The changing of seasons restores our love for outdoor living. With warmer days, budding flowers, and the smell of the grill, it is exciting to gravitate to your outdoor living room to relax and delight. This space should balance comfort and tranquility with entertainment and aesthetic beauty. After all, it is meant to be a place of retreat.

#1: Decide on the Purpose of Your Outdoor Space

The first step to creating your ideal space is to envision it. How do you plan to use this space, and what is on your must have list? Do you like to host dinner parties or outdoor barbecues? Are you looking for a quiet haven? Does your dream backyard bring your family together? Whatever speaks to you is what will become the dedicated purpose of the design.

#2: Select Quality Outdoor Furniture

Second, you want to choose quality outdoor furniture so that it will be as durable at it is beautiful. Your selections should also reflect your intentions for your outdoor space.

No matter your desired use, dining, entertaining, or relaxing, your furniture selection should be comfortable, weather resistant, washable, and practical. A few quality materials include wicker, wood, wrought iron, and synthetic textiles. Outdoor furniture also provides a great opportunity to go bold and have fun with colors and patterns.

#3: Layer Furniture, Accessories & Decor

Once your outdoor space is planned and your furniture selections are complete, the third step is to accessorize. Just as your indoor space requires soft surroundings to add comfort, plants to add beauty, and accessories to add impact, your outdoor living space does, too.

When adding layers to any room, an area rug is a great starting point, as you want to build from the ground up. Next comes your furniture, followed by your fabrics, accessories, and then decor. The use of plants for privacy as well as for setting the tone of your living area can be very helpful.

Some great accessories and decor ideas are lanterns, string lights, poufs, planters, water features, fire pits, and fire tables. This is your opportunity to let your creativity soar and to make your space your own.

Lastly, it’s important to make the most of what your property has to offer. If you have an amazing view, use it. If your space has an eye sore, create a screen or use plants to hide it. Build a pergola, bonfire, pool, swing, bar area, or TV space to enhance your surrounding environment. Pay close attention to the way your outdoor area flows and create pockets of functionality.

With the right furniture and accessory selections, any outdoor space can become an inviting escape, creating an oasis for hosting and lounging. I'm always here to support your home design goals, whether in person or virtually (find out if Virtual Interior Design is right for you here). Let’s create the ultimate outdoor living area!

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Warmly,
Celeste