Whether you have a small backyard or an expansive one, making your living space functional is key. After all, what good is owning a home if you can’t entertain, relax and have fun there? Check out these six tips will help you infuse beauty and charm to your outdoor spaces.
1. Establish Clear Traffic Patterns
Despite the size of your yard, your outdoor living spaces will gel better if you clearly establish traffic patterns throughout. You can achieve this in many ways. You may want to:
- Lay down formal walkways
- Create shifts within hardscape materials
- Plant shrubs or trees to establish borders, lines and corners
2. Add a Fire Source
Got a fireplace inside your home? Then you know how cozy and comfortable it can be to curl up to. Why not have one outside as well? Sit with a good book on a quiet night or gather with friends on a chilly night. A source of fire draws people together, points out Better Homes and Gardens, so if you have the space and budget, try a full-size version; if not, try a smaller fire pit for flexibility and affordability.
3. Offer Many Seating Options
From benches and chairs to pint-size stools and retaining walls, it’s wise to incorporate as many choices as you can when it comes to making your outdoor living space functional. Do it for the adults, of course, but also for children, with scaled-down kid versions of sofas and sectionals. Just don’t include so many seating options that traffic patterns are cluttered.
4. Create Focal Points
A well-designed indoor room builds off one element, such as a piece of artwork or a sofa. Likewise, you should do the same with your outdoor living space, as it gives the eye a focal point to land on, with the remainder of the furnishings and accents supporting that piece. A small pond or other water feature can be the central gathering point, for example. This allows you to orient your views and place furniture in a pleasing arrangement.
5. Add Eclectic Items
Interesting conversation pieces make great accents outdoors, as they create dynamic outdoor living spaces. Check out area flea markets or architectural salvage shops for items such as sculptures that lend an unmistakable visual appeal.
6. Establish Discovery Senses
Paths make wonderful functional and visually interesting tools within outdoor living spaces that help people find their way through nature. You can incorporate a gentle curve in the design, instantly transforming a simple aimless path into a walkway that encourages discovery and exploration inside your vibrant garden. For example, a brick-lined path can meander its way to a quiet sitting area.
For more information, or to discuss your functional backyard dreams, contact Dogwood HERE or by calling 678-368-7000. And remember, Your Backyard Has Dreams Too!
