Outdoor living spaces are more popular than ever right now. With the approaching Spring and Summer months, we're excited to spend more time enjoying our beautiful outdoor spaces. There are many design elements you can incorporate into your outdoor living space to make it as beautiful, functional and comfortable as the inside of your home. Here at Sensory Six, we love to design outdoor living spaces for our clients to enjoy all summer long. Read below for our tips for creating the perfect outdoor living space to enjoy with your family and friends!
First things first, it's important to determine the size and layout of your outdoor space. This is largely dependent on what you want to use the space for and the size of your property. Whether the outdoor room is small and intimate or large and spacious, it's easy to create different zones within the space to use for various activities such as cooking, conversation, and relaxation. In this space we've recently worked on, we were able to define many different zones within the outdoor space. Under the covered patio built off the back of the house, there is a lounging and TV area, dining area, and then the kitchen. Right off the covered patio we have an area for the hot tub, firepit and the pool deck. They are all tied together with a color palette that is carried throughout the space that creates unity between all zones.
After determining the size and layout of your outdoor living space, the next step is to pick out the color direction. Look at the exterior colors and design style of your home to provide a palette and style direction. This ensures that your outdoor living space feels like an extension of the interior of the home. The color palette should be derived from the surrounding natural landscape. Brown tones are inspired by branches and trees in the natural landscape and provide a zen environment. Accent colors are important because they provide a good opportunity to pull in other colors. Look at the flowers you have planted in your garden for inspiration in accent colors for cushions or pillows in weather resistant fabrics. For this outdoor living space, we use brown as our predominant color in our color palette since it creates a neutral base for patio furniture and allows for the accent color to pop! We used red as an accent color in the space as it works well with the landscaping ties in the pillows on the sofa, accessories on the dining table and the umbrella by the pool to create unity within the exterior space.
When deciding on the solid surfaces of your outdoor living room, take note what you use on the inside your house. This is critical for a seamless transition from your indoor space to your outdoor space. Use similar flooring from the interior so the base of your outdoor space is in line with the rest of your house. If you have an outdoor kitchen, utilize similar countertop materials and lighting fixtures that you have inside your home. Most companies now have product lines that offer indoor and outdoor versions of products so people are able to use the same style of fixtures throughout their home, and even in their outdoor living spaces! What is better than cooking outside in the fresh air? For this outdoor kitchen, we looked towards the rest of the home for inspiration and picked a granite that works well with the natural stone used at the base of the kitchen area. The entire space is tied together with the stone in the kitchen framing the fireplace across the room.
When designing an outdoor space, you have to plan on certain design elements you don't necessarily have to think about when designing an indoor living room! Your outdoor space doesn't have walls so if privacy and noise are a concern, there are ways to solve these problems. By installing a fence or landscaping with tall plants, noise levels will keep to a minimum and provide privacy. For extra intimacy, consider using awnings, umbrellas, gazebos, and pergolas. They are great ways to not only provide privacy and have a separate "room" within your outdoor living space, they also keep you and your guests out of direct sun and rain. We built this covered outdoor living space directly off the back of the house, which allows for more space in the back yard for the pool and provides privacy for the homeowners. Weather resistant drapes on the exterior of the structure can be drawn to provide even more seclusion.
At Sensory Six, we would love to work with you to build and design your dream outdoor space! We understand everyone’s need for having a space of their own that has an emphasis on functionality, aesthetics and overall wellness. Do you have a few ideas in mind on how you want your outdoor living space to function but need help achieving the overall look? Call us at 518-306-1099 to set up a time to meet so we can help you create a space unique to your wants and needs.
Content:
http://tolltalks.tollbrothers.com/2015/05/11/how-to-design-the-perfect-indooroutdoor-living-space/, https://www.concretenetwork.com/outdoor-living-rooms/design-tips.html
