6 Tips for Designing your Outdoor Space

Designing the perfect outdoor space for you and your family doesn’t require a home-improvement-show rescue team. You can design and build a space that’s perfect for your interests and desires simply and easily by remembering these six simple tips.

Tip 1 – Build Around a Focal Point

Most people in Connecticut think of outdoor living as a summertime thing with pools, water features, or even waterfront views being the focal points for their outdoor living spaces. However, the fall and winter months can provide opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors as well by creating an outdoor kitchen or a living area surrounding a sheltered fire pit. The opportunities are limitless.

Tip 2 – Establish Traffic Patterns

There are numerous ways you can go about this important task when designing your outdoor space. Pavers and paths are always great choices for marking paths when the sun is shining. However, if you plan to use your patio at night, consider incorporating some sort of lighting to help guide your visitors to the appointed place. Lanterns, path lights, and rope lights make excellent choices for lighting your garden walkways in the moonlight.

Tip 3 – Include All Possible Seating Options

Anyone who does a great deal of outdoor entertaining in Connecticut knows that you can never have too much seating, or too many options, when it comes to seating. Keep that in mind when planning your outdoor living area. Table seating, benches, hammocks, and even swings are all excellent choices to have in various areas of your outdoor space. If you have protected outdoor space, consider bringing in wicker chairs and sofas for even more seating alternatives.

Tip 4 – Boost Visual Appeal

You don’t have to be a wiz with flowers or plants in order to transform your ordinary backyard into an oasis for friends and family to enjoy. Look for plants that are native to Connecticut. They will withstand the extreme weather features of Connecticut better than non-native plants, and they require little in the way of care and maintenance as they are designed to thrive in ordinary weather conditions. Some plants you might consider include:

• Christmas Ferns
• Ostrich Ferns
• Virginia Creepers (which are stunning in the fall)
• Wild Blue Phlox
• Bearberry
• Wild Red Columbine
• New England Aster
• Cardinal Flower

In addition to plants for visual appeal, consider adding splashes of color with the furnishing and accessories you include in your outdoor living space. Furniture cushions are excellent tools for providing visual appeal without becoming too bold.

Tip 5 – Shield the View

Privacy is big. You don’t want the world to know what’s going on in your backyard. On the other hand, not everyone wants to include tall fences. Consider using taller plants, garden screens, and climbing vines to add a sense of privacy without installing a fence. Additionally, don’t forget about the area overhead. Make sure that some of your outdoor living area is protected from the sun and rain alike so you can enjoy your outdoor spaces even when the weather isn’t necessarily respecting your outdoor plans. Umbrellas and awnings are also a great way to create some privacy and add some respite from the sun. We carry umbrellas in all shapes and sizes. We even have a cantilever umbrella from Treasure garden that covers 133 sq. feet. A Solair retractable awning will also give you more usable space for entertaining.

Tip 6 – Personalize It!

Finally, make your outdoor spaces as unique as the family living in that space. Consider the things you’re passionate about. Turn your backyard into an outdoor movie theater, install a pool or hot tub, build a goldfish pond, or make an outdoor kitchen. Let the space match your personality and you’ll be much happier using that space over the years.

The one thing to always keep in mind when planning and designing your outdoor space is how you want to use that space on a normal basis. Then, build the space with those plans in mind.