7 things to Consider before starting on your outdooR design project
As spring and summer draw near, we are all craving more time in the great outdoors — relishing the breeze through our hair and the sun on our skin. If you have a beautiful deck or patio space to enjoy, you may be itching to ditch the indoors for more outdoor living time.
If your outdoor space is not all you dream it could be, however, we have several suggestions to help bring it up to par. Make plans now so that when the winter weather is behind you, you’ll have a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy.
Design is a process. Before making decisions about furnishings and decor for your outdoor space, it’s important to consider several critical factors.
1. Determine The Functionality Needed
The very first consideration toward creating the ideal outdoor space — whether it be a large backyard, or a condo balcony — is to determine how you want to use the space. Function should drive all decisions about outdoor elements (indoor, too!). Here is a list of some of the many activities you may want to pursue in your outdoor space:
Relaxing, reading, napping
Outdoor games and activities
Playing with pets or children
Cocktail hour and conversation
Dining — for how many?
Entertaining — for how many?
Bird watching or nature immersion
Patio gardening
Cooking
Watching TV
The more activities you hope to do in your outdoor space, the more critical a proper furniture layout becomes. Be sure to check out our design services if you’d like help creating a functional outdoor space.
2. Consider The Orientation
Be mindful of the orientation of your outdoor space relative to the direction and angle of the sun during the months you will be using that space. Note what times of day certain areas have full sun or full shade — of course, that will be different in the spring, at the summer solstice, in late summer, and in the early fall. Be mindful of where the sun is the hottest and where breezes can be the strongest.
Also, pay attention to where sunrises and sunsets can be viewed or whether particular angles allow sight lines to the most appealing views of nature. And don’t forget about other adjacency concerns. Can traffic noise or sound from neighbors be heard in specific spots? Are bugs or insects more bothersome in certain areas? Can you see your neighbor’s car-lined driveway from certain angles?
Both the desired functionality and the space orientation will impact decisions about furniture finishes and the spatial arrangement of furnishings. Consider whether furniture choices and seating arrangements will allow for conversation and socializing.
Generally, if you wish to entertain, you will want furniture pieces to face one another. Make sure furniture is spaced close enough to comfortably have a conversation.
If you are planning outdoor dining furniture, capacity can be simple to compute: a six-foot rectangular table will seat approximately six people, an eight-foot table — eight people, etc. A 48” round can seat four to five, and a 60” round table can seat six to eight.
Weather is also a very strong consideration in choosing finishes for outdoor furniture. Wood (often teak), all-weather wicker, or metal (often aluminum) are both good choices for outdoor furniture frames that will stand up well to weather conditions. Outdoor fabrics that can withstand the elements without fading or decaying are widely available, if your outdoor furniture will be exposed to heavy rain or unrelenting sun, we highly recommend the use of high-quality furniture covers or opting for furniture pieces that do not include fabric-covered cushions.
When arranging furniture outdoors, try orienting pieces to allow views to the most pleasing features of your space or of nature. Also, consider how the outdoor setup will impact the view from inside the home. For example, you may want to use a large umbrella to shade a seating area, but when viewed from inside, you can see the mechanicals of the umbrella and it blocks your view of the sunset (or similar).
3. Consider All Weather Conditions, Including When Your Outdoor Space Will Not Be In Use
There is a lot to think about here. In addition to temperature considerations, it is also important to consider rainfall, wind, and off-season conditions. If you are selecting hardscape flooring, think about slipperiness when wet, and how it will be treated during the winter. If kids or pets will be walking on an outdoor surface throughout the year, will the material tolerate salt and de-icer?
When selecting hardscape materials, consider the need for permeable surfaces that allow rainwater to seep into the ground versus impermeable surfaces that cause rainwater runoff. Some municipalities may have maximum square footage or percentages of total lot area allowed to be covered in non-permeable surfaces, such as concrete. Your home and driveway already count as impermeable surfacing, so find out from your local building department whether additional non-permeable surfacing can be added. Or opt for stone or brick pavers with gaps between or wood decking with spaces between planks. These options allow water to seep through to the soil below, reducing rainwater runoff.
Make sure patio pots are sufficiently heavy and stable so they won’t tip over with strong wind gusts. Select plants that match the sun condition requirements for the desired placement. If you plan to use fake plants, always choose ones that are native to your area. You want the benefits of a fake plant, but you never want it to look fake!
4. House Entry Considerations
Always remember to consider the connection of your outdoor living space with the adjacent entry to your home. If pets, children, or even adults will be active outdoors, is there a way to ensure they will not bring dirt or mud in from the outdoor space when they enter? In the winter, are there accommodations for snow gear, coats, and gloves? And is there an accommodation for pets coming in with snowy or muddy feet?
We always recommend incorporating well-designed drop zones to collect wet towels, shoes, pool bags, wet snow gear, and other outdoor gear to protect your indoor space. If you are fortunate enough to plan for these considerations pre-construction, you may consider adding a portico over entries to accommodate seasonal challenges as pets and people enter from the outdoors.
5. Lighting Needs
If you plan to utilize your outdoor spaces after the sun goes down (and you probably do!), you will need to include one or more outdoor light sources. This can include a hard-wired, permanently installed outdoor fixture, such as a ceiling light on the underside of a framed overhang or a wall sconce on the exterior wall of your home. Your home may already be equipped with an outdoor sconce by the backdoor or some spotlights under the eaves.
You’ll want to plan lighting for the area itself and for any pathways from your home to the outdoor space.
Other outdoor lighting options include low-voltage sources that are plugged into an outdoor outlet, such as string lights that can be strung up to the underside of a pergola or canopy. String lights are inexpensive and available in a wide variety of styles and colors. If you have a covered patio or overhead structure, a lighted ceiling fan may be a good option. The cool breeze can add comfort and deter pesky bugs.
Make sure to select lighting fixtures approved for outdoors installations. Any 120-volt lighting will need to be installed by a licensed electrician, and lines extending away from the house will need to be buried or encased in conduit. Low voltage options are plugged directly into an outdoor outlet and do not require any additional safety precautions. Low-voltage lighting includes a transformer that converts the voltage to a lower and safer level. Another option for outdoor lighting is solar-powered lights that require no wiring or cords. A solar-powered fixture is placed outdoors (often as a spike into the ground) and its photovoltaic cell collects power from the sun by day to emit light after dark.
Outdoor lighting not only provides ambient lighting so you can effectively use your outdoor space, but it also provides lovely accent lighting that highlights the beauty of the outdoor space when viewed from indoors. When positioning outdoor lighting, do consider the view from the indoors looking out. Exterior lighting that highlights outdoor features, such as an ornamental tree or bush, can enhance your home’s nighttime aesthetic.
6. Other Outdoor Amenities
If you want to fully enjoy all aspects of an outdoor living space, consider other desirable amenities. This might include a grill, a bar, an outdoor kitchen, a heater, fire pit, a misting system, a spool or spa, or a fountain.
As you can see, there is much to consider when planning for an outdoor space design before you even begin to think about furnishings and decor. If you need help creating a fabulous outdoor living space, we’d love to help you! Fill out a Project Inquiry Form today.
Happy designing!
xoxo,
Jen
