Outdoor Living Trends

We’ve all been spending a lot more time at home. It’s time to customize the space. You can keep your home cooler with these outdoor living spaces by adding an outdoor kitchen and by adding storage with a cabana by the pool.

Keep the Heat Out of the House

Rather than broiling indoors with that steak, consider an outdoor kitchen. Your back patio could become an extension of your kitchen, make dining outdoors more fun and enjoyable, and give your inner grill master a thrill.

The layout is key when putting together your outdoor kitchen design, especially as you probably have other features you’re either planning to add or already working around. Is there a pool, and where is the home access point from the pool? Your outdoor kitchen may also serve as a walkway, so take care to create plenty of pass-through space, so diners aren’t disturbed, swimmers aren’t passing too close to the grill, and the household chef is not disturbed.

Of course, you’ll need a table to dine at and some seriously comfortable chairs. Consider adding a bar-height table near the kitchen for easy cleanup access, and move to lower, cushier seating while the grills cool.

Get in the Water

Your pool will be a dedicated gathering space as the weather heats up, and if you add a hot tub to the design, you can use it year-round! While you’re deciding the best pool layout, don’t forget to make a cabana space.

Your cabana space doesn’t just have to be for storage. You can turn this versatile space into a conversation pit, a bar and entertainment space, or a guest house. When putting together your design, make sure to include lighting features that will make it easy to secure this space. You might consider adding a wall-mounted outdoor water fountain, paired with a solar light feature, to add beauty and color to your cabana all night long.

If your cabana has an open-air spot to gather near the pool, consider adding a screened exterior to keep pests from your pool party. Additionally, make sure you create a secured space where all pool chemicals can be stored safely away from little visitors.

Permanent Shade with a Pergola

Pergolas are one of the nicest outdoor living spaces. Adding a pergola to your home gives it a stately feature that will provide shade on the hottest days as your loved ones pass from the house to the yard, the gardens, or the pool.

They can be constructed as a free-standing structure beside the house or tied to the house. Additionally, they offer the option of having a simple pillar base or incorporating a wall to create an outdoor room. Best of all, any exterior door on your house can become a spot for a pergola, so the passage off the living room can be a walkway, while the pergola outside the master bedroom will be your private outdoor dining spot.

When designing your pergola layout and consider the addition of walls, focus on furniture. A pergola with a quiet corner where you can sit in a hammock chair or nap with a loved one in a mesh hammock? Heavenly.

Add a Waterfall

While creating your pool oasis for family and friends, don’t forget to add a spot for local animals. If you’ve got taller trees in the area around your back yard, find a spot for a cardinal bird feeder, and you may get these charming birds to nest near your home.

Of course, they’ll need water, and moving water is less likely to freeze. Incorporating a flowing water feature in your backyard offers local wildlife the chance to stop, drink, and grab a snack. If deer are a possibility, make sure you plant something they don’t like to keep them from dining on your landscaping. Daffodil, lavender, and echinacea are lovely for the eye and will repel deer.

If you’re considering a vegetable and herb garden, consider adding sidewalks and paths for easy access. Raised beds of stone or wood will make weeding and containment easier and make your garden’s beauty easier to enjoy. Finally, raised beds give you a spot to mount lighting that will complete your oasis.

For those who want an outdoor kitchen, consider putting in a sink near the vegetable garden. Having a spot where you can stop, rinse off your produce, and wash your hands will reduce the dirt that comes back in the house with you. Additionally, you can go straight from the garden to a cocktail with a few mint leaves.

No matter where you live, you can add outdoor living spaces to your yard to make your home that much more enjoyable. Do your best to design flow into your backyard, from the pergola to outdoor kitchen, from pool to cabana, and from the garden to the waterfall; you can construct a yard that will make staying home a joy, no matter the season.

Scapes Landscaping OKC has a rich history of bringing high quality landscaping design to the OKC area. We’re known for serving Oklahoma City landscaping clients with the best rated residential landscaping and commercial landscaping services! Be sure to check out our before and after landscaping gallery. Contact us today at 405-376-0505 and request a quote.