Image by Jesse Bridgewater from Pixabay
An outdoor living room gives you a place to enjoy fresh air while spending time with family and friends, gathering around a fire or watching a movie. When you have this type of outdoor living space, you can make it as comfortable as possible with the right design. Use the following tips to help you come up with the ideal outdoor living room for your home.
Consider the Layout
One of the first decisions to make about your outdoor living room is the kind of layout it should have. This depends in part on the size of this space and the layout of your yard. For example, you might want to consider a rectangular outdoor living room, which offers a more spacious feel overall if you plan on having guests over often or if you have a large family. However, a square layout or even a rounded one might work better if you’re aiming for a cozier atmosphere.
Select a Style
The style you choose for your outdoor living room should go with the rest of your home’s overall style. A vintage-style outdoor living room might look out of place next to your modern or contemporary home, for example. A rustic outdoor living room might work just fine if your home has a more naturalistic or eco-friendly design.
Choose the Right Furniture
The furniture for your outdoor living room should provide comfortable seating while adding visual appeal. Look for upscale couches, loveseats, armchairs and side tables that match the style you’ve decided on for this area. Keep in mind that you’ll need to get furniture made specifically for outdoor use to protect it from rain and other outdoor elements, especially if your outdoor living space is uncovered.
Decide on a Fireplace
Adding a fireplace or a fire pit to your outdoor living room means you can enjoy it more often, even on cooler evenings and nights. You can have an outdoor stone or brick fireplace installed at one end of your outdoor living room, or have one built in the middle of it. A central fireplace or fire pit can have built-in seating around it on all sides where you and your family and friends can gather.
Weigh Your Entertainment Options
You can add entertainment to your outdoor living room with a state-of-the-art sound system for music and movies. Whether you simply add a big-screen TV to one wall or invest in an outdoor theater setup, your outdoor living room can provide you and your family or friends with hours of enjoyment.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
