Make your outdoor living space both functional and inviting to you and your guests with these tips!
1. Prioritize Comfort
Test out the furniture you’re looking at before you buy it.
It’s great if you like how something looks visually, but if its purpose is intended to be for sitting or lounging, comfort should play a large role in your decision making. After all, you likely want your outdoor space to be a place to relax, spend extended periods of time in, and be a place that encourages visitors to unwind and enjoy themselves while they’re there as well. It should be your personal oasis, so go into the process with this thought in mind. Get that hammock, choose the loungers, and turn your outdoor living space into your own at-home vacation destination.
2. Include A Fire Source
There’s nothing better than curling up in front of a fire on a chilly summer night with a glass of wine and a good book or a group of friends.
A source of fire is an addition that will not only draw you outside but encourage more social group gatherings as well. There is a wide range of options available depending on your budget and space. Consider a fire pit, which is both affordable and a space saver. Just make sure to check fire safety and placement rules about outdoor fireplaces and fire pits before you start the process of investing in one.
3. Have A Variety Of Seating Options Available
If you want your backyard to serve as a social hub, it’s important to have enough seating available, with plenty of options to choose from.
Benches, stools, deck chairs, patio bistro chairs, there is a long list of possibilities to pick from when including seating in your outdoor space. Seating is easy to distribute depending on need and accessibility and can be placed in whatever fashion or area that you and your guests want.
4. Choose The Right Plants
Most people like to have some sort of plants, flowers, and greenery in their outdoor spaces, but the kind of botanicals you choose can make a big difference in the look and feel of your backyard.
Incorporate plant stands, tall flower beds, and window boxes so the efforts of your green thumb are visible from outside but through windows as well. Pay attention to the care instructions involved with your home garden picks, and ensure you’re placing plants and flowers strategically in the right areas based on their light requirements and that they’re watered and attended to accordingly. You don’t want to invest in something that ends up being more unnecessary work than you bargained for or a needy plant that needs to be replaced because it doesn’t thrive and dies as a result.
5. Create Ambience
Backyards have so much untapped potential, especially with how they can look at night.
When the sun sets, it’s the perfect time to have your outdoor space transformed into a cozy, ambient area that you’re drawn to spending more time in. Include soft furnishings and lighting that illuminates the area without being too harsh and overwhelming.
6. Have A Focal Point
You want your outdoor space to have a focal point that draws the eye and is the centre to which the rest of the decor choices are based and connected to.
This could be a variety of different options, but a carefully designed pond is a good example of this. It can serve as a gathering point to put furniture around and is a visually distinct backyard element that’s a definite conversation starter and labour of love depending on how elaborate you want to make it.
7. Get Clever With Colour
The colour you integrate into your backyard doesn’t have to be outrageous or in your face. It can be subtle and occur throughout your space naturally.
Tabletop pops of colour like small vases or containers, seat cushions and pillows, table mats, outdoor-friendly rugs, and plant pots are an excellent way to weave a colour scheme into your design without committing to it too excessively.
8. Integrate Smart Storage Solutions
Backyards and gardens can become cluttered and disorganized very easily.
It’s often the space that becomes the one-stop dumping ground for a variety of different tools, toys, and other outdoor-related items. Give these items homes and establish a way to organize the things you use most frequently, like gardening tools. Balcony boxes and benches that double as storage bins are a subtle, yet functional way to do this.
9. Establish Zones
Furniture arrangements can help achieve backyard zoning easily and effortlessly.
The way you choose to space your furniture can impact the effect it has and the purpose it’s intended for. Social spaces can be grouped together with chairs facing inward, with rugs and textiles to divide and split them up so the areas are distinct.
10. Find Affordable Ways To Update Your Space
Upgrading your outdoor space does not have to be expensive.
The key is to invest in staple pieces that will last you years – like furniture, and recognize that your taste and trends will impact the smaller elements which will likely be able to be cycled and swapped out more frequently. The accents, like pillows, slipcovers, umbrella shades, plant pots, etc. are simple to change and update without breaking the bank to do so. Even something as basic as switching out pillows can make your outdoor space feel more refreshed.
11. Be Strategic With Lighting
Lighting plays a huge role in the overall vibe of your backyard space.
Fairy lights are an inexpensive way to dynamically and subtly add light, pendant lights strung above an outdoor dining table are relaxed but both classy and cozy.
12. Find The Right Furnishings
Establish the style you want and lean towards furnishings that consistently and cohesively match your vision.
Make sure you’re choosing options that properly match your area’s weather conditions and can withstand the sun, wind, and rain while still fitting with your personal taste and comfort preferences.
13. Add Wall Accents
Wall accents don’t have to be overly complicated – they can range from coordinated planters to trailing plant vines.
Giving your outside walls some attention and jazzing them up with little personal touches like salvaged flea market sign letters or outdoor-suitable art are easy ways to pull focus to unique details and give your space some distinct personality.
14. Incorporate Coverage
Having an area in your backyard that offers some sort of coverage from the elements, helps enhance the versatility and comfort of your space.
It can also stand as a more intimate area to gather and dine with friends so it doesn’t feel like everyone is sitting out in the open.
