There are several benefits to having an outdoor living space right within your property.
Creating an outdoor living area essentially adds square footage to your home, which will impact its value should the time to put it in the market ever come.
Your outdoor living space also provides you and your loved ones a place to unwind after a hard day at work and school. And if you’re up for family activities, your outdoor area is the perfect place for them.
You can also host parties and entertain guests there anytime you want. As long as you have patio heaters in the winter and residential patio misting in the summer, everyone will be comfortable no matter the weather.
More importantly, an outdoor living space brings health benefits, from helping your eyes rest to relieving stress.
If you’re planning on creating your outdoor living space, here are some ideas that can help you do it.
1. Make Appropriate Outdoor Furniture Choices
When shopping for furniture for your outdoor living space, there are several things you need to consider before buying them.
Do you intend to use it as a dining area? Are you thinking of making it a place to entertain guests? Or do you want it to be more of a place to relax?
In all likelihood, you’re going to use your patio for all three purposes, so make sure that the furniture you select would be appropriate for them.
Small and easy-to-move tables for snacks and drinks would be ideal. Comfortable seats that are washable and resistant to weather would also be great.
2. Go Green
Your outdoor area will feel a lot more comfortable and relaxing if there’s plenty of greenery around.
So, get that green thumb working and do some gardening.
Plant some shrubs, flowering plants, ferns, or even trees, which will also provide shade to your patio.
While you’re at it, you can also plant tall landscaping plants which can offer not just greenery and shade but privacy from your neighbors as well. Whether you go for bamboo or cacti (which can also double as a security fence!), you can be sure that you can relax, dine, and entertain friends on your patio in privacy.
3. Get More Patio Shade
Trees are great, but sometimes, they’re not enough to provide you with the amount of shade you need, especially during the summer.
If you want to add more shade for your patio, you can always spring for patio umbrellas, a patio canopy, or patio shades and curtains to block direct sunlight from the sides.
You can also make it a covered patio, so set aside a budget for the construction of a pergola, or you can just put up shade cloth patio covers to keep direct sunlight at bay.
4. Install A Water Feature
There are mobile apps that simulate the sound of flowing water to help users relax.
Why settle for an app when you can install a water feature near your outdoor living area and hear the sound of actual flowing water as you unwind?
You have plenty of choices as far as water features are concerned. Water fountains are common, although birdbaths can give them a run for their money. Some build koi ponds, while others go for tiered garden waterfalls.
5. Put Up Adequate Lighting
It would be such a waste if you only get to use your patio while the sun is up.
Your outdoor area should be well-lit so that you can enjoy its benefits even in the darkest of nights.
Overhead lights are a given, but you can get creative with your lighting options if you want.
One of the most common but creative ways of lighting up an outdoor area is through the use of string lights, which come in various shapes, sizes, and designs.
You can hang them from tree to tree or cover your hedges with them. An entire tree with dozens of string lights wrapped around its trunk would also be a fun idea.
You can also go old-school and put up tiki torches to light the pathway.
These are just some tips that can help you out when creating your ideal outdoor living space. By the time you’re done, you can be sure that your patio will be every bit as inviting, relaxing, and comfortable as you expected it to be.
About the Author
Anna Fox is the Content Marketing Strategist of Señor Mist, a Phoenix, Arizona-based company that provides high pressure misting systems/fog effects, comfort heaters, patio drop shades, hvls fans and more. When not writing, she makes use of her spare time reading books and hiking with her dog, Blaze.
