Nothing is more tragic than an unused outdoor space. Think about it. The only difference between your living room and your outdoor space is that one is indoors and the other is outdoors. Unfortunately, we tend to see more creative ideas for setting up your living room to be a dream space, but not your patio. It’s time to change the narrative. If you’ve been wracking your brain for ideas on how to set up the perfect outdoor entertaining area, you’ve come to the right place.
Keep on reading for our top tips and ideas for outdoor living spaces and designs.
Unlocking the Potential of Outdoor Entertaining Space
When it comes to outdoor entertaining, you’re only limited by two things. Your imagination, and your actual space limitations.
Other than that, you can delve into all the different ideas and designs below. They’ll encompass all of your outdoor space, including your patio and the rest of your landscape.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Evaluate Your Patio Situation
The very first step in planning a renovation or a mini-decoration project is assessing your current situation.
When it comes to patios, there is nothing more effective at transforming your outdoor space. Therefore, if you don’t already have a patio, it’s time for you to get one.
If you’re already comfortable with hardware projects, then you’ll have a lot of fun building your own patio. You can check out a variety of manuals on how to design a patio and install a wood or brick patio.
There’s a multitude of materials out there for you to choose from. For instance, you can go with a patio that’s made of paving stones, or even concrete. Also, you can play around with different patio shades.
On the other hand, if you’re not an old hand at handling projects of that magnitude, then it should definitely be left to the professionals to handle.
This way your new patio will be properly graded, and you’ll get a high-quality patio that looks the way you want it too, as well as maintaining its functionality.
All you need to do is make sure you go with professional patio installers who are already familiar with the type of patio materials you’d like to use.
Now, if you already have a patio, then your assessment will start with its size and condition. For example, start by questioning whether it’s large enough for what you have in mind and whether it’s in good condition.
You might find your patio to be too small or in bad condition and begging for repair. In this case, you’ll have to either bring in the professional for a solid repair session or decide to start over and install a new patio after removing your old one.
In addition, you might even decide that you’re better off with a deck instead of a patio.
It might sound like a lot of work. But, trust us, it’ll be all worth it in the end.
Clean up Your Outdoor Living Space and Landscape
After you’re done assessing your outdoor space, it’s time for a good solid clean up of the whole area.
It’s essential to start with a clean slate, this way you’ll have a blank canvass to implement all your creative ideas without having to haphazardly clean along the way.
In addition, this will give you the ability to determine which backyard items you want to keep, as well as which improvement projects might best fit your current space.
Your cleanup should include trimming your trees and bushes (if you have them) as well as removing any dead foliage. You can also evaluate whether you have hardscape features that are desperate for a repair.
Then, you can clean up your yard in its entirety. All of these tasks are rather boring in nature, we know. However, they’re the best starting point of any good home improvement project.
By thoroughly cleaning up your outdoor space, you’ll start tripping on maintenance issues that might have been lurking under the radar, as well as give an immediate boost to the look of your space.
Build an Outdoor Living Room
Now that you’ve already tackled the foundational parts of any home improvement project, it’s time to take a look at the fun parts.
If you don’t have a specific vision of how your outdoor living space should look, there is no better place to start than creating an outdoor living room.
Generally, living rooms are designed with entertainment in mind. Therefore, you can easily take the same concepts of living room design and migrate it to your outdoor space.
In addition, if you have a covered patio, you can create ‘exterior’ rooms that can stretch out your usable square footage without costing you a lot of money.
You can create a simple living room space by adding a comfortable seating arrangement with a sofa or two, as well as a table and an outdoor rug.
Furthermore, if you have a comfortable budget and you’re feeling creative, you can check out other expensive living room features, like an outdoor fireplace, or even a water feature.
Pick a Theme for Your Space
When you have a cohesive theme, your outdoor space will automatically look great.
One of the simplest and most forgiving themes for outdoor space designs is the garden theme. The theme itself is not cost-prohibitive, and it’s broad enough of a concept that it gives you a huge artistic leeway.
For instance, if you’re more of a ‘tropical’ person, then getting some bright patterns and a solar torch or two will set the stage for you.
On the other hand, if you’re more obsessed with old-school garden themes in English literature, you can go ahead and fulfill your ‘Secret Garden’ dreams.
Once you’ve chosen a theme, make sure to include comfortable seating so your family or guests can enjoy the view.
Add a Built-In BBQ
If you’re a fan of the full backyard kitchen concept, we’d recommend starting slow and having professionals on hand.
However, if you’re on a budget and would like to take on a weekend project with great results, then installing a built-in BBQ would be the way to go.
Having a simple built-in BBQ will immediately add vibrancy to your outdoor living space. In addition, it’s the perfect first step on the road to getting a full-fledged outdoor kitchen space.
Build (Or Buy) a Pergola
Similar in nature to the patio project, this one can be a straightforward project for some people who have some carpentry skills. On the other hand, you can hire professionals like carpenters or a contractor to do it properly for you.
Pergolas are a dreamy structure that can add shade to your outdoor space with a huge boost in terms of decor and design.
Moreover, pergolas can be a great cost-effective option when it comes to creating outdoor rooms. Yet, make sure to choose (or build) a pergola that allows you the option of adding coverings to create more shade.
After all, the main difference between a pergola and a gazebo is the amount of shade each provides. A gazebo can provide full coverage from the sun, while a pergola gives you the option of partial shelter from the sun.
As it were, if you’re shopping for a small-ish pergola, you can find small, pre-constructed ones in garden centers. Yet, keep in mind that those tend to be too small to serve the purpose of covering a whole outdoor room.
Accordingly, you’ll have to make sure that you’re armed with measurements before you buy a pre-made pergola. As we’ve previously mentioned, if you have a specific design in mind, a professional contractor can help you bring your dream pergola to reality.
Add in French Doors for an Airy Feel
By placing french doors between your interior space and outdoor space, you can create an expanded space.
For example, you can add french doors between your patio and the attached interior space for instantaneous expansion of your space.
Not only are french doors rather attractive in design, but they also create this inviting aura that asks your guests to wander through them from your indoor space to your outdoor entertaining space.
Landscape and Patio Lighting Is Key
If you’ve ever talked to a model, they’ll tell you that the key to a good photograph is the lighting. The same concept goes for your outdoor living space.
There are so many options and designs for you to choose from. You can even go with solar landscape lighting. These have the perks of simple installation as well as keeping your electricity bill in check.
In addition, you can go with string lights or lanterns that can work as a double purpose feature for both lighting and decor.
Ready to Transform Your Outdoor Sitting Area?
Sometimes we forget that our outdoor living space is still a part of our home. Thus, it can be transformed into an outdoor entertaining haven.
Similar to any living space, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to designs and themes. Now, you’re in a much better position after going through our tips on how to create the outdoor living space of your dreams.
However, there is still so much more out there for you to learn. Check out our blog for the latest advice on outdoor equipment, home improvement projects, and much more.