Selecting the Right Cushion Colors For Your Your Outdoor Space

By Diana Elizabeth Steffen

Your outdoor space is an extension of your living space, which gives you another opportunity to decorate! Once you decide on the style of your outdoor furniture, the next step is deciding what cushion colors will complement your space and style. But how do you choose which cushion colors will work for your outdoor space?

When we revamped our backyard, and it came time to decide on cushion colors, it was a toss-up between Bliss Spa (a light blue) and Bliss Fern (one of the two shades of green offered by Paddy O’). See the blog post here.

When we selected our furniture, I chose the spa blue because my husband and I love colors. But I'll also show you what the green cushions looked like on our patio because it was a tough decision! I hope this post empowers you to confidently choose the best cushion colors and personalize your space.

Consider the following when selecting outdoor cushion colors:

• Look at the colors inside your home. If you can see your inside furniture from outdoors, what color will flow?
• What are your home's tones? Cool or warm? You should stay within those warm or cool shades.
• What color makes you feel happy when you look at it?
• Do you prefer neutral tones or bolder hues?
• What colors will complement your flowers in bloom?
• What do you gravitate toward? 

Order fabric swatches

Once you've narrowed down the colors you like, consider ordering fabric swatches for a closer evaluation. Online colors and brochures don't always accurately reflect the true color, and holding the actual fabric in your space can give you a better idea of how it will fit with your outdoor plans.

You can order free Bliss fabric swatches at Paddy O' Furniture here. If you are interested in the Bliss Ultra fabric (the soft and smooth, leather-like cushion that provides durable outdoor performance), select color samples here.

Neutral colors

If you prefer a neutral look, green is an excellent cushion color option and timeless. From personal experience, this particular shade also hides yellow pollen a bit better! Green cushions can blend in with your landscape’s greenery from trees, bushes, and grass. 

As I mentioned earlier, I considered green cushions for the backyard with my Rancho Collection sectional and loveseat:

Isn’t it so calming? If I had flowers that bloomed year-round, I would have chosen green to enhance the setting.

Keep in mind that if you purchase outdoor furniture from Paddy O’, you can exchange cushions within 30 days if you think you’ve made the wrong color decision! You can also bring additional colors and patterns to your patio with outdoor pillows. You can find accessory pillow options that offer ruffles and frills from sites around the web if you wish to change colors seasonally.

Neutral color options available at Paddy O’ Furniture include: bamboo, coal, slate, burlap, ultra lace and ultra anchor.

Cushion colors for the color lover

For lovers of color, Paddy O’ offers a variety of fun colors to choose from. You can easily add brighter colors to your backyard and create a sense of excitement in your outdoor space! 

The inside of my home has a lot of blue, so the spa blue looks excellent when looking from the inside toward the outside. I chose the spa blue shade because I want color for those times when my flowers aren’t in bloom. 

Other colors I recommend to give a fun vibe include yellow (very European!) and bright red.

For adding more color to your backyard, you may consider: sunset, turquoise, midnight, clay, and buttercup.

Mix up the colors!

We have multiple sets of furniture styles placed in spaces around our backyard. Because I loved Bliss Fern so much, I decided it would look great to add the green cushions to our mix as well!

Don’t be afraid to get creative and mix colors in the same outdoor space. It's your furniture so you can customize it however you wish, inspiring a unique and personal touch to your outdoor décor! 

I’ve even heard of customers ordering back cushions that are a different color than the seat cushions, or rotating three colors across the backs and seats of a sectional! While this isn’t typical, it is your furniture and you can customize it however you wish! Perhaps you want to show off your support for a sports team, or you simply want a unique custom look! At Paddy O’ Furniture, you can order any arrangement of cushion colors for your furniture.

Use Canva to mock up your backyard space.

Canva is a free, online graphic design and photo editing site that can help you visualize different color variations. You can simply upload a photo of your backyard (just select it from your smartphone), and then drop in images of the outdoor furniture styles and cushion colors you like. This will give you an idea how different items can look! If you want a more professional look, or wish to add layers to your image, you may have to pay a minimal amount to upgrade the service, but it can clean up your working plan and remove any elements that distract. 

Example: