Nowadays more and more homeowners are adding outdoor living spaces to their gardens. This has significant benefits including variation of scene, relaxation and also an increase in the house price.
There are several reasons people would what to add extra living spaces in their houses. Firstly, everyone wants to have their paradise in their own house with a sense of privacy. Adding swimming pools and other equipment in their gardens can make their house a real dream house. Furthermore, a lot of people favour the hot weather in summer, which means providing garden furniture for their guests and increasing the amount of time they spend relaxing in their gardens.
On the other hand, an additional living space can help those people who regularly work from home or want a change of scene from their offices. For instance, my house in New York city has a room in the garden that I use for business meetings a couple of times a week. This helps me to reduce stress and concentrate on work.
To conclude, adding an extra living space has numerous benefits in term of house prices and private lifestyle as long as owners carefully think about the main reason behind taking this action.
With the addition of features like fire pits or BBQ grills, outdoor audio systems, eye-pleasing plants or even a sports court, the design of the garden for entertainment purposes brings people together in a setting geared towards friendly competition and socialisation.
Plants
Greenery creates visual interest that brings the outdoors in when incorporating natural elements into outdoor living areas. From flowering plants and fruits to small trees and shrubbery, plants have taken centre stage when it comes to outdoor designs and trends.
As well as the obvious delight of colour and shape plants give an extra dimension where peoples’ senses are concerned – something to see, smell, feel, taste and – with a bit of careful planning – even hear: in other words, the makings of a good entertainment space. Use furniture that suits you and your event, but don’t forget to make sure there is enough colour in their foliage to create a welcoming entertainment space.
This outdoor lounge area with a fire pit offers a great place for loved ones to spend late summer evenings, roasting marshmallows and overlooking the ocean or even watching their favorite sports team on their TV, while an outdoor kitchen facilitates preparing a festival feast or consuming their favorite drink bottles in the fresh air.
Seating
Whether it involves an al fresco dinner party for 10 or an afternoon of relaxing in the sun with the family, a large area for socialising is crucial to achieving a beautiful outdoor living space.But no one ever complained about having too much seating.
Select furniture that is plush, weather-resilient and decorative; then anoint it with pillows, throw blankets and sensuous objects – artwork, sculptures – to customise.
If you’re adding entertainment touches such as large-screen TVs for watching televised sports or movies, keep this as quiet and simple as possible. A small speaker to play a designated playlist will set ambience while giving you and your dinner guests a chance to have a conversation without yelling over the music.
Make it your own. Furnish it with couches and chairs to cozy up and chat and read. Use outdoor rugs or planters to demarcate visually the space between different seating areas.
Lighting
Lighting is an important layer to consider when designing outdoor spaces for entertaining. Soft ambient lighting is romantic if you’re having a private dining table, but brighter outdoor lighting is more energising when you’re putting on a raucous evening event. Lighting of different heights and different fixture styles also brings interest and encourages the eye to move into the different parts of the yard.
More homes (all climate zones — even cold ones, though that is specifically in reference to winter entertaining where adding fire elements warms up outdoor spaces) now have outdoor entertainment spaces for year round use than ever before. Homeowners may be looking to add amenities to their outdoor entertainment spaces to turn them into year round living spaces — beyond grilles, tables grilles pizza ovens ice machines etc fun in cold climates! State-of-the-art barbeques, pizza ovens, ice machines etc. Being combined with surround-sound sound speakers, visually-appealing lighting, and comfortable seating — all of these things turn a patio into an immersive sensory zone that should stimulate all the guests’ senses. Throw blankets indoor outdor pillows and cosy accent furniture just makes it better! Safety lighting to illuminate trip zones like steps stairs just keep guests safe without having them schlep across to the lawn in the dark.
Privacy
However, privacy should also be a consideration when designing an outdoor entertainment area. If yours is located on a suburban or rural street, or even adjoins a neighbour’s paved area or a public right of way, you will want to think about creating an enclosure that acts as a barrier to block out unwanted prying eyes. Likewise, an enclosure that muffles noise could prevent a street party becoming an unenjoyable experience.
A screened-in porch works well – not only does it provide seclusion, it also creates the perfect reading nook. A beautifully inviting space complete with dark wicker furniture and brightly coloured throw pillows makes this the ultimate warm-weather hideout.
It’s those little finishing touches that makes a space feel warm and welcoming for both relaxing and entertaining purposes – think of adding weatherproof décor (think outdoor art, thrown cushions and shrubbery that really capture your signature style) + setting up a beverage and food station for guests to access their beverage and food requirements – you’ll keep your space looking tidy and organised, especially if you’re among those who tend to host large groups of discerning house guests.
