Having plenty of entertaining space at home is important — especially if you have a large family or like to host parties. While an updated kitchen and living room area are key, it’s also important to have an outdoor living space in which to throw parties, have cookouts, or just kick back and relax when the weather is nice.
It’s not enough to simply put an outdoor dining set in your backyard and call it a day. A true outdoor living space involves constructing a beautiful area that’s an extension of your home. Whether you choose a raised deck, a patio, or a luxurious outdoor kitchen, there are plenty of outdoor living space design ideas to help you create an area that fits your family and your lifestyle.
3 Great Outdoor Living Space Design Ideas
Get Creative with Deck Designs
What differentiates a deck from a patio? You’ll want a deck if you don’t have a level yard or want a boost to take advantage of a fantastic view. One of the most important design elements of your new deck will the railings. This is because they’re the most visible part of the deck, but it’s also because the railings are what will potentially come between you and your view. If you built your deck with views in mind, choose railings that will fade into the background as you gaze out at the ocean or surrounding forest.
If privacy is what you need, a more solid railing material will do the trick. You can also install planters around the railings and plant them with decorative vines that will grow up and obstruct the view of peeping neighbors while still allowing natural light and breezes to flow through.
There’s no reason that a deck has to simply be a rectangle. If your house will accommodate a wraparound style, you can maximize your deck flow and space by expanding it all the way — or even just part of the way — around your home.
Picking the Perfect Patio
Unlike a deck, a patio is built level to the ground. Outdoor living space design ideas for a patio include installing a colorful stained concrete slab, flagstones, and pavers, or even pea gravel for a beautiful, Old World look. While traditional patio designs featured a dining table and seating, many homeowners today are opting for a more laid-back seating arrangement with lounge chairs surrounding a low table or built-in fire pit.
While a shady backyard is the ideal setting for your next gettogether, we’re not all blessed with ample foliage on our property. If your new patio area will be targeted by the blazing sun in the dead of summer, consider constructing a pergola over it. It can have more of a traditional design or it can be clean and contemporary — and you can have it built to let in as little or as much sun as you like, depending on the thickness and closeness of the beams on top. The most wonderful thing about a pergola is that you can erect planters near each of the pillars and grow gorgeous flowering vines that will move over the structure and hang down from above.
An Amazing Outdoor Kitchen
The pièce de résistance of all outdoor living space design ideas is an outdoor kitchen. There are no limits to what you can include in your outdoor cooking space. You can do a simple grill with gas burners or bump it up to one with an additional flat cooktop surface. Barbecue aficionados will want a smoker so that they can get their brisket and pork ribs just right. For a little pizza pizazz, why not have a wood-burning oven installed?
No one wants to keep running back inside to grab things, so a refrigerator is a truly helpful part of any outdoor kitchen. Even if you only use it to store extra drinks for when your kids or guests get thirsty, it will save you a lot of hassle. For easy cleanup, include an outdoor sink. Most importantly, don’t forget ample counter space for prep and organization while you grill those tasty steaks.
The universe of outdoor living space design ideas is as endless as the ones for indoors. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and aren’t sure where to start — or if you know exactly where you’d like to begin — set up a consultation to speak with a design expert who can help you get started on your amazing new outdoor space.
At Malek Construction, our team works hard to make you feel right at home. Looking for some great outdoor living space design ideas? Contact us and we’ll help you build your dreams.
