Did you ever watch one of the TV shows where an unsuspecting shopper is ambushed and followed home by a TV crew who then transforms his backyard into an outdoor living paradise? Well, that fantasy isn’t likely to come true, but we’re here to tell you how to achieve “outdoor rooms” like on TV in your own backyard. No matter if you have a tiny patio or an expansive backyard, you can absolutely create outdoor rooms to improve the visual experience and functional aspects of your outdoor living space.
Define Your Space
The first step to achieving outdoor rooms like on TV is to define the space. Identify what activities are to take place there and decide if it is primarily one main activity or multiple ones. A physical component such as a covered patio or a screened porch lends itself to an outdoor seating area, whereas a larger outdoor space could be divided into both a living room area and a cooking/dining area.
Indoor/outdoor rugs are a great way to define separate outdoor rooms. For your main outdoor living area, it is visually interesting to continue your interior color palette out into the outside space. This continuity is pleasing to the eye and provides a cohesive theme of color.
Provide Multiple Seating Areas in Your Outdoor Rooms
Your main outdoor living room could consist of the above-mentioned area rug to define the seating area. Place comfortable cushioned seating such as a sofa and accent chairs along with side tables and a coffee table for holding drinks and a good book. This area will be such an inviting extension to your indoor living room, you will easily transition from one to the other. You may find you spend more time in your outside space during the warmer months than you do inside! Adding new patio furniture is a great way to spruce up your outdoor space.
It is also a nice touch to provide additional seating areas in your outdoor rooms for added flexibility in the ways you can use the space. A separate bistro table and chairs for two can be a nice spot for morning coffee or an after-work cocktail. A grouping of chairs around a fire table can also be an inviting spot to adjourn to once darkness falls.
Create a Focal Point to Achieve Outdoor Rooms Like on TV
In order to achieve outdoor rooms like on TV, many designers recommend that you create a focal point in your outside living space. This could be an outdoor fireplace with surrounding seating, a gazebo-covered hot tub, a water feature, or a vine-covered trellis leading from one outdoor space to another. What a focal point does is create visual interest, providing your eye a place to rest. The surrounding furnishings and accent pieces serve to support that feature.
Create an Outdoor Cooking and Dining Area
One of the most popular ways to achieve outdoor rooms like on TV is to set up an outside space for both cooking and dining. If you only end up with two outdoor rooms, a living space and a cooking/dining area could be the two highest priorities. Your cooking area could be as elaborate as a full-scale outdoor kitchen complete with counter space, a wood fire grill, and an outdoor fridge. On the other hand, it could be as simple as a barbecue grill with a rolling cart to serve as a station to hold utensils and your platters of food.
When you set up your outdoor dining area adjacent to where you do the grilling, you will find it not only convenient but a wonderful way to stay connected with family and friends while you cook. So often, the chef is isolated from the main social gathering, stuck off on their own while everyone else has fun elsewhere. A cozy dining set with comfortable seating will invite others to sit and chat with the cook while the food is being prepared.
How to achieve “outdoor rooms” like on TV? It could be as easy as arranging your patio furniture to create “zones” for different activities such as conversing and dining. More elaborate rooms can be achieved by erecting structures such as patio covers, privacy screens, or pergolas, but you can also achieve great effects with furniture arrangements and the addition of a focal point such as a fire pit or hot tub area.
The Pool People know that when it comes to your outside living you want the very best. We are Wisconsin’s best resource for patio furniture, fire tables, grills, and more. Come see us and let’s get your transformation started.
