How happy are we to be getting back to a more normal life? Pandemic life has not been a fun one. But there is one thing it has taught us, and that is to be prepared with all the things we need to enjoy the comforts of our own home.
With Summer officially making its arrival in a few days, let’s highlight a very important part of our home during these hot days ahead. The Backyard. Making this space a useable transition of your home can be easy. Here’s how!
Create a Focal Point
Just as you would in an interior space, plan your design around a focal point. Whether you choose a piece of furniture or a fixed area such as a pool, working with a focal point is an excellent way to centre your design and you can use this to also pull a colour scheme.
Brighten Up With Bistro Lights
Not just for the great outdoors, bistro lights are a budget-friendly, easy DIY addition that’ll add magical sparkle and illumination so you can keep the party going late into the night.
Consider the Flow
Determining furniture placement in your backyard is just as important as planning out your indoor living areas. Consider how you’ll place outdoor furnishings so they create a visually interesting grouping when viewed from inside. Also, think about where you’ll want to sit to best enjoy the views of your backyard. And, don’t forget to leave enough space for your family and guests to comfortably move around. On average, you need about 30-36 inches between pieces of furniture for ease of movement.
Make It Furry-Friendly
Indoor/outdoor furniture, fabrics and rugs are not only durable, they’re also nearly pet-proof so don’t worry if your furkids decide the screened porch is also their favorite hang-out. Performance fabrics, like Crypton and Sunbrella, offer moisture-, stain- and fade-resistance that cost more initially but pay for themselves in durability over the long run while most indoor/outdoor rugs are woven from polypropylene, a plastic, so they’re easy to keep clean, too, with just a quick rinse from the hose.
Choose Durable Decking
Composite decking, made from recycled wood fibers, plastic and a binding agent, is a nearly maintenance-free flooring. While typically more expensive than natural wood decking, this material eliminates any worries of cracks or splinters, and the color is part of the material, so there’s no need to paint or restain every few years.
And, All-Weather Furniture
Manufactured from strips of polyethylene resin woven over a lightweight aluminum frame, synthetic wicker furniture is a budget-friendly option that’s also easier to maintain than the real deal. As a man-made material, the color is part of the highly flexible polyethylene strips so, unlike traditional, natural rattan furniture where the color is only on the surface, fading isn’t a concern. Essentially a plastic, it’s also waterproof and sun- and temperature-resistant so, unlike natural wicker, this type of furniture can be left outside year-round. And clean-up is a snap: just hose it down, or give it a good scrub with a brush to loosen up stubborn stains.
And, Consider Your Entertainment Needs
A widescreen TV in your screened porch? Sure, why not! Just be sure to position it far away from the screened walls to prevent any moisture damage. If a TV is too much for your taste, then opt for some outdoor speakers to have the tunes playing all night long!
