Home is certainly where the heart is. What if you could continue the enjoyment outside? At Timberline Landscaping we have always been inspired by the idea of extending living spaces outdoors by creating awesome usable spaces to enjoy with family and friends. If you are ready to create an outdoor living space at your home, here are some essentials to consider.

Placement

To maximize use of your outdoor living space, place it as close as possible to the doorway to your home. Many fabulous outdoor living rooms directly connect to indoor space and truly extend your living room.

Consider traffic patterns. Just like hallways and walkways in your home you will need to be able to easily navigate outdoor living space. You can do this by creating an actual pathway using pavers, flagstone, breeze, and many other materials, by using seating walls or retaining walls to direct traffic, or by simply placing furniture properly.

For a sense of mystery, place your outdoor living area at the end of a pathway or in an area hidden by plants. This can really provide a hideaway and a very private space to relax in your backyard.

Dining & Seating Areas

Hardscaped areas such as paver patios or decks can create the perfect area for dining and seating areas in your outdoor living space. Just like indoors, best practice is to separate seating and dining areas. This can be done by literal separation by creating multiple patios, or by furniture arrangement.

Seating walls are a stylish way to provide ample seating, can help divide spaces, aid in directing foot traffic, and are a great space-saver compared to bulky chairs.

Cooking

At the very least, most of us enjoy grilling in our backyards. For those who have a great love of cooking and entertaining, an outdoor kitchen may be a great option. These come in a variety of sizes and with a variety of features and finishes to suit many styles and price points.

If an outdoor kitchen is not your style but you’d still like to cook outdoors, perhaps a pizza oven or wood burning fire pit is for you. Sometimes nothing beats a simple home-cooked meal on the fire!

Ambiance

There are many fantastic ways to create ambiance and a sense of tranquility in your outdoor living space. Start by selecting elements that bring you the most comfort indoors. Are you fond of lighting candles and setting mood lighting? Then adopt that outdoors by incorporating an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or by installing dramatic landscape lighting. Perhaps you enjoy calming sounds and the smell of essential oils. If so a tranquil water feature to provide your own personal bubbling brook and planting aromatic plants like lavender will bring needed peace to your space. Outdoor electronics like speakers for enjoying music and even outdoor televisions are other items to ponder.

Protection from elements

With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, it is important to consider shade for your outdoor living space in Colorado Springs. A pergola, covered patio or deck, sails or shade fabric, and even large trees are a terrific addition to any outdoor living space. If wind is a factor in your location of choice, adding a screen or windbreak to your deck or creating a wall would provide needed shelter.

For more inspiration for your ultimate outdoor living room check out our Pinterest page, residential design & construction page, or contact our talented design team.