Whether you are moving into a new place or updating your home, it is important to update the exterior style of your house as well as the interior. If you watch enough HGTV, you probably have a basic understanding of curb appeal: trimmed lawn, pruned bushes, a crisp paint job and living plants all make your house look much warmer and more inviting then a bunch of vines covering the door and some dead rose bushes lining the walkway.

However, a pretty front yard is not the only way you can express some fun and personality outside the walls of your home. With the Christmas decorations taken down and the snow (hopefully) starting to melt away, use some of these ideas to start planning your outdoor décor for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

Patio and Deck Furniture

If you are lucky enough to have a spacious backyard that includes a deck or patio, you have already won the first half of the outdoor décor battle. Since you have entertainment space available, you just need to decorate. There are a lot of outdoor furniture options today, whether you want wooden furniture that will hold up in any weather or, if you prefer, cushioned couches with storage that will allow you to tuck away any fragile material during summer rain showers.

The first step is to determine if your backyard will be a playground for the children, a fresh-air retreat for adults, or a combination of both. Then, browse through a patio furniture catalog. You will come across wicker chairs, glass tables, metal framed umbrellas and much more. However, by understanding your climate and how the furniture will be most used, you can narrow down your options so that you find the best outdoor furniture for you and your family.

Weather-Proofing Paint

Whether you have a wooden deck or a concrete patio, your outdoor area will be impacted by Mother Nature if you do not take preventive measures. There are multiple types of stains and sealants that will protect either your deck or patio from rain, snow and whatever else may land on them (food and beverages included).

The proper maintenance of your outside structures will make the money and work you put into decorating them much more meaningful. By using proper waterproofing on your deck, you will help prevent mold, mildew and wood rot, which all can cause your deck to collapse. With concrete stain you will revitalize your patio and protect it from dulling sun rays and household chemical damage. There is no point in decorating your outside area if weather conditions are slowly destroying it.

Outdoor Lighting

No one wants the party to end simply because the sun goes down. With a limited supply of natural light as the day wears down, look into either exterior lighting or fire-based lighting—whether a fire pit or a nice display of Tiki torches. Whichever you prefer, I would recommend finding an option that will help control pest problems.

If you have a larger fire, usually the smoke will deter any unwanted guests and torches can usually be filled with bug repellent fluid. If you prefer mounted lighting, you don’t need to resort to bug zappers, as using halogen or sodium vapor yellow bulbs will attract fewer bugs than traditional white fluorescent bulbs. Or you can invest in a mosquito killing system if you tend to have lots of mosquitos and bugs near your home.

Cookware

The host should be allowed to spend just as much time outdoors as any guests, so be sure to include a grill or another form of outdoor kitchen. If you have enough space, you can actually include a fridge and sink in your outdoor space so that all the preparation, cooking and cleaning can be done while you’re enjoying the outdoors instead of having to run continuously in and out of the house for different ingredients or dishes.

However, even without a full outdoor kitchen, including a grill in your outdoor décor will add an extra level of extravagance to your home’s exterior and will probably earn you some more guests when the neighbors catch a whiff of what’s cooking!

Don’t Overdo It

As with any area, one of the most important things to remember when decorating your outdoor space is to not overdo it. Whether your yard is huge or smaller than a postage stamp, there is a limit for how much is too much.

With lighting, for example, you won’t need a fire pit going while torches line your fence and three exterior lights shine off your deck. You still want to feel as though you are outside and too much extra light at night or too much furniture will make it feel like you simply removed the roof from your house. Leave space for the fresh air and room to run around. Don’t put up too many structures or lay down too many patio rocks. After all, half the beauty of spending time outside is feeling the wind blow through your hair while your toes wiggle in the grass.