Sunshine, spring flowers and warmer weather all bring new opportunities for outdoor creativity around your home. Once you've cleared away winter's debris from your flower beds and lawn, why not add your own touch to Mother Nature's magic?

"The outdoor space around your home is the perfect place to express your personal style, bringing you, your creativity and nature together," says Kathy Peterson, design expert, author and do-it-yourself television personality.

An easy and inexpensive way to enhance cozy porches, light-filled sunrooms, decks and patios is to brighten up your yard furniture using a fresh coat of spray paint. For only a few dollars per can, you can experiment with an array of sophisticated textures and trendy new colors that will give your patio a rich sense of style.

"Today's spray paints are very different from the old spray paints kept in your parents' garage when you grew up," Peterson says. "There are so many interesting textures and colors available now." Today's high-quality spray paints dry faster, are easier to apply with greater control, and are more durable than the spray paints of the past, she says.

Among Peterson's favorites is a new line called Outdoor SpacesTM spray finishes made by Krylon(R), the nation's leading spray-paint manufacturer. Peterson says, "These satin, metallic, textured, and hammered finishes are beautiful and easy to mix-and-match, so they bring sophisticated looks to outdoor furniture while providing a tough layer of protection against the elements. Plus, they feature an exclusive Comfort TouchTM spray tip for greater comfort and less finger-fatigue during application." 

According to designers such as Peterson, metallic and textured finishes are the most popular finishes manufacturers are using on hot, new, high-end outdoor furniture. But now you can recreate these looks at home.

"Armed with a couple of cans of Krylon spray paint and a little creativity, there's no end to what you can achieve," says Peterson. "Since spray paint is so affordable, you can try your hand at various color combinations." Peterson encourages first time do-it-yourselfers to experiment on small accessory items like pots or planters to get an up-close look at how a color or texture will appear.

For contemporary country style, she recommends combining rich earth tones with Textured Khaki, or suggests using cool blues and greens accented with metallic Copper or textured Antique Bronze to create a cottage garden look. 

"Bright, fresh colors like satin Mango and satin Watermelon infuse sun-drenched spaces with a light-hearted tropical touch that makes a perfect setting for family fun or sipping pina coladas," Peterson says. "Or go for elegance by enhancing the bold, clean lines of your patio furniture with dramatic Krylon Hammered Black, Textured Platinum and metallic Silver."

For more outdoor decorating ideas and tips, visit the Krylon Web site at www.krylon.com.

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