Whenever the warmer months are approaching, homeowners can’t help but think of new ways to revamp their outdoor space. The summer season comes with longer days, and at night it’s often more pleasant to spend time outside the house, which can feel stuffy.
It’s the perfect time to hold dinners and family gatherings, but that’s best done in an outdoor area where there’s adequate space to lounge and relax. It’s time to divert your focus not only to your landscape and garden but also to the amount of functional space in your yard. While installing a deck or patio is common, there are many other creative ways to spruce up your exteriors. Imagine having movie nights, eating barbecue, and exchanging stories under the soft moonlight. You can achieve all that and more when you consider the following ideas:
Design An Outdoor Living Room
If your home can accommodate two living rooms, then set one up outside. A spacious, shaded outdoor living room is ideal for entertaining guests and having your kids rest after playing in the sun.
To create this, all you need to do is to find some comfortable chairs and sofas, such as modular outdoor sectionals, and arrange them within the space according to your preferences. See to it that the options you select fit the theme of the rest of your home.
Add Lighting
When checking out inspirational ideas from the outdoor spaces of other homes, you might see some homeowners hanging up string lights in their yard. Although they might remind you of Christmas lights, the two options are distinct from one other.
String lights are versatile and can be used to illuminate a dull patio or deck. Since spending time outdoors doesn’t have to be limited to daylight hours in the warmer months, you’ll want to create a serene atmosphere with some tasteful outdoor lighting. In addition to improving safety, adequate lighting can help transform the outdoors into a more livable area, giving your family more reason to spend a bit of bonding time together in the evenings.
Lighting for your outdoor space should accentuate the area’s best features. Assess your yard and check which places or corners need more illumination. Aside from improving aesthetic appeal, lighting is essential to discourage burglary and other crimes.
You can find a plethora of lighting options on the market today, ranging from LED lamps to landscape lanterns. You can also opt for automated security lights in some areas—these will turn on when mobility or movement is detected. With these fantastic lighting ideas, your exterior spaces will be safer and more relaxing.
Make Your Outdoor Areas Cozier
So family members and visitors alike would want to spend time outdoors, be sure to have comfortable accessories and soft furnishings in the area. Although it’s imperative to go for functional furniture, nothing beats lounging in a cozy chair after a long day.
Look for anything that’s suitable for your outdoor space so it’s more conducive to relaxation and more pleasant to stay in for longer hours. Get some loungers, soft rugs, and throw pillows to make your exteriors feel homier.
Set Up An Outdoor Kitchen
The kitchen is an essential space for any home as it’s where all kinds of meals that families share are prepared. When you have one outside, serving food in outdoor get-togethers is easier and more convenient. You can save time going back and forth from the interior kitchen to your exterior space.
Outdoor kitchens also make for great areas to entertain. Whether they’re placed in backyards or on rooftops, they’re gaining popularity because they make cooking less like a chore and more like a fun pastime.
It’s a fantastic and enjoyable experience to design your outdoor kitchen, complete with everything you need to hold barbecue parties and outdoor celebrations. Equip yours with the right appliances and tools, but see to it that you find a way to keep them dry when heavy rain falls.
Get A Fire Pit
There are certain rules to follow for a successful home renovation project, but to add to that list is to always ensure comfort. One feature that’ll help you accomplish that is a fire pit. This is another classic outdoor feature.
As the heat of the day vanishes, you and your family can cozy up by the fire pit and have meaningful conversations or even make s’mores together. With so many options today, it’ll be easy for you to choose a modern one that’s simple to use and maintain.
Invest In A Swimming Pool
Swimming pools are ideal for anyone who lives in a warmer climate or has family members who love to swim. This is the best outdoor feature you can have during summer. Having a swimming pool makes it easier for you to entertain friends and relatives.
Since you won’t have to prepare anything for everyone’s enjoyment, you can just toss some patties on the grill, pass around a few snacks along with refreshments, and join your guests later on in taking advantage of the sunny weather. Investing in a pool is also worthwhile because you and your loved ones will be motivated to swim more often, which would allow all of you to stay fit and healthy.
Incorporate Lots Of Greenery
While you may already have a garden outdoors, you can display some plants on the deck, within the outdoor living room, or even by the outdoor kitchen. These would serve as accents and contribute to the fresh air in those areas. You can also place potted plants just outside your doors.
Your outdoor living area won’t require much maintenance if the plants you get are easy to care for. There are options that can survive without constant sun and water. Choose low-maintenance plants if you’re a forgetful type of person.
Prepare An Outdoor Dining Area
An outdoor living space wouldn’t be complete without an outdoor dining area. Modern outdoor dining furniture is designed with similar features to indoor ones, except that they’re built to sustain strong winds and weather changes.
When you have a dining area outside, you can easily move daily meals from indoors to outdoors. This way, your family will be able to consume all the delicious meals you’ve prepared for them and get plenty of fresh air at the same time.
Induce Serenity Through A Water Fountain
A water fountain can instantly elevate any outdoor space. Often, it becomes the focal point as it’s aesthetically pleasing and relaxing to watch. People love this water feature because of the calming sound of the water flowing. With this, you can achieve tranquility within the space, and it’ll make the area even more livable.
Depending on your budget and preference, you can have multiple water features all at once, from small store-bought fountains to cascading waterfalls. Visit stores that sell water features in various sizes, particularly those that are easy to install and operate. Even a trickle of water can improve your outdoor experience in a subtle way. Meanwhile, a flowing stream of water has been shown to induce relaxation and even lower blood pressure.
Consider Having An Outdoor Bar
You won’t be able to enjoy your outdoor lounge without a bar. For endless celebrations and intimate gatherings, fill your outdoor bar with ingredients for all of your favorite cocktails as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages so you can accommodate any type of guest. And since kids love ice cream, it’d be great for you to have an ice cream freezer in your outdoor bar.
Your outdoor living area should be close to the bar if you’re planning to hold outdoor events frequently. In doing so, you can allow guests to sit comfortably while enjoying their ice-cold drinks. The bar could be your greatest asset in keeping guests entertained and satisfied from start to finish.
Have A Pergola Built
A pergola is another highly recommended option for outdoor living spaces since it provides a sense of enclosure even if it’s open and allows for plenty of sunlight. A natural feel can be created by covering the posts and lattices with vines.
Pergolas aren’t popular by accident—they’re preferred by many because of how well they can transform backyard spaces. They offer a variety of practical and aesthetic benefits. While you can design your own from scratch or hire someone to build it for you, there are pergola kits you can purchase that’ll save you money, time, and effort.
Pergolas tend to have a primarily open top, but you can always add more shade if needed. There are retractable sunshades as well as fully covered pergolas available. Another significant benefit of a pergola is the fact that you can customize its structure based on your needs. Most spaces can accommodate one, which is another reason for its popularity. You won’t have trouble acquiring a pergola that’s your preferred size and design.
Purchase Hanging Seats
Incorporating hanging seats into your outdoor space is a clever trick to get your family to come outside. These chairs are perfect places to read a book, listen to music, or even take a midday nap. Take into account the quality, shape, and finish of your garden hanging chair so you can still use it inside during colder weather.
If there’s still some available space in your yard, invest in two or more hanging seats so more family members can use them simultaneously. You can add soft throw pillows and blankets for better comfort and heightened visual appeal.
Conclusion
The outdoor living space options you can try are nearly endless if you’re remodeling or simply looking to improve your backyard. But the ideas above are only a few of the unique and exciting outdoor features you can add to your property. Feel free to keep searching for other improvements you can make in order to maximize the use of your exterior spaces.
