Collaborative post
Whether you’re blessed with a sprawling backyard or a pocket-sized garden, creating a stunning and functional outdoor entertainment area that the whole family will love is achievable with proper planning and creative thinking.
If you want to make the most out of your outdoor space without blowing the budget, it’s important to plan your shopping around favourable outdoor furniture deals and annual sales. This is the easiest way to ensure you can include design features and furniture that suit every family member, making it a versatile and comfortable space for the entire family.
Here are some top tips for creating the perfect outdoor family entertainment area.
Plan your layout
When designing and building an outdoor entertainment area, you need to dedicate time to properly planning the space first.
Consider how you’re going to use your outdoor area, how often you want to use it, and what must be included to meet your needs. For example, if you need to host large groups of people or want a suitable place for your children and their friends to hang out, it’s crucial to make sure you have enough space to accommodate everyone. Similarly, if you want to cook outdoors, you need a barbecue and kitchen area.
With larger areas, you may find it easier to create different zones, each with its own purpose and function. Smaller areas will be less intimidating than one large and overwhelming space. If possible, select a focal point around which you design the rest of your entertainment space.
Use lighting to build a mood
Lighting is one of the most underestimated design features in the home. Many people downplay the importance of selecting the appropriate lighting fixtures for a space, but it’s an easy and effective way to create a favourable atmosphere.
When building an outdoor entertainment area, it’s essential to choose the correct lighting to suit the area’s function. Solar garden lights are cost-effective and unobtrusive, allowing you to light your garden or highlight special features.
If you plan to include an outdoor dining space, you need soft yet adequate lighting. Harsh lighting will diminish the romantic charm of outdoor dining, while inadequate fixtures will leave your guests trying to guess what is on their plates. For undercover patio areas, permanent fittings add a sophisticated and formal touch.
Multi-generational zones
While each member of your family uses the rooms in your home in unique ways, your outdoor living space provides the perfect opportunity to reinvent the way your family lives and plays together.
The most popular features, which include mood lighting, sound systems, hot tubs, and entertaining spaces, to name a few, allow you to build an area that appeals to all family members.
Embrace smart technology
Smart outdoor spaces are the natural progression of smart homes.
Wi-Fi-enabled barbecues, smokers, and grills are an ever-growing trend, allowing families to cook food to their exact specifications. Smart fridges can be installed in outdoor kitchens alongside Bluetooth-controlled fire pits and wireless smart heaters.
For year-round usage and comfort, high-tech canopies can be installed to track the sun and tilt to catch a cooling breeze. Rain sensors will automatically close the roof once the rainy season arrives.
All of these technological developments can help you maximise use of your outdoor family entertainment area.
Prioritise practicality
The most significant appeal of outdoor entertainment areas is the ability to make the most of all the spaces in and around the home. While a barbecue, comfortable chairs, and a table may have been sufficient in the past, more and more people are looking to invest in outdoor fridges, pizza ovens, ice machines, AV systems, and more.
To accommodate all of these new features, you need to consider the practicalities of installing and maintaining the appliances, including year-round protection from the elements. By choosing furnishings, decor and products that are weather resistant, with adequate coverings for wet or snowy weather, your outdoor living space can be suitable for every season.
Should space and budget allow, consider installing ‘hidden’ appliances that can safely tuck away when not in use. This is particularly beneficial for climates with excessive rain while still providing protection from glaring sunshine, which can also cause significant damage.
Year-round enjoyment
The cold winter months don’t have to automatically mean you are confined to spending more time indoors. Instead, planning your outdoor space with special consideration to winter weather will give you somewhere to enjoy year-round.
Including crackling firepits, bespoke outdoor fireplaces, infrared heaters, and other smart heating devices in your design will allow you to create a comfortable space you can use at any time of the year.
Choose the right decking or paving
Outdoor areas have been a staple feature of homes in favourable climates for years. With the advancement of building materials, homeowners can now make their indoor and outdoor spaces work cohesively, giving their homes a more contemporary feel.
With so many fantastic, low-maintenance options now available, selecting the right decking or paving material will save you significant time and money on repairs and upgrades in the future, making it a worthwhile investment.
Catherine
Source link
