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. see:
http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com/
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.
|
