Tips to improve the quality of your outdoor space and patio by
Nicole Martins
It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out just how to bring an
outdoor room together to make it a peaceful spot to relax or enjoy quality
time with friends and family. But if you think of it as yet another room
to decorate and furnish, the space will come together more easily.
Measuring and a simple site analysis
Just as you would for a room inside your home take the measurements of
your patio or outdoor room area. This most important step is essential for
scaling in comfortable sized outdoor furniture, patio accessories,
planters and such. The next step is to conduct a simple site analysis. For
this you will want to jot down factors such as the direction (north,
south, east, west) your patio is facing, prevailing winds, if any; areas
in sun or shade and any other relevant observations that will impact the
quality of people spending time in that space.
Now for the fun part, create a realistic wish list beginning with how you
would like to use your patio: to relax, to entertain friends, to
grill/barbeque, to eat outdoors, to hang out with friends and family, to
converse, etc. Now go back to your site analysis and determine, if
applicable, where you can start staging the pieces to your outdoor room.
But before you do so, here are some tips and ideas for you to consider.
Arrange patio furniture and elements thoughtfully
In order to create a comfortable space with pleasant atmosphere it is
important to consider these details: Circulation – how will people walk
through the space; Seating – where will people be sitting; Views - what
will people be looking at when sitting. For circulation, you want to
position a sitting area in a location where circulation will not pass
directly through, making the space distracting, unless you have no choice.
For creating comfortable seating for conversation, orient chairs, sofas,
and gliders towards each other, 6 to 8 feet apart; this is a comfortable
distance for talking without feeling too close. For views, you can create
focal points with trees and shrubs in the distance, or planters and
ornaments closer by.
Dealing with wind and sun
From your site analysis you have discovered information about how the wind
blows. By knowing the direction of the prevailing winds you can make some
good decisions about the placement of certain items. First, if you are
going to include a grill or barbeque be sure to locate these accessories
in a location in which the wind will carry the smoke from the cooking fire
away from the outdoor space; there’s nothing more irritating than the
uncomfortable sting of a smoky grill. Also, if you have an area with cold
wind, you can block it by creating vertical planes; this can be done by
planting trees or shrubs in the ground, or by placing them in planters
within or around a part of the patio. Fences and walls can also help. As
for sun, these same vertical planes can screen hot, late afternoon sun.
For overhead sun, retractable awnings can be a very effective way to
minimize both sun and heat. These awnings are designed to extend (open) or
retract (close) to create shade or sun options. Other ways to create shade
from the hot sun: patio umbrellas and trellises, pergolas, or arbors.
Creating a sense of enclosure
Creating a sense of enclosure is a great way to make your outdoor space
more intimate; it is also a great way to create separation and privacy
from your neighbors. Think of the walls and ceilings inside your home: the
walls are the vertical plane and the ceiling is the overhead plane.
Outdoors these vertical and overhead planes help create the foundations to
an outdoor room. While you don’t want to overdo it or completely enclose
your outdoor space, adding elements: shrubs, trees, arbors, trellises
pergolas and such in a careful way can improve the atmosphere of your
patio space.
Buying patio furniture and accessories
Once you’ve measured your outdoor space, done the site analysis and
figured out the area where you will be putting your outdoor furniture it’s
time to begin reviewing outdoor furniture and accessory options. If your
patio is very small, you may only want to buy 1 or 2 chairs or loungers
for conversation and relaxing, and a small bistro table with chairs for
snacking. If your space is large, you may be looking for a larger seating
arrangement: sofas, chairs, coffee tables, in one area and a patio set
with umbrella in another. There are many options and styles available and
you can learn more about the materials and brands available by visiting a
local patio furniture store or by shopping online. Popular furniture
materials include: outdoor wicker, teak, wrought iron, cast aluminum,
recycled plastic and casual aluminum. You can buy this furniture
individually or as a set such as a dining table complete with chairs. With
many patio furniture options to choose from you can easily create an
outdoor space that will be well used. Additional outdoor decorating
accessories such as patio lamps, fire pits, garden arbors and trellises,
and outdoor heaters fit in well to create a great atmosphere outdoors as
well as being extremely functional. For example, outdoor heaters will
greatly extend your time outside, allowing for more time to enjoy yourself
outdoors later into fall, and earlier into spring. Outdoor
fireplaces such as: chimeneas, fire pits or even a gas outdoor fireplace
create a great atmosphere and focal point, as well the opportunity to
grill, heat, or just enjoy hanging out by the fire.
About the Author
Nicole Martins is the editor of Everything Patio Furniture, a patio
furniture and accessories review site, which provides valuable tips and
information as well as great products for your outdoor space. You can
visit this site at http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com
