Design Ideas for Outdoor Space

Mild weather means spending more time outside than in.  Whether you are savoring the alone time in your garden or entertaining a backyard crowd, here are ideas to freshen your patios, porches, or your poolside areas. 

• Outdoor furniture.  The most useful item for a patio or porch is furniture.  Outdoor furniture helps organized the space.  Consider furniture style and how it matches the surrounding as well as how comfortable and durable it is. Invest in furniture that will survive the elements overtime with minimal care and maintenance. 

• Focal points.  A focal point can be as dramatic and functional as an outdoor fireplace or as simple as a trellis cover in vines.  The focal point pulls your outdoor space together in the same way you would decorate a room inside your home.  If you soften your outdoor space, you will gravitate there.  It will become a quiet spot to take a nap, read, or do nothing.

• Covering.  A canopy over the patio provides shade and visually contains the area.  It is not necessary to create the rain proof covering.  It is more important to filter the sun and give the illusion of a roof. 

• Lighting.  Add lighting to make you patio useful even after dark.  Consider putting the lights on rheostat so you can control the brightness.  Mount the lights on the side of the house, tree limbs, wood post, an arbor, or use decorative lampposts.  

• Water features.  A small fountain adds soothing sound to your outdoor space.  It can drown out unwanted noise, making your patio or porch a restful retreat. 

• Planting.  Use plants in containers to provide privacy, define your space, create a windbreak, and shade your outdoor room.

• Soothing sound.  You can bring your music outside with weatherproof outdoor speaker systems.

Creating a refreshing retreat in your own backyard is easy; the details: comfortable, shaded seating, restful environment, and food and friends are prescription for outdoor bliss.