How to Create the Best Outdoor Living Space for Your Home

Bring a whole new dimension to your backyard by adding outdoor living space to it. In the age of COVID-19, staycations are on the rise. You, too, can enjoy your vacation in your backyard when you bring the indoors out.

Read more: Making Staycationing During Covid-19 Doable

How to Choose the Best Outdoor Living Space

Most homeowners can create the right outdoor living spaces for their homes—including urban backyards, tiny houses, and larger homes with acreage. You and your family decide together what elements you want.

Here are four steps to get you started on turning your backyard into your summer home:

  1. Start with your imagination: Take a walk in your backyard and plan out where you want different rooms. Which part of your home will bridge the indoors with the outdoors?

Look through Pinterest, HGTV.com, and magazines, such as Magnolia, to get you brainstorming.

  1. Break up your backyard into specific rooms to avoid feeling overwhelmed: If you can’t focus on the overall design, break it up into individual rooms. For example, will your outdoor kitchen include a bar and seamlessly flow into an outdoor dining area?

Will you be tailgating with a small group of friends in your outdoor living room with weather-resistant furniture and an outdoor television come this fall?

  1. What’s your purpose for adding an outdoor living space? Why do you want to add a patio, deck, or swimming pool? Will a lap pool be sufficient, or do you want a swimming pool with a cabana?

Talk with your partner and your kids (if they’re old enough) to see what they want to include in the outdoor living space.

  1. Arrange your rooms in order of importance: Before you call a landscape contractor, you need to come up with a budget. What can you afford?

If you’re a new homeowner, you may need to build your outdoor living spaces in phases. Start with a patio, then expand it to include an outdoor living room, an outdoor kitchen area, and an outdoor dining space.

 

When you hire a landscape design/build company to draw up a master design plan for your backyard, make sure you stick with one style that can seamlessly be added over several years.

 

You also want to complement your home’s architecture with your outdoor living space. For example, if you have a brick Cape Cod home, you don’t want to add a hacienda-style outdoor living space.

 

Learn more: Find Harmony at Home

Adding Your Personal Touch with Outdoor Furniture and Accessories

Bring the indoors outside with patio furniture and accessories. Today’s patio furniture doesn’t rust or get moldy so that you can enjoy the creature comforts of home in your outdoor living space.

Outdoor reclining chairs, sofas, end tables, dining tables, bar stools, rugs, and pillows add pizzazz and a personal touch. You choose from styles, such as

  • Coastal
  • Farmhouse
  • Modern

When placing your outdoor furniture, consider how much wind, rain, and sun will affect those who’ll be sitting there. You can also buy a patio umbrella to shade you and your guests.

Alternatively, you can have your landscape contractor add a pergola or a full roof over your outdoor rooms to keep you and your guests dry and warm.

Why You Need a Landscape Service to Build Your Outdoor Living Space

While many folks like to design and build their own outdoor living spaces, we at BCLS don’t recommend it.

A landscape design/build company has designers on staff who can incorporate your dreams and goals into the best outdoor space for you. Our landscape designers can marry your outdoor rooms with all of the planning details making this process smooth for you.

Make your appointment today by calling us at (804) 752-0052 or filling out our contact form. We look forward to working with you to create your outdoor living space. Check out our PRE-PRICED & PRE-DESIGNED paver patios at www.BCLSPaverPatios.com

BCLS serves residential and commercial properties throughout Central Virginia.

Sources:

HomeDepot.com, “Best Patio Furniture for Your Outdoor Living Space.”

LoveYourLandscape.org, “Planning Guide: Creating Your Perfect Outdoor Living Space.”

QuickandDirtyTips.com, “How to Design an Outdoor Living Environment.”

TriPointeHomes.com, “5 Tips for Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living.”