Missy Connolly loves to entertain, and she wanted her new patio and its al fresco dining space to have the look and feel of the Hamptons.
But she only had a Bethany Beach budget.
So the Baltimore County interior designer found the wrought-iron patio furniture she wanted at a garage sale and scooped it up for a couple of hundred dollars.
She had her husband hammer together an oversized dining table from rescued wood and covered its roughness with a bright tablecloth. She found a trio of glass chandeliers and replaced the wiring with candles. And instead of covering her pergola with sailcloth or canvas, she planted fast-growing vines.
"I wanted the look of the Hamptons," said the owner of Fern Hill Designs, which gets its name from all the ferns on her hilltop two acres in Upperco. "And I think I got it."
Like lots of homeowners, Connolly wanted her patio to be a warm and inviting space. But furnishing the outdoors can be as expensive as — or more than — furnishing the indoors. Designers say for those on a budget, the key is to look for bargains, but spend money where quality counts and scrimp on the rest.
Jon Plummer, coordinator of the Maryland Home and Garden Show, says a budget-minded fresh look for a patio, porch or deck might cost about $1,500.
"There are good deals out there now," he said. "Retailers are being really aggressive in price cutting, and it isn't even July Fourth yet."
Even the extras, including art, lighting or heat to extend the season, don't have to break the bank.
A string of outdoor lights might be less than $20. A votive candle set in sand in a Mason jar might cost only a few dollars compared with a brass solar lantern. A fire pit or outdoor fireplace can cost as little as $200. Stacking tables can save room and serve as extra seating.
"I always like to add water features," said Plummer. "But you can buy a tabletop display that will provide the same soothing sounds at a fraction of the cost."
Some retailers are seeing the sale of patio and deck furnishings rebound this year, if cautiously.
"You see people spending more wisely," said Steve Watson, owner of Watson's Fireplace & Patio in Lutherville. "You can buy a chair that will last you 15 years or something from a box store that will last you two."
Teak furniture remains a big seller, because it resists the elements and is neither hot or cold to the touch, said Watson. But it can be expensive: the difference between, say, a $400 tubular aluminum dining set and a $1,500 teak dining set. To save money, homeowners can look for teak furniture bargains online, at overstock websites or on eBay.
"Look at yard sales, antique shops, junk shops, your parents' attic," Connolly advised.
If there is a place to splurge, professionals agree, it is on the fabric that covers cushions and umbrellas.
Connolly didn't scrimp when she had the cushions made for her bargain furniture. She wanted fabric and fillings that would withstand sun and rain.
"The fabric alone can run $50 to $300 a yard," she said. She chose off-white canvas — "Throw it in the washer with Oxyclean" — and accented the cushions with colorful pillows.
Big prints and bold colors are very big this year, but unless the colors are solution dyed before weaving — as opposed to being printed on the fabric after weaving — "the sunlight will eat them alive in a couple of years," said John Hessler, patio furniture manager of Valley View Farms in Cockeysville.
"Do you want an umbrella that is going to last for four or 15 years? The difference might be between $150 and $300," he said.
And, of course, no outdoor living space would be complete without plants.
Johanna Hoehner, who partners with Michelle Cheek in New Edge Design, a landscape design business, decorated the decks and patios at her Towson home with evergreen shrubs and small trees in inexpensive containers.
"I like the repetition," she said, pointing to a row of boxwoods in identical containers. "And you don't have to worry about watering every day or changing annuals out with the season. That can run into money. And the evergreens are there all winter."
Hoehner, who put together a fountain using an inexpensive tall planter and a small water pump, said she is careful not to overspend even though she owns a landscape design business.
"I don't buy expensive stuff. You don't have to."
What the experts say
Bertha Blake, garden furniture expert at Target in Annapolis, on furnishings:
"Sometimes you have to dig down with customers. They aren't sure what they are going to use that space for," said Blake, explaining that a cozy seating area requires different furnishings than a place to feed friends.
John Hessler, patio furniture manager of Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, on cushions:
"You need a material that doesn't retain moisture. An open-cell polyurethane core wrapped in Dacron that will maintain its shape and drain well. It might cost twice as much, but it will last three times as long."
Steve Watson, owner of Watson's Fireplace & Patio in Lutherville, on awnings:
"Retractable awnings are selling well," he said. Though the awnings can cost $3,000 to $5,000, they are still half the price of a screened porch.