With the ever increasing prices of property it is sometimes necessary to adapt rather than move if you are looking to create more living space. No matter if you are looking for a place to relax or something more functional you could use areas of your yard and bring the indoors out.

There are many advantages in using your deck or patio as extra living space and one of the best reasons is that it is a great place to entertain friends and family. You are less likely to worry about people dropping anything on your carpets, knocking over precious ornaments or staining your white cotton sofa.

You are not limited to new furniture for your patio to relax and watch TV when creating an outdoor space. Having a barbecue is not the only type of cooking that you can do outside. There are many wonderful outdoor kitchen designs that will include everything that you are used to when using an indoor kitchen, plus more. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a large home, most kitchens are never as big as we would like, but by using all the empty space in your yard will ensure that you have the kitchen of your dreams.

The atmosphere of an outdoor area is always more relaxing especially when you add candles or patio lighting. Plants placed in the right position will caste haunting shadows as the candles flicker in the wind. If you don’t intend to use your new area for entertainment you will enjoy the solitude that it allows. As you can see no matter what your reason is, extending your living space into your backyard is a great idea.

An outdoor living room is a space that you design outside that can be used for relaxation, family gatherings, or outdoor parties. They are typical in areas where the weather is mild throughout most of the year and use furnishings that can take a beating from the occasional rainstorm and the bright summer sun. Outdoor living rooms can be elaborate with fireplaces, bars, and expensive furnishings or simple with some wicker chairs and metal tables. The key focus should be conversation, comfort, and fun.

You can create your outdoor living room on an existing porch, deck, or incorporated into your backyard. Think about your seating options first when creating your outdoor living room. Look for furniture pieces that are made of weatherproof wood, wicker, or metal with removable cushions. If you’re not sure if your outdoor living room furniture is weatherproof, you can spray paint them with a sturdy, exterior paint.

The best kind of outdoor furniture can be used with or without the cushions. You can also buy or make your own removable slipcovers for your outdoor furniture. Removable slipcovers are essential for your outdoor furniture because you can more easily take them off and wash them in the washer rather than having to clean the entire cushions.

Arrange your outdoor furniture in an inviting and cozy manner that encourages conversation. Group your outdoor chairs and sofas in a way that everyone can see each other. Add some cocktail tables to the side of each chair and place a large coffee table in the middle for easy access to snacks and drinks. You can purchase some really beautiful full-sized outdoor rugs now that can withstand mild weather, sun, and temperature changes.

Accessorizing your outdoor living room should include plenty of tall pillar candles throughout the entire space and grouped together on platters surrounded by stones, shells, or flowers. Add some beautiful potted flowers all around the perimeter of the space, creating a sort of invisible wall around the area. If you have a deck railing you can hang window boxes all around with blooming flowers bursting out of them. Create a sense of height with potted trees, tall wooden tables, or trellises. Add some interesting garden accessories, such as metal birdcages, colorful pots, or even a metal baker’s rack.

Finally, add some sights and sounds that will get all of your senses working in your outdoor living room. Most outdoor living spaces are used at night when the heat of the day has cooled down, so make sure to have plenty of ambient lighting. Wrap rope lights around the decking, string lights in the trees, use decorative tiki torches, or use plenty of lighted candles. You can even add a floor lamp for reading. Bring a portable radio outside or invest in an outdoor stereo system using hidden rock speakers. Add some wind chimes for those quiet breezy nights and just enjoy your outdoor surroundings as a great way to wind down after a hectic day.

An Inexpensive Way to Add WOW to your Backyard

Love the idea of a gazebo in your backyard but fear the high cost? Relax! You can have the gazebo of your dreams at a cost that won’t bust your budget.

You can build your gazebo frame from wood using an inexpensive ready made kit, but for a relatively inexpensive gazebo with less maintenance worries than wood, consider an aluminum model. Aluminum gazebos come in every design from your basic four walls and roof to elaborate Oriental pagoda styles.

The aluminum tubing and struts used in gazebo building is lightweight. Aluminum gazebo frames can be folded and are very easy to install. Because aluminum is much lighter than wood, you can move your aluminum gazebo from one location in your yard to another with very little effort. Aluminum is immune to rot or rust as well and is resistant to humidity and extremes of temperature while being very strong and sturdy. Aluminum can also support screens or canopies to provide shade.

If you are more interested in a DIY project, you can make your gazebo walls from any material you choose. Many people love the look of wood lattice gazebo sides, especially if roses, mandevilla, clematis or other climbing vine or flowering greenery is planted at the base and allowed to use the lattice as a base on which to grow. However, remember that if you choose wood lattice, you will need to paint the lattice every so often, and this can be a chore. Lattice that works well for gazebos is also now available in plastic at many home improvement stores and online.

If you want to have just the gazebo frame of wood or aluminum, you can also use fabric for the gazebo sides and give it a definitive romantic touch. Many people have had great success using screens or mosquito netting curtains that can be taken down periodically and washed. Also, there’s also a powder coating you can apply to aluminum that creates a bamboo-like appearance.

Far less expensive than traditional screening, mosquito curtains can be hung using a combination of Velcro, curtain hooks, or curtain tracking. You will also be able to remove the mosquito netting curtain in minutes and enjoy a good old fashioned open porch whenever you choose.

If you opt to build your gazebo with solid walls you can customize it by installing windows or even French doors that allow you a view of the outside while keeping you safe from weather and bugs.

With outdoor living rooms becoming such a hot trend, a gazebo is a perfect way to pull your outdoor living space together and create a room that your family will love and use.