Outdoor Room Ideas

You can make your garden or patio more than just a place where you hang your clothes to dry and have to worry about cleaning or mowing by giving it an easy update and making it somewhere that you can lounge around, have relaxed alfresco meals, entertain family and friends and just be proud to show off.

Here we will be giving you some creative tips and tricks on how to convert your plot, however big or small, into your ideal summer sanctuary:

A good starting point is to ask yourself whether your outdoor room is going to be a temporary area (i.e. just for summer) or one that you will be using all year round in which case it will need to be weatherproof.

If you are going to be storing the pieces for part of the year, you may be better of getting folding or stacking options.

Also, consider whether you will be moving furniture around the garden to follow the sun because then you will need to be looking at lighter pieces rather than bulkier, heavier furniture or ones that are attached to the ground.

Outdoor Room Ideas

Other key things that may influence the location and size of your open-air room are:

Outdoor Room Ideas

Ideally it should be placed where the foundations are firm so that furniture won’t tip or sink and weather will not affect ground condition and so a firm, level lawn, concrete or decking are your best options. If you have limited space or budget and are hoping to place your seating/dining area on damp ground or grass, place a few paving slabs randomly underneath, possibly like a mosaic so that chair legs have a solid surface while still looking like part of the design.

Think about the areas of your garden which attract the most sun and shade. You need to avoid the sections which stay in the shade for most of the day as these will be the colder parts of your garden but on the other hand, shade from buildings, trees and parasols will help give shade from direct sunlight and consequent sunburn.

If you want to have a more formal area where your guests can dine in the summer months, strategically place your area in a shady place so that they do not have to eat under direct sunlight and are kept cool. Alternatively, build a trellis above which you can trail greenery from and can also provide shade or add a pavilion, canopy or summerhouse which is ideal to create shade as well as making great drinks stations although you need to make sure that it matches the architectural style of your home.

It may be tempting to have your area at the end of your garden so that you can have maximum seclusion and privacy but weigh that up against how far you will have to travel if you need to go to the loo or to fetch food/drinks.

Have a careful look around your earmarked area and check that there are no plants or foliage nearby that give off an odd smell or are spiky so that they may hurt someone or snag a guests clothing when they are fully grown.

Ambience

Outdoor Room Ideas

To ensure that you have a comfortable area with an 'indoors-outdoors' feel, position your seating so that it faces each other rather than having it around the perimeter or side by side to make it more conversation-friendly and add accessories like planters, cushions and lanterns to make it feel more homey. Informal seating like pouffes are also great as guests can pull them up as they need.

If you are having a dining area, make this into the focal hub which can serve as a gathering area for guests. Barbeques should be positioned away from the hub, overhanging branches play areas and the downwind of the house.

Create a romantic, boho feel whilst getting some privacy by draping semi-sheer fabric overhead to create a homemade canopy.

Simply anchor large pieces of material to your boundary wall/fence/partition and then drape over some washing line or long poles in parasol bases or even just by pegging them to nearby tree branches.

To create a more sophisticated look, use different tones for example using alternate shades of blue or you can make it a more relaxed, casual area by placing an outdoor rug and some mismatched pillows.

To give your outdoor area, a more minimalistic, spa-like ,'Zen' effect, have classic off-white floor and walls (as pure white may glare and so distract from the relaxed mood) with the soothing glimpses of green plant foliage.

You can add to the understated style by adding a simple sleek teak bench or simple cream or cool coloured sofas.

Outdoor Room Ideas

Alternatively, introduce just one bold, decorative piece like a mosaic, sculpture or period piece of furniture so that plants can be displayed at their best in an otherwise neutral scheme.

If you want to steer clear of having the more traditional bench setup or just want to have a feature chair for yourself, two eye-catching options are a gently swinging modern hanging chair with comfy cushions or a more retro blue crochet chair or two

Outdoor Room Ideas

You can make your outdoor area have an elegant living room feel by adding a sofa-style bench, a coffee table, a mirror and some classical artwork.

By using colours which are complementary to the indoor room that leads outside, you can have a seamless connection between your interior and exterior world.

For example if you come through a white kitchen to get to the garden, keep colours light by having pale flooring and pale coloured seating and if the extension girders are grey in colour, continue with this colour scheme by using grey paving (like natural limestone in blue/black) to create a consistent effect.

Also, if your new outdoor room is going to be an extension of your indoor living area, buy furniture which continues your interior style instead of starting a whole new theme.

You need to have it so that it all work together rather than against each other.

A roof terrace can be easily and cheaply updated by adding lots of vibrant colour for example painting furniture in different bright colours and adding bold coloured accessories like pillows and lanterns.

If you do decide to plant a rooftop garden, bear in mind that you will need to plan carefully as some plants cannot withstand extreme exposure to sun, wind and cold. Choose more versatile, tough plants like Verbenas or coneflowers which will provide you with colour all year round.

Outdoor Room Ideas

Outdoor Living Room Furniture Guides and Ideas

When buying furniture, you may need to measure up your deck, area or patio or the area that you have selected for your new open-air room as it is important that it is all proportionate as it will just look awkward if you buy something you really like but is just too big or small for the space and will get in the way of other activities like barbeques, mowing, sunbathing and garden games.

Outdoor Room Ideas

If you have kids, consider buying folding pieces so that you can easily clear away the furniture and maximise play space.

Having patio furniture doesn't mean that you have to stick with traditional basic plastic pieces; you can now get modern polyethylene furniture which is also very durable whilst looking chic at the same time. Have it alongside warm coloured wood decking and fencing to keep it looking homely.

To add to the natural look, you can get sofas which feature all-weather weave. These are rain resistant although we do advise that you keep them covered or store them inside when you can to protect them from the harsher elements and extend their life.

If you are not planning on entertaining much and the main reason for your area is to spend time as a couple or with a best friend then you can get a weaved twin seat with a partition in the middle to put stuff on.

If you want a more multi-purpose area where you still have space but can also accommodate guests is to have an extending table.

If you are likely to have long, sociable meals then comfortable chairs are a must

Outdoor Room Ideas

For busy families, another good option is to have a solid, easy to clean, rectangular table and then a bench on either side so that you can squeeze maximum people in minimal space without the need for individual chairs.

If you are more likely to be entertaining younger children, a textured plastic outdoor dining set may be better suited than the wooden option because it is weatherproof, more durable as it is spill-proof and more scratch resistant and is generally more child friendly than the previous option.

If being compact is your main concern when looking for a dining set and you will mainly just be having dinners for two, you can get a cheap and cheerful, colourful folding bistro set. For a more sophisticated yet space saving set, you can get dining sets that can be stacked for easy storage or a square table that you can slot the two chairs neatly underneath or eve put a few together to form a modular design. For seating, you could have a sleek built-in bench which could be used as storage during the winter.

If you have some sort of overhead cover like a glass or tough plastic roofing, you can add a touch of glamour by adding a light or even certain chandeliers which are specifically made for outdoor use.

To add some more sparkle to the seating area, place a few glitzy cushions which catch the light and bring the whole look together.

Outdoor Room Ideas

Group sun loungers in a sunny spot coupled with side tables so guests can put their drinks. Nowadays, sun loungers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and so you have a lot of options instead of just sticking to the traditional deckchair.

To protect your seating area from unwanted mosquitoes when the sun starts to set (and to keep your rendezvous perfect), keeps some citronella candles or flares handy as they will help keep the bugs at bay.

A few last things to bear in mind is to keep paths and doorways clear to avoid injuries and spills, keep your furniture in top condition by investing in good covers even if they are weatherproof and consider installing a small shed or secure box where you can store any extra seating, lanterns and party tableware conveniently. Above all, enjoy your new garden!