Your home is an escape from the stresses of work and worry. But the comfort of home isn’t reserved only for indoors. The ability to sit outside and relax after a long day is a blessing within your reach. By learning how to create a perfectly cozy outdoor space, you can extend the warmth of home just a little bit more.
Match Moods
One key factor in seamlessly blending your outdoor living space with your home is to make the outdoor space feel like an extension rather than an addition. You can do this in part by matching the aesthetic of your indoor living area. For example, low-lying outdoor furniture on top of a natural fiber rug could accompany a Bohemian-style living room that incorporates a mix of low-level seating and neutral colors. That way, the mood stays consistent regardless of where you find yourself.
Create Some Ambience
Setting up your outdoor area for an intended purpose requires proper lighting. There are three main types of lighting to consider when you’re decorating your outdoor living space:
- Ambient: The primary source of light responsible for setting an area’s mood
- Task: Typically aimed at specific areas where tasks are done (reading, writing, et cetera)
- Accent: Guides the eye to a center point in the room
If you’re aiming to create a cozy nook in which you and your guests can converse, ambient lighting can bring in the low, warm, soothing glow of an intimate café. Creating a reading area typically relies on task lighting to allow you to focus on reading a novel or writing in a journal. An outdoor space such as a theater will use accent lighting to lead guests to a specific location.
Using various strategies also affects how you feel in the space. Having a few accent lights to highlight the furniture and guests darkens the background and provides a more personal feel, while bright lights open up the space for moving around.
Maintain Your Furniture
Outdoor furniture is indeed built to withstand the harsh conditions of weather and nature. However, to increase the longevity of your outdoor living space, it’s a good idea to bring things back inside before a big storm. Understanding how to maintain your rugs and couches reduces the time they’re at the mercy of Mother Nature and prevents damage to your addition.
Knowing how to create a perfectly cozy outdoor space will take you a step closer to your ideal outdoor paradise. Whether you’re sipping coffee with guests or watching a movie with family, you’ll make it even harder to want to leave home by putting a few of these tips to good use.
