Tips For Creating the Ultimate Outdoor Living Space

A thoughtfully designed outdoor space can be a great extension of your home with the best flooring options, giving you added space to entertain, spend time with friends and family, or simply relax and seek refuge after a busy day. If you’re looking to rent or sell, it can even increase the value of your home or attract potential renters. However you’d like to use your outdoor area, here are some of the best design tips for creating the outdoor space of your dreams.

Create a Plan For Purpose

Before you actually begin creating your outdoor space with high-quality furniture, it’s important to consider what you want to actually get out of this space and what its purpose will be. Think about how you currently use it, and how you could best utilize it moving forward. Will this outdoor space be used for entertaining, relaxing, dining, exercising, or your kids? Once you know its purpose, it will be much easier to decide how to get the most out of it and begin turning your vision into a reality.

Ground Work

There are a variety of different flooring options for your outdoor space depending on what you want to use the space for and your overall budget. Do you want to add a section of grass, rocks, or even a small pool? What about creating an area of artificial turf for your pets? If you wish to use the outdoor area for dining or cooking, a more solid foundation, like hardwood flooring, would most likely work better than gravel, while sand may be a fun option around a bar area near a pool.

Let There Be Light

A great outdoor space is one you can utilize both day and night, and that’s where good lighting comes in. Not only does it serve a practical purpose for allowing you to be able to see at night, but the right lighting can create the perfect mood and ambiance. Think about what kind of mood you want to evoke in your space. For a bit of a romantic feel, fairy string lights may be a good choice.

The Right Seating

When it comes to your outdoor space, the right seating is just as important as it is for the inside of your home. You’ll want furniture that’s weather-resistant and appropriate for the use of the space. For example, if you want to use your outdoor area for dining, you’ll want tables for people to put food and drinks on. If you’re creating a space near a pool, lounge chairs may be important, and if you want a space to relax in, cozy outdoor couches and a coffee table may be the right option.

Go Green

If you don’t already have greenery in your outdoor space, this may be the time to add them — after all, you are outside and it’s only natural to have plants. Plants and flowers are a simple way to elevate your outdoor area, add color, and can even be great options for creating ample shade. Before choosing plants and flowers for your space, it’s best to consider what level of maintenance you want to take on and research the right plants for you, as well as the ones that will work best in the climate where you live. Check out these landscaping tips from Utopia Management to make the most of your outdoor space.

Do you want to keep grass, or add paving, wood, stones, gravel, or even sand? You can also use artificial plants and grass to create a relaxing space. Contact dealers of artificial grass in San Jose, and give your outdoor space a makeover with artificial turf.

Consider the Sun

Knowing how the sun hits your outdoor space throughout the day is essential to fully optimize its use at every hour of the day. If you want to create a relaxing area to enjoy your morning coffee and the sun is hitting you directly in the eyes, you may find this to be unpleasant and not want to use your outdoor area during that time of day. Once you fully understand how the sun affects your outdoor area, you can plan the layout of the space accordingly and create shaded areas if necessary.

Grace Hayes

An authority in outdoor space design, Grace Hayes, holding a degree in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, joined us in 2021. Her 20-year career spans various aspects of landscape design and urban planning. Grace’s approach to outdoor spaces is to create environments that are both beautiful and beneficial to local ecosystems. Her articles are informed by her passion for eco-friendly and sustainable landscape practices. She is an avid gardener and enjoys birdwatching.

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