Upgrade Your Outdoor Living Space This Summer

Beautiful summer weather is a perfect time to start working on your outdoor living spaces. If you headed outside as soon as the weather warmed up, only to discover your outdoor living spaces aren't as ready for relaxing and entertaining as you thought they were, you're not alone. Here are a few upgrades our real estate agents recommend, ranging from easy and inexpensive, to a little more involved.

• Find a focal point.
  Just like in any room in your house, an outdoor living space should have a focal point to tie it all together. For instance, a fire pit ties together a seating arrangement nicely, or you can use your landscaping as a focal point, as in the case of a well-maintained garden. For an outdoor dining area, a well-chosen table and chairs set can act as its own focal point.
  
  
• Decorate the walls.
  Don't think that just because your outdoor living space is outdoors, you can't decorate the walls. Your "walls" may be nothing more than the exterior of your home, a fence, a hedge, or even just the open boundaries of your pergola, but they still define your space. Decorate them! Hang outdoor decor on the exterior of your house and your fence, hang curtains or netting to keep the bugs out of a covered patio, or set up planters to help establish the borders of an open concept outdoor living space.
  
  
• Spring for an outdoor rug.
  A rug can also help to define your outdoor living space. Lay down an outdoor area rug to tie together your seating area and make it feel like an actual room with real boundaries. As an added bonus, the rug will instantly make the space feel cleaner, cozier, and more like a living space than a patio.
  
  
• Offer a variety of seating options.
  If you want to get the most use out of your outdoor living space, consider designing it with a variety of seating options in mind. For example, a table and chairs provide the perfect spot to entertain or enjoy a summer evening meal with your family, while an outdoor sofa and chairs provide a place to chat with friends, enjoy a summer drink, relax, or read a book.
  
  
• Swap out cushions and pillows.
  If you're looking for a way to refresh your outdoor space for the new season but don't have a large budget to work with, there are ways to update without spending a lot on new furnishings and decor. One great way to make a space feel new again is to replace the cushions and pillows with a fresh new color or theme. By changing the prevailing color and tidying up a little, you can make your outdoor living space feel new again.
  
  
• Make your outdoor living space feel like an extension of what's indoors.
  Outdoor living spaces are popular in South Bend homes for sale, and you'll notice that they're usually set up like an extension of the home. Furniture and decor that echoes the prevailing styles inside the home is a must. Outdoor living spaces should also be designed to continue what's on the other side of the door. For instance, an outdoor dining area makes the most sense just off the kitchen or indoor dining room.

Modern, trendy features such as well-designed outdoor living spaces are one of the advantages of living in a popular, up-and-coming area such as South Bend. If you're looking for a home that better reflects your family's needs, contact us today, and we'll help you get your search started.