‘Tis the season to get outdoors and stay outdoors as long as possible. An outdoor room designated for casual living creates an oasis for you to linger longer. Two key design elements are location for maximum enjoyment and products to assure comfort and safety.

In developing an outdoor living room, generally visible from the indoors, you increase the visual and spatial living areas of your home without the expense of actual construction or remodeling. Hours of pleasure await, so just do it!

The ideas presented here offer solutions for outdoor spaces without walls and roofing. If you have a roofed area, you’re on your way to an even easier design.

Begin at the Bottom
What will serve as the floor? Deck? Patio? Lawn? Pea gravel? Once your location has been determined, you can then decide if an outdoor rug will benefit in defining the layout. Generally, a sitting area would have the legs of primary seating placed inside the rug’s border. Outdoor rugs come in rectangular, square and round shapes – allowing you to be creative in your design. If lawn is your choice of space, all furnishings, fabrics and cushions will need to be water friendly.

Get Off Your Feet
Options for seating arrangements abound. A simple settee flanked by two chairs and a bench. A round table surrounded by cushioned chairs. Two chaise lounges paired with a large coffee table for food, beverages, magazines, books and decorative elements. Oversized, contemporary seating arranged in angular patterns, either L-shapes or on an angle. If you choose stationary pieces that are difficult to rearrange easily, then it’s advisable to have lightweight pieces to add to the grouping for larger parties or to sit in shade or sun areas as desired.

A Sense of Space
Soft walls or the illusion of walls gives an immediate sense of space without blocking the room from your garden area. Various options can be designed as walls. Large planters in metal, wood or ceramic with tall grasses, shrubs or small trees work well. Be sure to use a great potting mix. To assure plant success, listen to your nursery professional, plant properly the first time and provide drip irrigation. Decorative screens, fade-resistant/UV-protected fabric curtain panels, pergolas – these are just a few more ways to define your outdoor living room. An outdoor woven window blind is a great solution for temporary blocking of late-day and evening hot sun if you have a horizontal beam for installation in the right location.

Can You See Me Now?
For function and drama, add lighting. Solar-powered accent lights have grown in their variety of style. Stake lights can be grouped and “planted” into containers of pea gravel – creating inexpensive, transportable lighting. Japanese lantern lights (solar or electric) add fun and give off an orb of light. Metal oil-burning torches stand up well to the elements and set a romantic mood with their flickering light. If you have outdoor power, then wall-mounted lights or lamps can be great (keep any table or floor lamps out of the elements – we get those amazing Summer storms). For nighttime reading, you’ll want electric lighting to get sufficient lumens.

Too Hot to Handle?
Add shade. An awning, sun sail or umbrella not only protects you from the hot sun, but it also helps make the space feel cozier by providing a stand-in for regular roof. They will also provide privacy. A breeze box fan or smaller rotating fans are helpful to stir the air (with this option, be sure to locate your room near electrical outlets).

Wish I Could Linger Longer
Outdoor living rooms can be used for more than Summertime enjoyment. Consider adding a fire pit (fixed or portable), portable outdoor fireplace or propane-powered heater (tabletop or standing) to your outdoor space.

A Place for Everything
Tables are a must for outdoor living rooms with their built-in practicality, especially if they have drawers or lower shelves. Two side tables and a coffee table should be adequate for most designs. However, if you plan to entertain lots of guests, consider adding folding tables or a bistro set.

Easy Breezy Tip
Attractive ceramic planters have become readily available and affordable – and, in a myriad of colors. When filled with pea gravel (larger stones in the bottom), they become semi-permanent, stable bases for posts, poles or anything vertical you may want or need to complete the ‘walls’ or ‘ceiling’ of your room. Explore your options before committing to construction projects. If you want them to be portable, add furniture moving discs to the bottom or keep them handy.

Cheryl von Tress Design specializes in homes, offices, gardens and cafes. www.cvtdesign.vpweb.com 541.899.2824.