This article is sponsored by, Residential Designed Solutions, Inc.

Create an outdoor room to extend your living space
Enjoying conversation and a meal with friends and family on a nice summer evening around a warm fire is one of the reasons many of us vacation to far off destinations but there is no reason to spend money on travel when you can easily enjoy this lifestyle in your own backyard.

Your home does not have to stop at your back door; you can easily create an outdoor room to enjoy al fresco living and dining on any budget.

Whether you have a small patio or a large backyard the secret to designing your outdoor retreat is to create a master plan and implement it in steps that suit your budget. The first step is to decide where to place this new living space. Ideally it should be a natural extension of the family living area and should also be able to enjoy any views or natural features found on your property. Additionally, you should make a list of what activities the space must accommodate. It will usually have multiple uses such as entertaining, outdoor cooking and dining, playing games, reading, etc.

Defining this terrace room can be accomplished with carefully designed landscaping, planted containers with taller “anchors” on the corners, and perhaps a covered roof or a pergola structure to define the ceiling. It isn’t necessary to have the roof feature but it does allow the room to be used when the sun is beating down or during a light rain. For those who need increased privacy adding a lattice trellis softened by colorful climbing plants and appropriately scaled shrubs should do the trick. Again, I should emphasize that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to create this space. Adding some comfortable furniture, a grill with prep surface close by, and a portable fire pit or chiminea will create an inviting outdoor space.

So let’s look at some of the options:

Shelter: If the budget allows a covered porch that is ideal but another option is a pergola or arbor. Pergolas and arbors are similar in that they are usually cloaked in climbing flowering plants, but pergolas are also beautiful by themselves as a piece of architecture, while an arbor is usually just built out of lattice work. Also common are the gazebos and sun awnings. If insects are a problem then the open porch can have hidden screens built into the porch trim that can be lowered at the touch of a remote.

Hearth: Central to most terrace rooms is the hearth, the heat source that everyone can gather around on cool evenings. If the budget allows, a full outdoor fireplace provides the focus for the room and should be considered first during the design process. You won’t want to block any natural views but it should anchor the room on one side or the end, just as an indoor fireplace does. There are many available options when considering a fireplace; they can be wood burning, gas, or both, permanent fire pits can be built with gas log lighters and there are also portable fire pits or chiminea’s available.

Cooking: Where do I begin? Every self respecting male needs a grill for sizzling steaks, burgers and brats outdoors and for most, bigger is better. Just wander through your local home supply center and you’ll be amazed at the options available, from portable hibachis to stainless three piece grill units that allow for warming, rotisserie, refrigeration and even a wok. Built in units are now very common and most manufactures have a wide selection of easy care low maintenance appliances including sink and beverage units. Choose the features that are important to you, place the grill so that the smoke won’t blow back into your eyes or across the table and sitting area and choose your countertop surface. Counters can be made of several materials including tile, granite, flagstone, and concrete but investigate the plusses and minuses for each before making your decision. Any material exposed to the elements in a flat position will need some periodic maintenance.

For those that are devoted to outdoor cooking there are several manufacturers of wood fired ovens perfect for a backyard pizzeria. These ovens can bake anything you would cook in a conventional oven but be prepared, they take anywhere from one hour for a gas fired unit to up to 3 hours for a wood fired oven to come up to cooking temperature.

Water Features: If you’re going to install a pool and spa keep in mind that you will need an enclosure fence and gates, and must meet all zoning and building code requirements. You will also need to allow space for the pump and filter equipment, and some daily maintenance may be required.

Many other types of water features can be installed as part of the room or the landscaping. The sound of water trickling over stones or bubbling in a Koi pond is very soothing and can help create white noise to offset other distracting sounds. Many garden and home centers now offer a wide range of precast fiberglass pond shapes, pumps and accessories and building a water feature is a not so difficult do-it-yourself project. The hardest part is making it look natural.

If you don’t want to go to that much effort there are many portable water features of all shapes and sizes that can be placed on the edge of the terrace or even small enough to go on the center of the table.

Flooring: Choosing your floor surface is another critical decision that must be made early in the process. If the grade of your lot dictates that the floor of your new outdoor room must be elevated then a deck is required and there are many options for the finished surface. Synthetic floors such as Trex, Azek or Timbertech may be excellent choices but keep in mind that they may also require some light yearly maintenance. Pressure treated wood is also available. There are also tile products especially designed with drainage systems to be applied over decks. If your terrace floor is on the ground then many lower maintenance materials are available such as flagstone, brick, pavers or colored and/or stamped concrete.

Lighting: Lighting for exterior rooms can be challenging, Low voltage lighting can be used for landscape accents and walkway lighting but overhead lights should be kept to a minimum and used as general ambiance not task lighting. The last thing you want to do is pollute the night sky with lighting that no longer allows you to see the stars above, after all that’s one reason you’re outside.

Accessories: The list is almost limitless here; free standing or table top heaters, sculpture, fountains, and even sport courts. What outdoor living room would be complete without a large flat screen television made for exterior use with speakers built into the landscaping or mounted on the adjacent walls for that surround sound experience?

Whatever you choose to tackle, your outdoor room should reflect your tastes and needs. Industry research indicates that 40% of all homeowners have plans to invest in outdoor living spaces this year so go ahead and create your own “endless summer”.