Create Perfect Outdoor Room
An outdoor room can be an asset to any garden space adding value to your property and lifestyle. It can provide a destination to retreat to within the garden. It can be the perfect space to entertain outside all year round and a place for the kids to play outdoors.
Top tips for creating an outdoor room
If you’re considering creating an outdoor room in your backyard, take a look at these top 6 tips before you start planning.
1. Seek advice
Once you’ve gathered your magazine clippers or created a few inspiration boards on Pinterest, consider seeking the advice from a professional. Engaging the help of a landscape designer before you start the project is money well spent. They have the experience to take all your ideas and translate them into a design that’s considered and feasible. Beyond the look of your outdoor room, they’ll consider position, amenities, materials and all the things you may neglect to think about such as drainage and transformers for lighting.
Looking for a designer? Our top 10 list of must follow Instagramers may help point you in the right direction.
2. Check council requirements
It’s well worth checking your council requirements before your concept is complete as this could impact the overall design of the outdoor room. Check your boundaries, if there are any easements and whether you’re permitted the type of structure you are planning.
3. Consider your lifestyle
How do you want to use your outdoor room? Are you wanting a space to entertain a large crew or a small place to retreat to with a good book? Do you want to be able to barbecue or sit around a fire pit? Do you want a totally enclosed space or one that’s open, yet protected? Thinking about your lifestyle and how you want the outdoor room to function will help inform the design.
Also, consider the future aspects of your property. Are you wanting to put in a pool later down the track? Will your outdoor room become a hangout for your kids when they get older? Planning your outdoor room around your future plans will help ensure you spend your money wisely.
4. Unify the aesthetics
Ensure the aesthetics of your outdoor room is unified with the rest of your landscape and your architecture. It doesn’t have to mimic the same style, but continuing the same feeling will help ensure your outdoor room doesn’t stand out for all the wrong reasons. Consider using the same stone paving or colour palette. Integrate the same plants used in the rest of the landscape or pick up on similar materials used in the home.
6. Furnish it for living
Furnish your outdoor room so that it encourages you to spend the most time outside. If you’re planning on using the space for entertaining, choose an outdoor dining setting that caters to a crowd and is comfortable enough to settle in for a lazy long lunch. For those who want a place to relax in, consider a comfortable lounge where you can sink right in and take a load off. Opt for flexibility by incorporating a place to hang bean bags or store stools and extra chairs for when company arrive.
For plenty of inspiration, take a look at our outdoor furniture range.
5. Opt for simplicity
Rather than strive for a complex design with intricate details, consider a more simplistic approach. Simple lines and quality materials can just as visually interesting, if not more. It’s also worth considering how your structure or aesthetic will hold up over time. Highly decorative elements or trendy finishes may look dated an unappealing in a few years’ time. A simple, paired back and uncomplicated aesthetic will never date.