Painting a Shaker peg rail the same color as the exterior of your house makes for an unobtrusive summer storage solution. 

A few coats of matte black paint will make a chipped, sun-worn table more chic. Just be careful to set the table in a place that doesn't get too much sun. 

Welcome guests -- and reassure them that they're ringing the right bell -- with a mat displaying your house number.

Here's an easy way to give new life to old terra-cotta pots you have around the shed: Paint them to create coordinating stripes.

Iron garden tables from the mid-twentieth century are easy to find at flea markets, but they often look plain. Give one instant style with a fresh coat of paint in a sunny shade and easy-to-install caning (no weaving required).

Give your table linens a one-of-a-kind look by block-printing charming leaf and flower designs.

For cheerful containers, stain pots in colors that complement their contents. Here, we chose a bright blue to pop against the stucco wall.

These cheerful seats enable you to accommodate unexpected guests in any part of the garden.

This window box alternative showcases your flowers and their pots.

Create the charming feel of an old brick floor with a clever paint technique.

Dress a serving tray or two in jaunty stripes. All-purpose galvanized trays from garden centers make great candidates for outdoor entertaining -- they're inexpensive and sturdy enough to withstand years of use.

This inexpensive faux-stone birdbath, when painted azure blue, turns storybook charming. (Important: Do not paint the interior of the bowl, as it can be harmful for birds.)

A simulated patina helps faux-clay plastic pots blend in with those made from real terra-cotta.

Paint color should relate to the flowers and foliage nearby. This wooden pyramid trellis packs a punch in bold acid green, inspired by the spiky yellow petals of the adjacent dahlias.

To complement your backyard with the most appropriate furnishings, you might forgo a trip to the garden center and head to the lumberyard instead. Encircling a majestic black locust tree, this bench delivers 360-degree views. Plus, it always has a shady (and a sunny) side. We used poplar, but any durable lumber coated with weatherproof exterior paint will do. While you can mimic the design of this hexagonal structure, alterations will have to be made to suit your tree and terrain.

Lattice arches are traditionally intended as support for climbing plants and positioned at the entrance to pristine pathways in manicured gardens. But this citrus-hued version, casually placed in the middle of a flower patch, is a destination on its own.

Organize plants and seedlings, and identify homegrown kitchen herbs, by painting the collars of clay pots with stripes of chalkboard paint.

Create a monochromatic vignette by painting a cluster of geometric plant containers in shocking color. For a finished look, top them off with low-slung foliage in the same palette. These spiffed-up cylinders are filled with cascading pink tropical plants.

Set the table for a whole season of festive cookouts by giving it a new summer coat. The wooden slats of a classic picnic table provide a ready-made outline for stripes.