As spring rolls into summer, it is the perfect time to freshen up your patio, or deck. Why not transform your ho-hum, outdoor area into a beautiful, tranquil living space? Take a moment and imagine how you can extend your interior design living furniture outside.
Do you like to entertain friends and family with large meals? Design a comfortable dining area. Are you interested in relaxation? Convert your outdoor space into a cozy living area. During the warm months, I use my patio as a place to rest and rejuvenate. My favorite moment is morning coffee on the outdoor patio while listening to the birds’ chirp.
Your outdoor living space does not have to be a large space to be perfect for you. You can easily create a cozy patio using a couple of comfy chairs, and a small table for drinks. If you have the space and budget, why not go all out and create an outdoor space with multiple zones. Imagine a stylish outdoor dining area, and a relaxing living area with a fire pit, lush greenery, comfy seating, and ambient string lighting.
Start to envision your outdoor living area as the newest room in your house. The possibilities are endless, how do you envision your dream space?
Today, I will walk you through my five-step process for creating an outdoor space that you will love. It is an easy process that will help you determine how to use your space, how you want it to feel, the type of furniture you will need to create your outdoor living area, and how to accessorize it to make it feel cozy and comfortable for you.
Step 1: Imagine How You Would Love to Use the Space
Take a moment to envision how you would love to use your outdoor space? Use your imagination, would you use it for large family gatherings, barbecues with friends? Maybe you prefer to use it as a getaway, a place to curl up by yourself and read a good book, escape from the grind of the day. What do you see?
Now that you have envisioned your dream room. It is time to determine the function of your space. The function will determine how it is designed. Jot down a few ideas on how you would like to use your space before you move onto the next step.
Step 2: Plan to Layer the Space from the Ground Up
As you may know, the key to any beautiful, functional design is to use layers. A room falls flat without them, and your outdoor living space is no exception.
First, I recommend finding an indoor/outdoor rug. This will add definition to your living space and can be a terrific source of inspiration for your room. Depending on how you want your space to feel, choose a neutral or bold pattern. Have fun; there are so many incredible options for indoor/outdoor rugs!
Next, determine what type of furniture you would like to bring into your outdoor living space. I encourage you to take your home’s architecture into consideration, select furniture that will make it an extension of your home.
Now that you have the rug and furniture in place, it is time to add the icing to the cake. Accessories! Who doesn’t love accessory shopping? Without accessories, your outdoor room will feel flat, just like any other living space.
First, I recommend adding greenery. Bring in an abundance of large containers filled with fresh greenery, seasonal flowers, and natural herbs. This will make your space feel alive.
Next, layer in your cozy textiles and other accessories. Use outdoor throw pillows, soft throws, outdoor lanterns with candles, a patio umbrella, and string lights for ambient lighting to add the final touches to your outdoor room. Can you see it, there is nothing more magical than a patio draped in string lights on a warm summer evening?
Step 3: Consider Outdoor Furniture
The process of selecting outdoor furniture is similar to that of purchasing indoor furniture, however there are a few extra considerations to take into account before your purchase.
In addition to normal considerations, you must consider; how weather will affect your outdoor furniture. I recommend purchasing furniture made from hardy materials.
Hardy outdoor materials include; wrought iron, aluminum, teak, cedar, and all-weather wicker. Furnishing made of these materials will weather well and will continue to look wonderful for years to come.
Be sure to read reviews and consumer reports before making outdoor furniture purchases. Not all outdoor furniture is created equally, some will only last for a year or two, becoming brittle when exposed to the sun over time.
Step 4: Embrace Outdoor Fabrics for Comfort
As with the design of any space, the fabrics and textiles you select, in an outdoor room, are so important. Use rugs, fabrics and outdoor pillows that are made with outdoor fabrics. Outdoor fabrics repel water, resist soiling and mildew growth, making them more durable and longer lasting than regular fabrics. Fortunately, outdoor fabrics have come a long way and today we have an incredible assortment of textures, colors, and patterns available for outdoor living rooms.
Textiles can serve as a major source of inspiration for your outdoor living space. If you are in need of inspiration, grab your indoor/outdoor rug or throw pillow use it to provide a sense of direction for your space. Use your inspiration to help you select a color palette for your room, provide variety through a mixture of patterns and textures. Mixing and matching textile textures, help create sense of contrast to your design.
Finally, use outdoor fabrics, pillows, rugs, and throws to help set the mood of your outdoor living room. Imagine the difference in how your space will feel with each texture, choose your fabrics according to the mood you want to evoke in your space.
Step 5: Add Some Beautiful Final Touches
As mentioned previously, the small attention to detail is what makes your space a warm and inviting place. Once you have designed your space, bring in those last few remaining details to tie it all together.
Add a vase of fresh-cut flowers to your coffee table, a scented candle is a nice addition to your living space in the evening, drape a soft throw over your sofa or chair for cool fall evenings. Remember, just have fun with it, and make it your own.
Ready for an outdoor space that spoils you silly? Contact us and we’d be delighted to help!
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Shop My Favorite Outdoor Finds
