Patio’s That Enhance Your Home

As the weather continues to warm, so does our desire to be outside. Fortunately, outdoor living has come a long way from the traditional charcoal grill and fold-up lawn chairs and with just a little planning, you can create an outdoor living area that is literally an extension of your home.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Outdoor gatherings used to focus around a patio or deck and decorating was limited to generic lawn furniture such as an umbrella table with chairs. Today however, outdoor designing has taken its cue from your favorite indoor rooms and created an entire living space that is as comfortable and functional as it is pleasing to the eye.

These unique spaces can include seating areas, eating areas and even a fully-functional kitchen. You can have fireplaces, stoves, refrigerators and of course, those all-important tables and chairs. But forget vinyl cushions… today’s outdoor furniture is as lush and inviting as what you’d expect to find in your den.

Build Your Outdoor Living Space

To create an outdoor living space, you first need to decide what you want that space to do. Remember that your garden, courtyard, play yard and other outdoor landscaping can (and should!) be coordinated with your outdoor living space, just as you might tie your living room décor to the foyer or adjacent dining area.

The best way to do this is to map out your entire landscape, outdoor living area and all. Your space can be as simple or as grand as you want it to be so take some time to play around with different ideas. For example, if you’d like a spacious place to entertain, you might want to consider a covered deck, patio or even a large pergola in the center of your yard. If you want to cook outside as well, think about built-in grills or even a pizza oven for a fun twist on outdoor cooking.

Clean up is another consideration so if you’ll be cooking, you might want a working sink as well to avoid multiple trips to your house. Your space can also include cabinets, racks, shelves and anything else you’d like to incorporate to make the space functional and comfortable.

Fine-Tuning Your Your Outdoor Living Space

Colors, textures and lighting can have the same glorious effects on your outdoor living area as they do within your home. Illuminated walkways and tiki torches are just the beginning. A professional contractors can install a variety of beautiful lighting fixtures in your outdoor space, making the transition from a daytime pool party for the kids to an evening dinner party for the grownups as easy as flipping the switch.

As for colors, keep your vibrant landscape design in mind when choosing your color schemes. You’ll want something that doesn’t show dirt easily but also compliments your personal preferences as well as the rest of your landscape.

Throw pillows, countertops and other decorative implements all come into play here and because your outdoor space will change with the seasons, you might want to choose something that’s easily coordinated with a variety of looks.

Where to Start Your Outdoor Living Space?

Obviously, the more complex your space, the more complex your planning will need to be. The best place to start is with a reputable landscaping contractor to help you evaluate your land and give you some ideas for building on those assets.

If you’d like to learn more about outdoor living or any other landscaping issue, just give us a call… We’d love to help you find the perfect landscaping theme for your property.