How to get an expensive-looking patio without spending a ton of money

Think of how you feel when you walk into a high-end furniture store with that soothing, sophisticated color palette of beige and grey, aka greige. Calm. Content. Like you’re not worried about having enough money to pay your Visa bill this month.

It’s all those neutrals, giving your neurons enough space to relax. It’s the opposite of patio decor peppered with primary colors, screaming FUN. And HIGH ENERGY IS REQUIRED. A muted palette is not only more subtle, it simply doesn’t demand your attention.

You don’t have to make a massive investment to imbue your outdoor space with a luxury vibe.

A few carefully chosen accents is all you need. We looked for items selling at the high-end stores, and found some gorgeous lower-priced options to layer into your outdoor decor. Easy on the eye and the bank account. Aaaah.

First of all, who knew that the french oak look was possible to achieve with melamine?? We found this dinner plate set of 6 for $44 at Home Depot. Not only is this shatter-proof material excellent for outdoor entertaining (and let’s face it, we’re all doing a lot of this right now, no matter what the weather), it’s dishwasher safe.

We found this set of Edison bulb patio string lights with the all-important brown wire. Because black or green wire might be just too jarring for a cohesive greige color scheme.

These burlap linen cushions exude the quintessential Restoration Hardware vibe, with an Amazon pricetag: just $16.99 for two. Not officially outdoor-proof, but for that price, who cares? Note that these are just the pillow cases.

A romantic, modern hurricane lantern never goes out of style. This 18″ rustic wooden works on a table, hanging or even on the ground, especially when grouped with other sizes, which are also currently noted on the listing. Bargain alert! It’s just 33.75.

Better get some electric candles for those lanterns. These ones flicker. And they’re waterproof! Which you just can’t say for real candles.

Seagrass, jute, whatever you want to call it, we love the texture of these rugs when it comes to layering neutrals. Definitely not waterproof, so stick to a covered patio for this one.

This might not be the one of the chairs from Oprah’s interview with Meghan and Harry (good luck finding those available anywhere right now!) but it is from the same designer: Christopher Knight. Who you might actually recognize from TV as well. Because he played Peter Brady. Yeah, that Brady – from the Brady Bunch! And despite the Hollywood/British royalty trifecta happening here, this contemporary mid-century wicker club chair is merely a click away for everyone.

And finally, we’re veering slightly off the strict neutral path here, but let’s face it, you may need a large ice bucket for all those bottles of rosé you’ll be enjoying with your friends at Wine O’Clock. Better to do it with this antique hammered copper tub than something that would totally obstruct your orinoco flow of creamy beigey grey, like a galvanized metal one, or worse.

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