Introduction
I’ve always loved the outdoors. As a kid, I would spend hours in my backyard playing games with my friends, or just sitting by myself and watching the world go by. In fact, I moved into a new home recently that’s got a huge outdoor living space – it’s basically an extension of my home onto a patio and deck! So far, it’s been great for hosting parties and barbecues with family and friends. But building an outdoor space isn’t just about creating beautiful surroundings; it requires some careful planning to ensure that everything works well together. Here are 16 things I’ve learned about outdoor design through trial (and error) over the years:
Outdoor design is more than just having a beautiful space.
Outdoor design is more than just having a beautiful space. It’s about functionality and safety, too.
If you’re an avid gardener or just want to have some fresh herbs growing in your backyard, you’ll want to make sure that your garden has plenty of sunlight, which means finding the right spot for it. If you have children who play outside often, it’s important that they feel safe while doing so with all sorts of obstacles around them–you don’t want them tripping over any rocks! And if you want to entertain guests on occasion (or just enjoy spending time with friends), having an inviting seating area where people can relax is key!
Outdoor design takes a lot more work than you would think.
When you’re designing an outdoor space, aesthetics are not the only thing to consider. Functionality is just as important–if not more so! The first thing I learned about outdoor design was that it takes a lot of time and effort on top of all the research, planning and drawing that goes into making sure everything looks good.
If you want something functional in your garden or backyard space, think about how much sunlight comes into that area during different times of day (or year). Will there be enough light for plants? What kind of plants do you want? What kind of soil do they need? How much water will they need? These questions will help determine whether or not a certain spot is right for what type(s) of plants/trees/shrubs/etc., which then determines how big those items should be planted relative to each other so they don’t crowd each other out or grow too large too quickly due to lack of competition from neighboring plants nearby.”
You have to factor in the elements that are outside your home, like your neighborhood and local climate, as well as what’s within your home.
You have to factor in the elements that are outside your home, like your neighborhood and local climate, as well as what’s within your home.
- Consider the climate where you live. Are there extreme temperatures? Is there wind? If so, how much? You may need to build a structure that can withstand these conditions or find ways of dealing with them (like installing screens).
- Consider how your neighborhood looks and feels when walking through it–or driving through it if you don’t walk much (partially because of all those cars). Are there lots of trees lining the streets? Are there buildings blocking out sunlight or views of open sky? What kinds of plants grow naturally in this area? Should any be planted around your house for aesthetic reasons or habitat enhancement?
You have to be able to visualize what outdoor space you want before you start building it.
Before you can start building a new outdoor space, it’s important to have a clear vision of what you want the space to look like. The more detailed your visualization is and the more specific it is about what you want in each element of the design, the better off both you and your contractor will be.
So what should be included in this visualization? First and foremost: scale! You need to know how big everything will be relative to each other (and also relative to other buildings or objects). If there are existing plants or trees on site that will remain part of your design, consider including them in this step as well; doing so helps ensure that everything fits together seamlessly once construction begins.
How do we go about visualizing our designs? There are two main ways–drawing and 3D modeling software such as SketchUp Pro (which I’ll cover below). For drawing-based methods, it helps if everyone involved has some experience with graphic design tools such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop before starting work on any kind of project involving outdoor spaces because these programs allow users easily manipulate images into accurate representations based on measurements provided by architects/designers during planning stages.”
Make sure there’s enough space for everyone to move around comfortably in your outdoor design.
- Make sure there’s enough space for everyone to move around comfortably in your outdoor design.
- If you have a large group of people, make sure they have enough room to sit and stand comfortably.
Consider how much light comes into your outdoor living space at different times of day, and how that might affect how you use it throughout the year.
You should also consider how much light comes into your outdoor living space at different times of day, and how that might affect how you use it throughout the year. If you have a lot of light, it’s possible to use your space for a variety of activities–you could cook outside on nice evenings, or even host an event there! If you have limited light, however, think about what activities are best suited for this time of day (perhaps eating lunch). And if there’s no natural light coming into your outdoor living space? Maybe don’t bother using it at all!
Build something that will fit with the rest of your home’s aesthetic, not just its function.
When you’re building a porch or deck, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of construction. You have so many questions: What materials should I use? What type of railing will look best with my house? How much money can I spend on this project? These are all valid concerns and ones that should be answered before you start any construction. But remember that once your structure is complete, there are still other factors to consider when evaluating its success as part of your overall home design–and those considerations go beyond function alone.
First, consider how people will use the space–who will be using it most often (you or guests)? And second: think about how this addition fits into the overall aesthetic of your property; is it consistent with what’s already there? If not, why did we choose this particular style over another option that better matches our home’s existing architectural features? For example if I wanted something more traditional for our house but went ahead anyway with something modern-looking instead (which happened!), then maybe next time around things will go better if both parties involved could come together beforehand so everyone knows exactly what kinder set expectations beforehand rather than leaving everything up
to chance!
Creating an outdoor living space doesn’t have to be complicated – just make sure it’s functional!
Creating an outdoor living space doesn’t have to be complicated – just make sure it’s functional!
The first step to creating a functional outdoor space is to make sure that your design includes all the necessary elements, such as seating and tables. Once you’ve ensured that your design has these elements, think about how they will work together in the space. The size of the table should be proportional to both its location within the room (near the door or far away from it) and its purpose (eating or playing games). You’ll also want to consider whether there are enough chairs for everyone who wants one at any given time; this can vary depending on whether there are children present during meal times versus other activities such as lounging around by themselves or chatting with friends over drinks after dinner has been served up on those same tables earlier in evening before heading out back again later on when everyone gets hungry again!
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you some insight into what goes into creating an outdoor living space. While it may seem like a lot of work, the payoff can be worth it! You’ll have the opportunity to spend more time outside with family and friends, so why not take advantage?