A well-designed outdoor living space can instantly expand the footprint of your home. You can add extra living space, a relaxing retreat or an outdoor entertainment and dining area.

Whether you have a large outdoor space to work with, a substantial deck, a tiny balcony or a small courtyard garden, there is so much you can do to bring the indoors out.

With cleverly chosen furniture, soft furnishings and decor, lighting and plants, you can transform your outdoor area into a special living space.

Let’s look at how you can do that.

 

How To Design Your Ideal Outdoor Living Space

First, Plan.

Before you start making any changes to your current space, take a good look at your outdoor area – its position, orientation and outlook – because this will determine how you best make use of the space you’ve got.

Familiarise yourself with where the sun and daylight fall in different parts of the garden, deck or balcony at different times of the day. Use this as your guide when you’re planning how to position your outdoor furniture.

 

Create A Space That’s As Inviting As Your Indoor Area

Your outdoor space can become an extension of your indoor living areas. But, you want to make it inviting so that people choose to use the outdoor version.

Choose stylish furniture pieces that aren't overly bulky and wouldn't be out of place in a conservatory or living room. If you’d like to use it indoors, it could be a great choice for your outdoor living area.

If you have a paved area or a deck, then this is a great choice for an outdoor living space because it has a defined area. If you don,t create that visual area with a robust, outdoor rug that can cope with a bit of dirt and a bit of weather, and group furniture around it.

Add a central coffee table or side tables for drinks, snacks and books. Voila, you've got the perfect, sociable living room set-up – just outdoors. You could also choose to fill the area with an outdoor dining table for al fresco meals.

 

Choose A Statement Piece

The best rooms in a home have a focal point: a warming fire, an inviting dining table, or a cosy couch. So, why not do the same in your outdoor ‘room’?

Consider introducing a key statement piece – such as a comfy garden daybed – to be the star of your outdoor living area. A love seat, garden bench or corner couch and stylish coffee table can have just as much impact. Choose a practical statement piece that you’ll use and love.

 

Use Plants To Enhance Indoor-Outdoor Flow

Link the indoors to your garden, deck or balcony with plants that look and feel as good outdoors as they do indoors. Large-leafed house plants by French doors or windows overlooking gardens can be echoed by using garden plants in complementing pots just outside the door. This creates a seamless connection between indoors and out.

Check out Amazing Interior’s range of pots and planters that will work as well inside your interior living spaces as they will adorning your outdoor spaces.

 

Light Up Your Nights

Lighting can transform your outdoor area – especially when working with a smaller space. Get creative with lighting and you can achieve an atmospheric, stylish and inviting outdoor living area.

Pick a variety of garden lights - like festoon lights, candles and fairy lights then layer them to create visual appeal and functionality. Try a few different ways to see which look best suits your space and needs. Amazing Interiors has a beautiful range of lighting solutions for outdoors: check out our large lanterns and hurricane lamps.

 

Add Flair To Your Outdoor Space

Now you’ve created a comfy and well-lit space, pay attention to detail with soft furnishings and accessories that will make your outdoor space feel just as inviting as if it were inside your home.

Soft furnishings can be used outdoors to create a real impact and make your outdoor living area somewhere you truly want to be. Consider robust but comfortable cushions and warming throws. A weatherproof storage trunk outdoors or one just inside the door can be an excellent solution for storing soft furnishings when the weather turns.

 

The Amazing Interiors team are just as great at designing amazing exterior living spaces as they are interior spaces. Get in touch with us today to request a free interior (in this case, exterior!) design estimate and have one of our experts guide you to create an amazing outdoor living space.