents, such as throw pillows, hanging fabric, and oversize letter B, pop against the green exterior. Wood candle holders and potted plants bring the natural elements of the yard onto the patio. With plenty of seating and multiple tables, this patio is just right for enjoying bright summer days and warm summer nights.

Use whimsical summery motifs to dress up new or old wicker chairs. Spray-paint each chair with a vivid hue, and then use stencils and acrylic paint to add fun patterns. Seal with spray varnish for protection.

Give your backyard a shot of summer color with accents dressed in fruit-inspired hues. This citrus-color metal bistro table is home to an apple-green hobnail-pattern glass lantern.

Thanks to new paints engineered especially for plastics, basic white furniture from big-box retailers need be blah no more. Take a second look at the affordable pieces and give them style as refreshing as a beach vacation.