Outdoor living spaces are popular because they give you more room for entertaining, they have a romantic atmosphere in the evenings, and they're a fun place for family and friends to gather during the day for cookouts and pool parties. Before you put in a patio or start creating your space, start with a well-thought-out outdoor living space design. You may even want to hire a designer so your space fits your needs perfectly. Here are some tips for designing an outdoor living space.
Choose A Focal Point
You may use your outdoor space for many reasons, but if you plan to watch sports, talk around a fire, or eat outside the most, you may want to design the space around a focal point such as a bar, TV, fireplace, or dining area. This gives you a starting point for arranging furniture and deciding on the size and style of your patio.
Decide On The Features You Want
You may want a cozy outdoor living room around a fireplace or an outdoor kitchen. You may even want both. If you have a large yard, you may want a large outdoor space, but your budget may be the determining factor in what you can add. Talk to an outdoor living space designer since they can help you match the features you want to your budget.
Plan The Patio
Once you know what you want in your outdoor space, you can plan the patio and know it will be large enough for everything you want to put on it. You can mark off the patio dimensions with tape so you have a realistic view of how much of your yard you need to use. Once you have the patio space marked off, you can mark off the patio furniture with tape to designate tables, chairs, outdoor appliances, and other furniture and know all the accessories will fit and have ample walking space around the pieces.
You'll also want to plan the patio style. You may want a bare concrete slab or you might want pavers or stamped concrete. You might also want a cover over part of the patio so you can use your outdoor space even when it rains.
Design The Lighting
You may need help with lighting for your outdoor space since lighting can be dramatic and beautiful as well as illuminating if you install it properly. You may want a combination of torch lights, step lights, and string lights so you can use the patio at night and give it a festive or romantic mood.