You’ve spend time and money on decorating your living room so it exudes the style you want. You’ve designed a great space to relax after a long day and also spend quality time with family and friends. But, there’s one problem – it’s indoors.
And why’s what a problem?
Well, you might want to spend some of that quality living room time outdoors, enjoying the warm night breeze and all the freshness of a summer’s night. Is that even possible?
We say YES!
Check out a couple of practical ideas to bring your living room (and expand your living space) outdoors!
But before we get started…
In addition to hiring a space planner and architect, make sure you contact reliable building envelope consultants to assess the potential of your property for this sort of expansion. To get more information on this type of service and why it’s necessary, check out descriptions provided by nationwide renowned companies like Xpera Group.
Seating is crucial
Seating is absolutely essential to any living room, and outdoor living rooms are no exception. If people don’t have enough room to sit and relax, they won’t care about any additional features you have, like end tables.
So what should you do?
Think about quantity and size first. Have your outdoor space measured up to see how much seating space you can reasonably have. Consult a designer or test out different configurations. You may want an L-shaped seating arrangement or arrange for face-to-face conversation with seating elements facing each other. Make sure your outdoor living space can accommodate that. Test out different layouts with varied numbers of seating elements, and also seating elements of different sizes.
Maximize comfort
Once you’ve decided on the seating configuration, make sure you choose comfy pieces. Remember, you want to replicate all the style and comfort of your indoor living room. Outdoor living room is different from your ordinary patio. The same goes for furniture. Even though contemporary patio furniture guarantees plenty of comfort, go for the same amount of comfort your indoor living space provides.
Add a focal point
Modern outdoor living rooms usually feature an element that draws the eye. It can be a piece of artwork, a giant plant with striking colors, or even a piece of furniture, like a coffee table or a hanging sofa. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with adding a beautiful focal point.
Consider a heat source
Heat sources like a small firepit or a built-in fireplace are a great addition to any outdoor living room. You can even have a small firepit serve as the focal point that people will not only admire but also gather around. You can account for it when designing the seating layout.
There is a practical side to adding a firepit to your outdoor entertainment and relaxation area – you can enjoy it longer! If it gets chilly at night, there will be no need to go indoors. However, if you have small children, you might want to think about getting a heat lamp instead of the firepit, for safety reasons.
Bring out your style with finishing touches
We’ve already blogged on the little touches you can add to your living room to create an adorably chic look. The same principle would apply to your outdoor living space. Consider modern sculptures made of natural materials, or other artwork that can complement your space. Just because you can’t have paintings doesn’t mean you can’t have artwork displayed outdoors!
You can also be both practical and creative in your choice of lighting. Go for sculpture-like freestanding lighting fixtures. Position them carefully around your outdoor living space to make a powerful style statement, and also make sure the space gets enough light.
And finally…
Think of your outdoor living room as a long-term investment. Adding a fully-functional and versatile outdoor space will skyrocket your home’s market value. So, don’t take it lightly. Consider hiring an architect and be sure to get the professional opinion of a building envelope consultant so your dream outdoor space is up to code.
