If you're planning a home improvement project, consider outdoor design elements that provide shelter, heat, comfort, and extra functionality to make your space enjoyable year-round. Covered decks, pergolas, fire pits, and weather-resistant furniture are all excellent ideas.
With these year-round outdoor living design elements, you and your loved ones can maximize your exterior space and enjoy being in the outdoors more instead of staying cooped up inside most of the time.
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency points out, most people already spend 90% of their time indoors. Unfortunately, indoor air can sometimes be more polluted than the outdoors.
Get the most out of your outdoor space and turn it into a relaxing haven, calming retreat, or lovely gathering area by adding the right design elements.
What Is the Meaning of Outdoor Design?
The term "outdoor design" refers to the art, science, and technical process of enhancing, arranging, or creating exterior spaces to turn them into areas that:
- Provide more purposes
- Are more sustainable
- Provide aesthetically pleasing environments
Outdoor design ideas typically combine softscapes with hardscapes. Softscapes are the living horticultural elements of landscaping, such as trees, shrubs, grass, and flowers. A hardscape, on the other hand, is an inorganic element, such as brick, concrete, stone, or paver.
What Are Common Outdoor Design Mistakes?
The outdoor space is a critical and significant component of your home's curb appeal. As an article published in the science and technology news platform, Phys.org notes, curb appeal can add an impressive 7% to home prices.
Unfortunately, failure to follow landscaping and patio design tips or making mistakes with your outdoor design can lead to a drop in your property's curb appeal. Examples of common errors include:
- Saturating small spaces with too much greenery
- Overprioritizing aesthetics over functional decor
- Making poor lighting choices
- Neglecting proper drainage
- Using inappropriate materials for your area's weather and environmental factors
- Not factoring in your home's architectural style
- Failing to factor in landscaping maintenance
What Outdoor Design Elements Can Make Spaces More Enjoyable Year-Round?
Exterior design elements that add value and bring year-round enjoyment and use go beyond being seasonal outdoor decor; they're multi-purpose, bridging the gap between beauty and utility. Here are some examples of what you should consider if you're planning a home improvement project.
Adding a Covered Deck
Make your outdoor space an extension of your home's living area by investing in a covered deck. With one at home, you can enjoy a sheltered space from environmental and seasonal elements for dining, relaxing, or gathering.
Wood is the typical material used for building decks, and they undoubtedly look great, except they're quite high-maintenance. They require routine cleaning, staining, and sealing.
An excellent alternative is composite decking, such as from TimberTech or Trex, both of which are low-maintenance materials that don't warp, splinter, or need yearly staining. Plus, the two brands have 25-year warranties (against fading and staining), according to the folks at Platinum Deck and Patio.
Installing a Pergola
Pergolas are open-air structures with four or more vertical pillars on which a flat, roof-like grid of rafters and beams sits. They enhance outdoor experience and can make exterior living spaces more enjoyable year-round as they:
- Create shaded walkways
- Serve as a covering for patios
- Allow for partial sunlight
- Give climbing plants a structure
- Define relaxing garden spaces
Some pergolas even offer motorized louvered roofs, lighting, and integrated heating. With one of these in your outdoor space, you can create a functional, comfy, and stylish retreat that lets you enjoy the outdoors, sheltered.
Putting up a Fire Pit
Transform your outdoor space into a cozy, comfortable, and functional living area year-round with a fire pit, a dedicated, contained structure designed to hold gas or wood fires for:
- Warmth
- Ambiance
- Cookouts
A fire pit can serve as your exterior living area's inviting focal point. It can encourage social gatherings and improve the space's functionality.
Opting for Weather-Resistant Furniture
Weather-resistant furniture can withstand harsh environmental and season-related elements like sun, rain, wind, and snow. It can last long and provide many years of service without fading, rusting, cracking, or rotting.
Some of the best materials to consider, not just for their aesthetics but also for their durability and environmental resistance, include:
- Aluminum: Lightweight and rust-proof, easy to maintain, and ideal for wet climates
- Teak: A high-oil hardwood that features high density and can resist insects, rot, and decay
- Synthetic wicker: Resembles natural wicker but is better at resisting UV rays, fading, and moisture
- Stainless steel: Sleek, modern-looking, and highly durable, making it ideal for heavy-duty outdoor use
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spending Time in Outdoor Spaces Benefit Your Health?
Yes, which is another good reason to invest in outdoor design elements that can encourage you and your loved ones to spend more time outside.
According to UCLA Health, spending just two hours a week outdoors, in nature, can benefit both your physical and mental health. It can help boost the immune system, improve heart health, and enhance cognitive function. It can even help you sleep better and ease your stress.
With a well-designed outdoor space embedded with nature (e.g., native plant landscaping, healthy trees, properly pruned shrubs, flowering gardens, water features) and functional decor, it'll be easy for you to spend two hours enjoying your outside space.
Do You Need a Permit for Outdoor Design Projects?
Outdoor design projects that involve structural changes and permanent fixtures often require permits. Decks are an example, and in some cases, pergolas (such as if they exceed a certain size or if you plan to integrate heating with it).
The best way to confirm whether you need a permit for your project is to check with your local municipality. If you need permits, a building contractor will usually take care of applying for and acquiring them on your behalf.
Maximize Your Exterior Space With the Right Outdoor Design Elements
From decks to pergolas and fire pits to weather-resistant furniture, these are all outdoor design elements you should consider investing in. With these additions, you can maximize the use of your home's exterior living space, enjoy it year-round, and even boost your home's value and curb appeal.
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This article was prepared by an independent contributor and helps us continue to deliver quality news and information.
