Dreamy Outdoor Living

Are you yearning to spend more time outdoors? Extending your outdoor living space is a smart way to increase the useful square footage of your home at a much lower cost than adding heated area. Neil Kelly design consultants Tonya Bellusci and Gregory Thomas provide ideas to improve your home’s outdoor appeal.

Outdoor Living 101

Wondering where to start? Bellusci recommends, “Take some time to imagine how you’d like to use the space and what’s most important to your family. What would draw you outside? Is it hosting friends for a barbecue, or sitting around a fire with a glass of wine, or a space for yoga and meditation?”

Thomas agrees, “It’s all about place-making. The three most basic elements to consider are a level surface for seating, protection from the elements, and lighting to create ambiance and safety.”

Above: Deck spaces with open areas and ample seating can accommodate gatherings large and small.

Creating Your Outdoor Living Space

More than anything, homeowners want spaces that support relaxation and entertaining. Bellusci and Thomas offer up ideas to create your ideal outdoor space.

Define Your Space: An element overhead can define a space and provide shelter.  A grid of LED string lights can define an outdoor room in the summer and a roofed pavilion can extend the season.

Create Focal Point: A gas-fired fire pit combined with a table element can help create a focal point for gatherings. Take it up a notch with an outdoor fireplace. The heat extends the space’s use into the cooler seasons.

Outdoor Kitchen: With options for every budget, you can extend your living space with countertops, kitchen appliances and comfortable outdoor seating. Get inspired with this breathtaking outdoor kitchen and living space.

Pergolas and arbors that are planted with climbing vines and roses can help create a unique ambiance and vibe for outdoor living spaces.

Work with color: In plantings, furnishings and accessories, bring your personal style to the outdoor spaces.

Above: This well equipped deck can handle outdoor cooking and food prep in one area, and cozy conversations by the fire in another.

Trends: From Yoga Deck to Tandoori Oven

From Thomas, “People want spaces that are acutely tailored to their individual interests. From yoga decks and gardens, bocce courts, full service kitchens with very particular cooking equipment like tandoori ovens, kamado smokers, and crawfish boil burners.”

Backyard Wi-Fi

Why not take your technology outdoors? With the right design help, your outdoor living space can include televisions, speakers and streaming media. You could also incorporate an outdoor theater now that projectors are made specifically for outdoor use.

LED lighting has come a long way and can be used to great effect in outdoor spaces. From dimming to twinkling pathway lighting to solar-powered LED lighting. From Bellusci, “our job is to bring your dreams and vision to life.”

Ready to create the outdoor living space of your dreams? Get it touch with us today for a consultation.