Get the most from your outdoor room no matter it's size, shape, or position and enjoy all the feels of the great outdoors in complete comfort and style. A comfortable garden will make for a comfortable house on the whole, and a comfortable house provides security, stress relief and a place to be completely yourself.
“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”
–Henry David Thoreau
Patio Perfection
It's easy to use your patio more often when you have some patio furniture that not only looks good but feels good too. Steer clear of bare metal unless it's shaped to suit your body or you plan on adding lots of layered cushions. Use chair pads on stone or timber furniture and consider adding a soft footstool (the knitted pouffes in an outdoor resistant cord look fab) to extend your lounging hours. So many styles of outdoor chairs and loungers look great, but it's sure worth taking a seat to test drive their comfort compatibility with how you like to live in your outdoor room.
Decorate the floor whist adding softness and colour with some outdoor rugs, which can be made weather resistant but still cosy underfoot. Use one big one that sits under the front feet of your biggest pieces of furniture, or layer smaller rugs for pattern and interest, similarly catching as much furniture on them to define the space as one for cosiness.
And if a patio space isn't big enough, is rotten or mouldy, or is not taking best advantage of a view you might want to consider taking on a bigger project and building a veranda to elevate that outdoor room in more ways than one.
Here's to the outdoor room for extending the usable space in our homes for work, rest, play and, most importantly, rejuvenating through connection with nature.
Light, Sound & Climate Control
Often overlooked in garden spaces, lighting, sound, and heating or cooling can make or break the comfort factor of your outdoor room altogether. No-one wants to be too hot, too cold, too dark, too bright, or the worst case scenario - the whole family attached to their devices with headphones on, ignoring each other!
Bring everyone together - singing or conversing - enjoying the space with music controlled from one device through an outdoor speaker system. Have controllable light levels with various lighting options like overhead pendants, decking lights, string lighting or spotlights angled up trees or statement features within the surrounding gardens. And control warmth with a stand-up patio heater, fire pit, snuggly blankets, or an outdoor fan, roll-up opaque shade blinds, or built in windows.
Design and technology have come a long way in offering user friendly, durable and good looking gear to deck out even the most luxe comfortable outdoor rooms to embrace the best of indoor/outdoor living.
Scent As Stress Relief
Even the way the garden smells can make a difference to how comfortable the space is. Whether you have flowering plants like Jasmine or Gardenia nearby that fill the space with a scent that makes you take a big breathe of 'ahhhh,' or you fake it till you make it with scented candles, reed or oil diffusers, or incense - scent can be the perfect finishing touch. Match your scents to the season to set the scene - pumpkin pie and caramel in Autumn, pine and cranberry at Christmas, and lime and coconut in Summer, for example.
With all these elements in sync, your outdoor room will be a magnet for the most comfortable
celebrations, study, family or solo time anywhere in the whole house!
Enjoy.
x
