6 Tips for Creating Incredible Outdoor Living Spaces
July 10, 2018Outdoor living spaces can enhance your experience of living in your custom home. They can also improve the function of your backyard, upgrade the look and feel of your home, and increase the curb appeal of your home. Outdoor living spaces can include patios, outdoor kitchens, greenhouses, garden paradises, and more. Here are some tips for creating incredible outdoor living spaces:
1. Consider the Goal
The first step towards creating a great outdoor living space is to consider its main function. What goal are you hoping this space will accomplish? If cooking is one of your favorite hobbies, a patio with a built-in outdoor kitchen could be the perfect outdoor living space for you. This is just one of the things to consider for your outdoor kitchen design and also for your patio design.
If the main function will be for entertaining guests, you’ll want to ensure you have plenty of space and furniture. Plus, you can integrate other elements for guest comfort, like charging stations, side tables, shade, and insect control. This can also help you decide if a deck or patio is better for your home.
2. Go with a Theme
Once you have the basic structure figured out, you can pick a theme to help you decorate. Starting off with the color scheme figured out will help you get exactly the look you want while staying consistent with your theme.
Determine your dominant color, the secondary color, and an accent color. Then, keep them in mind while you’re accessorizing your outdoor living space. This will ensure all flowers, pillows, cushions, plants, and other accessories work together to create an attractive space.
3. Focus on Comfort
Outdoor living spaces are one of the patio ideas for ranch-style homes and fit well with other homes too. They are made to be used and are meant to be a comfortable, relaxing space. As you start to design and decorate your space, focus on comfort to ensure it becomes a space you will want to use.
Furniture with plush cushions that allows you to lay down or kick back to relax is a good start. You can plan to have a few pieces for single use and then more that serves as seating when you have guests to ensure they are also comfortable.
A retractable awning and retractable screens add versatility and comfort to your space while also providing protection from the weather and from pests. Things like plants, a water fountain, charging stations, and plenty of surfaces to place things are all nice touches to increase the comfort level of your outdoor living space.
4. Think About Privacy
There are several ways you can add some privacy to your outdoor living space. Enclosing the space is always an option. However, if you don’t want to wall yourself in, you have other options to add privacy to your backyard. A tall privacy fence around your property encloses your backyard and provides privacy without closing off your outdoor living space.
You can also implement a series of trees, tall bushes, or a hedge to create privacy with a “living fence”. Retractable screens, also called Phantom Screens, can add some flexibility to your outdoor living space. These allow you to add a little extra privacy when you need it and then retract and hide them when you don’t want to use them.
5. Plan for Lighting
Lighting makes a big difference in the look and feel of a room. Although an outdoor living space usually gets plenty of natural light, the lighting rule still applies, especially if you’re planning to use the space in the dark. Solar lighting can be an efficient way to light your outdoor living space.
You can also add larger, more integrated lighting systems to be able to have different settings, control various sets of lights, dim, and more. The lighting you need to properly illuminate your outdoor living space will depend on how it’s built and how you plan to use it. Thankfully, there is a wide variety of outdoor lighting options available to help you get the look you want.
6. Get Creative
Outdoor living spaces can be created anywhere in your backyard. You can create an outdoor dining experience under an arbor or a tea party in a gazebo. If you have a green thumb and a gardening hobby, you can create a series of gardens and greenhouses to serve as your outdoor living space.
A pool can become the focus for a beach or spa-themed area. But, you do want to be cautious of adding water features. Features that are too big or too difficult to manage are one of the most common landscaping mistakes to avoid. You don’t need to limit yourself to the standard deck or patio when it comes to outdoor living spaces, so don’t be afraid to get creative.
Incredible outdoor living spaces are popular home design trends and can be a fantastic addition to your custom home design. And, with these tips for creating incredible outdoor living spaces, you can get the look and feel you want. Contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090 to get on the path towards your custom home, with the outdoor living space of your dreams included!