Our Best Ideas For Outdoor Living Spaces
Your garden should be an extension of your home, offering more space for the things you love. Gone are the days when the garden was a separate space, as it should now fit in with the flow of your home and essentially be another room to the house.
This is the basis for outdoor living, which continues to be one of the biggest trends in garden design. Outdoor living spaces are designed for maximum use, allowing you to unwind, entertain or play in the garden all year long.
At Beautiful Spaces, we appreciate that no two gardens are alike, which is why we offer bespoke garden design and landscaping services. We know that despite the ever-changing weather of the region, our clients want to use their garden at a moment’s notice, and we specialise in outdoor living spaces to make this a reality.
In this post, we are sharing everything you need to know about outdoor living spaces, how to design your own, and what goes into creating a functional, beautiful garden design.
What Are Outdoor Living Spaces?
Outdoor living spaces are the new gardens or outdoor areas. These spaces are designed to be a staple of your lifestyle, as important as the living room or bedroom in terms of relaxation, entertainment and spending quality time with loved ones.
These landscapes are designed to bring indoor living outside and focus on home comforts to create the ideal setting for all occasions. No longer does your garden need to be a separate room, but it is instead part of the home and a space you can use whenever you desire as it is suitable for all seasons.
Outdoor living spaces are essentially an extension of the home and focus on comfortable, functional design elements. From stylish patios to outdoor kitchens, outdoor living spaces can be bespoke to align with your needs and personal style, but are always focused on comfort and practicality.
Benefits Of Outdoor Living: Why Choose It For Your Garden Design?
Outdoor living continues to be a popular garden design trend because it offers a range of benefits. Those looking to renovate their gardens should consider outdoor living elements if they want to experience the following:
- Increased Living Space: The main benefit of outdoor living design is the fact that your home is extended. There is more room for the family to spread out, for guests to come over, and to host events. Outdoor living is ideal for all sizes of homes, whether small or large, because it offers you more room to play, relax or entertain.
- Boosted Property Value: Because outdoor living spaces are very popular these days, they are a hit on the property market. Incorporating specific design elements or landscape features into your garden to align with outdoor living can increase the value of your home, as it will be more attractive to buyers
- Improved Health and Wellbeing: There are various benefits that you can experience simply by spending more time in nature. AS outdoor living spaces are designed to be accessible and comfortable, you can incorporate more fresh air, greenery, and natural wellbeing perks into your daily routine through this design.
If you want to improve your home and social life, incorporating outdoor living elements into your garden design is a great idea. Outdoor living spaces are very popular and will continue to be so because they are so advantageous.
Spend more time making memories with loved ones outdoors by creating a living environment fit for every occasion!
Key Elements Of Outdoor Living Spaces
To design your own outdoor living spaces, there are specific elements of this trend you need to be familiar with. Outdoor living focuses on comfort and practicality, which is why the following are key elements of this trend:
Seating And Shelter
Outdoor living spaces aim to create a garden that is just as comfortable as any other space in the home. Outdoor living spaces require seating and shelter so they can be used at all times of the day and in all seasons.
With the Great British Weather being so unpredictable, shelter is a staple of any outdoor living space and can come in many forms, based on your preferences. Options such as pergolas and gazebos can be incredibly useful in outdoor living spaces. These can be used to shelter seating areas made from built-in benches or modular furniture, which can be customised to suit the unique layout of your landscape.
When decorating seating areas, make sure to use waterproof cushions and other soft furnishings.
Outdoor Cooking And Dining
Outdoor cooking has come a long way in recent years, as we no longer have to rely on the rusty old barbecue to create delicious meals in the garden. Nowadays, you can invest in a complete outdoor kitchen which is fitted with all the mod-cons. With options such as pizza ovens to open fire stoves, it has never been easier to create amazing meals and memories in the garden.
Alongside your outdoor kitchen and cooking areas, dining spaces are needed so you can have al fresco meals with loved ones. Whether you choose built-in dining sets or free-standing furniture, make sure there is plenty of room for everyone to sit around the table to tuck into a delicious home-cooked meal.
Garden Lighting
Lighting is a staple of garden design and a key element of outdoor living spaces because it allows you to use your garden at any time of the day. You do not have to cut the party short when hosting outdoors if you have ambient lighting fitted.
There are many options for garden lighting, allowing you to create an attractive yet functional and safe environment that the whole family can enjoy. Outdoor living spaces benefit greatly from warm ambient lighting such as lanterns and twinkle lights. You can even create fire pits or rely on LED flames to create a warm, inviting atmosphere to round off the evening.
Heating Features
Keep your guests comfortable and safe when spending time in the garden with heating features. From patio heaters to fire pits, there are various ways you can keep temperatures high when spending time in the fresh air, allowing for complete customisation of your outdoor living space.
Make It Your Own: Design Ideas For Outdoor Living Spaces
With the basics covered, it is time to get creative and make your outdoor living space unique to your home, family and personal style.
There are various ways you can put your stamp on your garden, and we are sharing some of the best design ideas that combine practicality with aesthetic appeal:
Planting For Decoration
As you are creating an outdoor living area, use natural elements and plants to adorn the space. This offers something different from any other room in the house and allows you to soak in the benefits of being outdoors.
Practical solutions such as green screens and climbing plants can be a great way to create a private outdoor living space, whereas herbs and fragrant flowers can add a soothing ambience to the landscape. Colour and seasonal interest can be incorporated using a variation of annuals and perennials, ensuring you always have something new to enjoy when spending time outdoors.
For decking and patios, consider using potted plants which can be moved around and reorganised whenever you feel like a change of scenery. They can also be easier to maintain, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the outdoors than caring for it.
Choose Materials Wisely
Hardscaping is a key element of garden design and the foundation for your outdoor living space. Patios, decking, and terraces will be staples of your outdoor living space and therefore need to be considered carefully.
Materials such as porcelain and natural stone paving, or composite decking, are ideal for outdoor living spaces because they combine visual appeal with longevity. You want to ensure your outdoor living space is functional and attractive, and the materials used are the key to this.
As well as considering how your garden will look, you also want to think about the space in the long run. Hardwearing materials such as block paving or porcelain are a great option as they will remain in place for many years, making it easy to access your garden whenever you desire.
Composite decking can have a similar appearance to traditional timber but requires less upkeep and is therefore a great solution for busy family homes or entertainment hubs.
Personal Features
Based on how you want to use your outdoor living space, there are various adornments you may want to consider. From larger structures such as garden bars and rooms, to smaller additions such as artwork or water features, you have the freedom to decorate the outdoor living space however you see fit.
Experiment with colour schemes, seasonal displays and practical elements to create an outdoor living space you love to be in.
Conclusion
Outdoor living spaces are highly popular these days as people spend more time at home. The garden no longer needs to be separate from the rest of the house and can instead become an extension of your living space through careful design and construction.
At Beautiful Spaces, we take pride in offering complete garden makeovers and work with all requirements to create environments that last. We specialise in outdoor living spaces and have a range of services to bring your vision to life.
Contact Us Today
To get started on your own garden renovation or to learn more about our services, please contact the team today.
