Patios, Decks and Yards – Enjoying Your Outdoor Living Space

Expanding your living space beyond the walls of your home can give you additional room and help you connect with the world around you. Here are some great ways you can decorate your outdoor spaces to make them inviting places to spend time.

A conversation space: Covered spaces make a great outdoor conversation area. Use comfortable outdoor furniture that matches your tastes to invite people to gather. There are many inexpensive options for furniture that can transform a space outside. Use outdoor fabrics to avoid damage from the weather.
Outdoor cooking: One of the best ways to bring people together is to cook. An outdoor cooking space can be as simple as a grill or as luxurious as an expansive outdoor kitchen. Make sure you have countertops or areas that can facilitate easy cooking when preparing for gatherings.
Eating space: Of course, if you’re cooking outside you may also want to eat outside. A bistro table with tall chairs is great for a party of two. For larger groups, have a table with an umbrella to ward off the hot sun.
Games: To provide fun for all ages, create an outdoor area fit for fun games. Cornhole is a popular game that doesn’t need anything more than beanbags and two goals. You can build these yourself or buy them easily. If you want something more permanent, build a semi-traditional bocce ball court. If crushed seashells aren’t available, use pea gravel or sand.
Fire pit: After dark, your conversation area could turn into a fun place to gather around a fire. You can build a fire pit in your yard using bricks or natural stone from the landscape. Otherwise, commercially available braziers are available at all price points. Make sure you have sticks to roast marshmallows.