As well as landscaping their garden according to Lone Pine Landscapes, many people these days have an outdoor room they use for entertaining or just for the family to relax in. It enables them to get outside and enjoy the fresh air, cool evening or even a cool morning coffee before heading off to work. But for an outdoor room to really work well there are certain points that must be remembered.
- It should be close to the house and preferable close to the back door for convenience. No one wants to wander all the way down to the bottom fence if they are on a time schedule. Having it close will ensure it gets used more often.
- It needs to have a paved floor. This will save your shoes getting wet or muddy after rain and there will no need to worry about the lawn getting trampled or worn out in high traffic areas. It will also ensure more use can be had from this area. If it is not joined to the house, you’ll need a paved path to link the two for the same reason as above.
- Shelter is important, especially in the summer. It need not be anything more complicated than a table with an umbrella, a small area of shade cloth or even a bushy tree to cast shade on hot days. You may also need a wall to protect against prevailing wind if your situation is exposed to strong winds. You could also enclose it in a framework that will support a louvered roof that can open and close or a permanent roof, especially if your climate is showery.
- It needs some way to cook food. This can be a barbeque, a pizza oven or an outdoor stove, but the latter should only be installed only if you have a roof and walls to protect against the rain. You could also have a fire pit made from natural stone so it doesn’t burn out. A great place to make toast on cool evenings.
- Since you are likely to entertain in the evenings your outdoor room will need to have lighting of some kind. Whether you choose the warm ambience of yellow lamplight or cooler solar lighting is up to you. It is also possible to have outside electric lighting, but this should be done by an electrician.
- Comfortable seating is a must when you have an outdoor room, otherwise no one will be able to sit out there to relax. Keep special cushions and rugs for your outdoor room to make it even cosier on cooler evenings.
- Some kind of bench space is also essential if you are going to cook and serve food outside. You could utilise the top of a low wall, or make a special bench near to the barbeque. A table will also be necessary.