Fitting Outdoor Space with Furniture
Everyone needs a peaceful place to go and relax or enjoy quality time with friends and family…
Now that you have an outdoor space, let’s make some improvements. Everyone needs a peaceful place to go and relax or enjoy quality time with friends and family and we’re going to help you create just that
If you have to start from scratch, as my father did, then you may feel that this is an overwhelming task. However, not having a patio, or deck to work with gives you the benefit of placing your outdoor space anywhere you so wish. On the other hand, you will have to create such an area.
To create a comfortable space that has a pleasant atmosphere you have to consider the following details:
- Circulation: The space people have to walk through the area. To create proper circulation, position the sitting area in a location where people will not have to walk directly through. Sometimes due to limited space, you have no choice.
- Seating: This is how and where people will sit. Comfortable seating arrangements to be used for conversation you want to place chairs, sofas, gliders, ect, facing each other and approximately 6 to 8 feet apart. If this space it too large for your area, then close in the space however you do not want to make people feel as if they are too close.
- View: This is what you or your guest will be looking while sitting. If your outdoor room doesn’t have a scenic view, you can create focal points using trees and shrubs planted in the distance. If this is impossible, then consider using planters and ornamental plants, and outdoor accessories.
HOW TO PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR HOME RETREAT
Whether or not you have a patio or deck to work with, you have to measure the area. This is a very important step and is necessary for balancing in comfortable sized outdoor furniture, accessories, planters, and any other items you so wish to have in your outdoor space.
If you are creating your area, and do not have a patio or deck that you will be using, then you will need to mark off the area using either a garden hose, or bright colored spray paint to set your boundaries.
Once you have your measurements, you next want to do a simple site analysis. To do this, you have to take into consideration such factors as
- the direction your patio is facing, such as north, east, south or west,
- the direction of the prevailing winds in your area.
In addition, if you live in a sunny or shady area you have to consider how this will affect the quality of time people spend time enjoying your outdoor space. For example, will the shade draw more bugs making it miserable to sit out in your area, or does the blazing sun make it impossible to enjoy this area during the heat of the day?
If you do not already have patio furniture that you plan to use in this area, then you will want to create a realistic wish list.
- To start with, set a budget, and then decide how you plan to use this area and the furniture.
- Are you going to use it to relax, entertain friends, grill or barbeque, eat outdoors, or simply spend time with friends and family, or do you plan to do it all?
- Once you have created your wish list, go to your site analysis, and decide, where you will place the pieces in your outdoor room, keeping in mind the sun, wind, views ect.
By doing a site analysis, you know such vital information as the direction the wind blows. This will help you place certain items such as a grill or barbeque. You do not want it position an area that will permit the wind to carry smoke from the cooking fire to where people will be sitting. In addition, this information will tell you the best place to plant tress or shrubs to block cold wind, you can also use fences, walls, or pergola to help. To block the heat of the sun, these same items can be used as a heat screen for late afternoon sun.
To reduce or block overhead sun, consider using retractable awnings, which will reduce the heat drastically. These awnings are designed to extend or open and retract or close creating the desired amount of shade or sun. Some other solutions to block or reduce the amount of sun is to use patio umbrellas, trellises, pergolas, or arbors.
