4 Terrific Ideas for Functional Outdoor Spaces

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Your home is your pride, and as such, you want it to look exquisite. It is, therefore, a refreshing twist for you to step out of the confines of interior remodeling and decorating and spend time creating a lovely functional living space outdoors. With the right setup, you can easily turn your yard, porch, patio or any other outdoor area into a superb space where your family can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

1. Outdoors Call For Bold Colors

While earth colors may be excellent for indoor decoration, they tend to blend in with the environment and thus disappear when used for outdoor decoration. On the other hand, black will absorb heat and may get super-hot when used for outdoor decoration during sunny periods. Brightly colored furniture and accessories are therefore your best option for outdoor living spaces.

Tip: bright colors, when used outdoors, add an element of fun, excitement, and playfulness.

2. Be Creative With Your Lighting

Time spent on the living space should not be limited to daytime only. In fact, one of the best places to host an evening party, dinner or event is outdoors, of course if the weather is conducive. Efficient lighting is the key to setting the mood and appeal of an outdoor living space at night. Employ tasteful and dramatic outdoor lighting by incorporating colored electric bulbs, lanterns, torches and even candles. Let your lighting accentuate the impressive aspects of the outdoor space while leaving the unattractive elements to fade in the shadows.

Tip: light around the house that is pointed upwards emphasizes the architecture while light pointing downwards creates a soft, cozy glow.

3. Have An Outdoor Kitchen

The heart of every home definitely is a kitchen. With the right set up, you can save yourself the hassle of making countless trips in and out of the house by having a second kitchen outdoors. In fact with this kitchen, cooking becomes an utterly pleasurable activity. The open air kitchen could include a grill, fridge, a sink, food prep area and even a pizza oven.

Tip: the Kitchen will become the center of your outdoor activities, so you have to go big on an outdoor kitchen.

4. Include A Water Feature

Water will add a soothing sound that creates appealing tranquility to the serene environment of your outdoor space. You have a vast variety of options here, from store-bought fountains to magnificent cascading waterfalls. You could even create a small garden pond filled with colorful fish.

Tip: it’s best to go for a less labor extensive and cheap water feature for outdoor spaces.