Home Design Tips To Elevate Your Outdoor Space

It’s that time of the year when preparing your outdoor space for the summer, is on everyone’s “to do list”. With good exterior design, you can carry the indoors out, while bad exterior designs can often leave your home feeling unfinished. Exterior areas are often the spaces where you’ll host birthday celebrations or barbeques with your friends and family, so you want them to be functional and look beautiful. Thorough planning and thoughtful design help you create an outdoor space that makes the most of warm days and cool evenings.

To elevate your outdoor home design, you need to consider both the pretty and the practical. Read on to learn how to design an outdoor space that fulfills your needs and highlights your design style.

Add Warmth Through Decorative Lighting

On a practical level, outdoor spaces become useless as soon as the sun goes down unless you have adequate exterior lighting. Your first goal when lighting outdoor spaces is to create light paths for you and your guests to travel along when leaving or entering your home. These paths guide your feet to prevent painful falls or squashed landscaping.

The second goal is to ensure everyone can see each other when seated outside. Install lights above or below seated eye level so you won’t have to squint to make eye contact with your guests.

Cool white and daylight bulbs feel clinical in the outdoors because your eye is used to seeing the warm-toned light from the sun. Opt for warm white bulbs to create a gentle and inviting atmosphere.

Follow these lighting guidelines to ensure your exterior lighting is functional and beautiful:

• Use ground lights to brighten paths and low-lying landscaping.
• Hang string lights around pergolas, rafters, or trees to create a soft and whimsical appearance.
• Place lanterns on side tables for peaceful and practical light around seating areas.

Create An Outdoor Dining Space

Instead of limiting yourself to outdoor lounging areas, add an outdoor dining area to increase the functionality of the space.

If you want to design a flexible space, you can switch out the dining chairs on the sides of the table for long benches. Add bench cushions to keep the seating comfortable and to add color or pattern to the area.

Keep the dining table well-lit with a statement pendant light to make sure everyone can see what they’re eating. To vary the look of the area to match different occasions, invest in several tablecloths and table runners that you can mix and match.

Soften The Area With A Rug

Area rugs are frequently overlooked when designing outdoor spaces, but they’re often the thing that ties the rest of the furniture together and softens the harshness of exterior flooring.

Outdoor rugs are made from hardy, durable materials that can withstand the Florida sun. The thick fibers used to make outdoor rugs are also a source of texture, keeping the design feeling dimensional and intriguing.

When choosing an outdoor rug, look for something large enough that at least the front feet of your seating options can rest on the rug. This rug size helps the area feel large and open, while it grounds and connects the furniture pieces.

Vary Furniture Heights

When decorating outdoor spaces, homeowners often fall into the trap of using furniture that all sits at the same height. And although the effect is subtle, you can’t help but feel bored with the space.

Varying your furniture heights is one of the best ways to create a space that feels thought-out and intentional. Generally, choose tables and surfaces that sit above or below your seating options, and choose tall lighting options and pot plants to keep the space from feeling heavy.

Try out these ideas to play around with your outdoor furniture elevation:

• Use side tables that are shorter than the armrests of your outdoor seating.
• Try a coffee table that sits higher than your seating.
• Lift the eye with a tall standing lamp or a potted tree.

Play Around With Textiles

Textiles are your secret weapon in an exterior area. Pillows, throw blankets, and even curtains will transform an entertainment area into a private oasis. You can use these pieces to influence the color scheme of the space, keeping it classic with neutrals or having fun with bolder tones.

Choose durable fabrics that have a lot of texture to them. This ensures they hold up over time and are less likely to look aged if you snag a thread or two.

Because outdoor seating is designed to be robust and durable, the pieces can be less comfortable than their indoor counterparts. Layer your textiles to increase the cozy factor and keep your outdoor seating comfortable.

Create Flexibility With Multifunctional Furniture

Multifunctional furniture widens your options when entertaining guests. For example, using a firm ottoman as a coffee table gives you additional seating options. Similarly, outdoor sofa beds transition the space from a comfy sitting area to a relaxing lounging area in seconds.

Outdoor spaces are rarely abundant with storage options. To increase the functionality of the space, use furniture that doubles as storage to hold throw pillows or blankets when they aren’t in use. Using furniture with hidden storage helps you keep the space organized and easy to set up.

The flexibility of multi-functional pieces directly influences the flexibility of your outdoor space. If you want a versatile area that can easily accommodate different types of social gatherings, numbers of guests, and activities, multi-functional furniture is the way to go.

Remember The Finishing Touches

Furniture, lighting, and textiles almost paint the full picture – but they’re missing a key component: decor.

Home accessories isn’t limited to your indoor spaces, and can even be more effective when used outdoors. Finish off your exterior design with decor pieces that reflect your personality and interests.

If you aren’t sure how to finish off your exterior spaces, try the following:

• Place a sculptural bowl in the center of your exterior coffee table to hold fruit or other snacks when entertaining.
• Switch out planter pots for something colorful or patterned to add subtle personality to the space.
• Hang a wall sculpture and use interesting lighting angles to call attention to the piece at night.
• Place wooden or marble trays on your side tables to add some texture and make it easy to carry used plates, mugs, and glasses back to the kitchen.

Elevate Your Outdoor Home Design With Designer’s Mark

If you’re ready to upgrade your home design in your outdoor spaces, you’re in the right place. Designer’s Mark makes it easy to style and decorate your entire home, inside and out. We curate high-quality pieces that’ll stand the test of time and remain stylish for years to come.
To learn more about our Interior Design Showroom, contact us at 561-961-4149 today.

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