2017 Outdoor Design Trends Are All About Functionality Meets Fun
Guest post
It’s time for outdoor living again. Are you excited? Our guest blogger Chloe Taylor is back with a few functional and fun ways to enjoy your space outdoors.
Image 1 source: pexels.com
When it comes to interior and exterior design, we have always been faced with an unfair choice: should we choose functionality, or fun? Luckily, changes in the kind of material used for furnishings have made it possible for us to transform our outdoor spaces into a fully functional extensions of our homes. Today we have amazing outdoor kitchens and backyard cinemas, and we began spending more time outside than we ever did before. This year’s trends in outdoor design will not only allow your backyard to looks like your living room, but to be as comfortable and functional too.
Outdoor kitchens
Image 2 source: pixabay.com
Dining al fresco sounds exotic and romantic, but why stop there? Why not take the entire cooking experience outside? When you prepare your meals out in the open, you will find it easier to move around because there is less furniture to begin with, and not to mention that you will keep the smells and aromas outside (which is pretty useful when you prepare barbeque, don’t you think?). You don’t have to have an entire kitchen outside, complete with refrigerators and pizza oven – you can choose your outdoor kitchen to be more of an adjunct. It’s always useful to keep your grill outside, and you can add a built-in cooler which will keep your drinks pleasantly cold.
Patio space
There is nothing better than spending quiet evenings on your front porch with a glass of wine in one hand and a good book in the other. Having a couple of chairs on your porch is outdated; today you can have stylish timber designer furniture, complete with a chunky dining table with a concrete top which is durable and elegant at the same time.
Image 3 source: concretenetwork.com
If you’re looking to create a more romantic atmosphere, you can add lovely gas lanterns whose dimmed lights will soften every edge. If your patio is not covered, think about covering it because that way you will protect the furniture.
Improvised bar
Railings are there to protect you and add more style and beauty to your porch, but even such a simple thing can be transformed into something more functional. You can turn your old railing into a ‘cocktail railing’ – just by adding a flat surface on top which will provide a place for you and your guests to use as a counter for plates and glasses while spending your time outside.
Image 4 source: knockoutmag.com
To create a shelf for the top rail, simply use a matching deck board – it will perfectly complement the deck and make great use of space at the same time. To complete the project, add some bar stools and enjoy the lovely view.
Vegetable garden
Image 5 source: balconygardenweb.com
Having lovely plants and fresh flowers in your garden is a wonderful idea, but why not turn your garden into something that is beautiful and useful? If you choose to have a vegetable garden, you will get an attractive yard (that has much less turf to maintain), and there will also be plenty of healthy and natural foods for you to use in your cooking. Vegetables need the same things flowers do: fertile soil with proper drainage and plenty of sun. You can grow lettuce, spinach, celery, basil, parsley, and rosemary and you will never run out of herbs and spices again.
Image 6 source: unsplash.com
Designers have been working hard for years in order to blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, and over time the boundaries have been moved back and forth until finally we got fully functional ‘outdoor rooms’. Forget about boundaries and get creative: you will get the best results once you find it difficult to determine where the indoors ends and the outdoors begins.
Image 7 source: slate.com
Thanks for stopping by friends. How will you enhance your outdoor space? We partner with busy homeowners to create a space that feels authentic to their lifestyle and we blog about subjects that educate and inspire.
Contact us to learn more about our products and services. You can email us at rjackson@yourdesignpartner.com or call 513-409-3759
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