The heart of any outdoor space is a well-designed, comfortable living area serving as an extension of your home. Having an outdoor space benefits that the indoors don’t bring, and it deserves to serve a purpose. Although, it’s not easy to design a proper outdoor living area in your backyard. There are a lot of essential factors to consider, such as how big the space is and how much money you’re willing to spend to make it happen.
Since it’s such a significant investment, you want to avoid as many mistakes as possible to prevent wasting time, money, and effort. This is why it’s imperative to be aware of the most common outdoor home design mistakes.
Ignoring the fact that you have an outdoor space
No matter how small your outdoor space is, it is a luxury, and there are many ways to use it. Not everyone is lucky enough to have what you have. Some people have lived in a home with an outdoor feature but ignored it because they weren’t sure how long they’d live there, and it might feel like a waste.
The truth is, nothing is a waste if you get so much use and value out of them. It’s only worthless if you already defined it that way, even if you haven’t even done anything to make it worth it. You can think of it as you would any other room in your home. Whether you’re a renter or an owner, it’s a waste to leave it empty.
Suppose you’re not using your outdoor space because you’re not willing to spend such work and amount of money to make it livable, well. In that case, you’re not obligated to fill up the entire space. You can use it for your little pot garden if you have a tiny balcony. You can set up a small sitting area to have late-night drinks.
If you have a spacious lawn, you don’t have to fill in the entire space. You can use a portion of it to make up a dining or living area and leave the rest of the space empty. You can set aside this space for the kids to run around in or for you to do your daily exercise. Build a fence to divide your space. A wood-alternative fence can be an affordable yet sustainable, durable, and visually appealing option.
It doesn’t have to be expensive and extravagant if it’s not your style. If you have an outdoor space, take advantage of the fortune.
Forgetting that the outdoors is different from the indoors
Some passionate decorators get too carried away and get to the point that they forget that it’s an outdoor area they’re decorating. Placing a living room sofa or coffee table outdoors is not a good idea and such a waste of product because indoor furniture will break on the outdoors.
It’s okay to opt for a seamless transition, connecting your interior to your exterior rooms. However, using the same furniture is a mistake, and no one should take it any other way.
As for decorating, your outdoor living area doesn’t need as many decors as the living room inside. You don’t want the weather to ruin them. Also, don’t even think about bringing a fake plant out.
Getting not enough of too much furniture and decors
Maximizing your space is very different from overcrowding it, as well as minimizing your space is very different from not having anything at all. It is not a living area for starters if it has too limited features. It’s more of a concern if you over-clutter your space, so much so that it depreciates the luxury of having an outdoor space.
Maximizing and minimizing your space are good ideas, but you can always go for something in between. Plan your outdoor home design thoroughly to avoid any mistakes. Start small and get only what features you need. From there, you can work your way up to decorating. Don’t rush into anything. It can take time to finalize your desired home outdoor design, and that’s okay.
Neglecting spacing and arrangement
Your furniture arrangement outdoors is just as important as your furniture arrangement indoors. You should also consider scale and proportion when talking of furniture. Improperly matching sizes can make a room feel awkward and unwelcoming.
You must never forget the flow of space or traffic, and it’s one of the most important aspects of home design. You don’t want clutter where it’s supposed to be a pathway. Don’t forget to consider the spacing of each piece of furniture or feature so you can move comfortably and not like walking on eggshells because you might knock something off.
Taking advantage of the luxury of having an outdoor space takes effort and technicality to make it not only livable but convenient and comfortable. It doesn’t have to be expensive or immediate. It’s up to you how you desire your home to be. Just consider the practicality of everything to avoid any mistakes.