Benefits of an Outdoor Room
The hottest craze out there is bringing your indoor style to your backyard. Creating luxurious Outdoor Rooms is not only for the rich and anymore, anyone and everyone can have one of these amazing places if they approach the process in the right way. Here are 5 things to consider when designing your new outdoor living room:
1. What kind of room do you need… not want!
For centuries, when people and families gather it’s usually around food. Is this the kind of activity that always happens in your house? If so you may want to consider creating an outdoor kitchen with a bar or dining area. Maybe, you just want a private oasis to curl up with a nice glass of wine or a good book. If that’s the case you may want a small patio with a gorgeous fireplace to gaze at. Or maybe you are the fun house in the neighborhood with every kid hanging out there. If that’s you, then maybe a swimming pool and fire pit to roast s’mores is more your speed. Whatever the case maybe, you must create the outdoor room that fits your lifestyle.
2. Size does matter!
When designing your room, think about the furniture you are going to put in it. You would never put a king size bed into a room the size of a closet would you? Well the same goes for the outdoors. You want to think about the furnishings, they are just as important as the stone you pick for your patio. Are you purchasing a sectional or just a couple of Adirondack chairs? Do you have a large family or a small one? That’s the difference of a 12 to 14 foot diameter space to accommodate a 48 inch round table for four or a 400 square foot space to fit a family of ten. These are all things to think about when planning your space.
3. Move! You are in my way!
Movement is so importance when creating an outdoor room. Just like when you are laying out the furniture in your home, you need to think about how people are going to get from point A to point B without running into someone or something. Look at your flow of traffic, where do the kids and dog run once that back door opens, where are your access gates, etc. These are all key players in the design of your project.
4. Who cares about the Jones’ what’s your Style?
Everyone always gets star struck when they see someone get a new pool or patio added to their landscape, but it doesn’t mean it will always look good in your backyard. Their outdoor space suits them and their style, not yours. Look around your home and ask yourself am I traditional, modern, rustic or maybe you just don’t know. There are great sites like HOUZZ out there to help you figure out what you like and what you don’t. You can make idea books that are easily shared with your landscape professional to help guide them to create the perfect space for you.
5. Don’t get in over your head!
Nine out of ten times what you want and what you need are most likely going to require a landscape professional to design and install for you. Things like elevation changes, environmental conditions and township requirements are all things that a homeowner usually doesn’t have knowledge of. That’s where your professional comes into play. They will help guide you through the processes and do most of the due diligence for you so your dreams of the perfect outdoor living space can become your reality!