The change in your living space that you are looking for may be staring you in the face from the kitchen window. Outdoor spaces go chronically underused. They are a high-value area of any property, but we do not invest much of our time, our money, or ourselves in the space.

For the spring and summer months, and even all year round, the garden can provide a functional space to live in that is also a beautiful place to be. Here is a collection of top tips that can help you turn your outdoor spaces into new living rooms. Take charge of the outdoors, get these spaces to work with you, and make your house more of a home.

Create An Outdoor Lounge Space

On a beautiful day of blue skies and warm sunshine, there is nowhere better to be than an English country garden. To create a lounge space for spring and summer days, you are going to need some furniture to relax on. This will help you to define the space and give it utility. Check out a vidaXL garden lounge set for the perfect example of what you need in an outdoor lounging area.

Add some homely accessories as finishing touches. Decorate the seating with cushions and throws. Hang some pictures or a mirror on an adjacent wall or fence. A mirror can be used to bounce light to illuminate a dark corner. For a finishing touch, why not add a rug? Use colour coordination and pattern to bring things together but go for light and pastel shades. Think beach chic when choosing your scheme.

Set The Stage

If you haven’t got a flat and stable area in the garden to lounge in, you are going to run into trouble. Decking is a great all-weather, year-round choice for usable space that is preferably connected to the back door. This makes eating alfresco easy, and you can quickly grab your soft furnishings and run inside if there is a sudden downpour.

You can lay decking over a weekend yourself, even with minimum DIY experience and basic power tools. Paying a professional to do the job for you is a fairly inexpensive option, especially if you would have to buy some tools. When you are plotting your decking area, take note of the amount of light it gets through the day. A little tweak to its position could get you an extra hour or two of sunshine.

Make The Space Multi-Use

To get value for money from your investment in the outdoors you need to get as much use from the space as possible. By mixing the space up with some vidaXL patio furniture, you can bring extra seating, storage, and utility to the space. Cupboards, tables, and sideboards are all incredibly useful for alfresco dining. Having somewhere to keep plates, cutlery, serving dishes, and drinks will help you to get more from your outdoor living room.

If you want an outdoor play area for the kids, weather-friendly storage gives you somewhere they can tidy their toys away. The simple addition of some storage options gives the space something more and creates opportunities for you to make use of the area. Stay away from plastics and opt for natural materials like wood.

Cooking, Heating, And Lighting

Outdoor lounging leads to eating, and then to cooking. That is the path outdoor living enthusiasts normally follow. Not long after you get started, you will begin to find more reasons to live outside and enjoy the fresh air. Adding an outdoor cooking spot is easy if you are satisfied with a simple barbeque, but what if you want more options?

Fire pits can double as a spot to toast marshmallows and bread. Other than spit-roasting a pig or rotisserie chickens, you cannot do much more with them. They are great for warmth in the late evening. Use them for heating, but for cooking, you need something more robust. Outdoor pizza ovens are perfect for the job and can do more than just pizza. Jacket potatoes, roasted vegetables, roasted meats, you can cook a full Sunday lunch outside with a big enough pizza oven.

Add Water To Add Tranquillity

If you want to create a more peaceful space, just add water. The sound of a water feature is incredibly relaxing. For a chill-out spot right outside your back door, consider adding a fountain or a small pond with a babbling and bubbling water source. The sight, sounds, and reflections from the surface will bring an air of tranquillity to your outdoor living space.

You can install a water feature in less than a day, which helps to keep down costs. The ultimate water feature is perhaps a hot tub, though they require a significant investment. Not only do you need a tub and the water supply to feed it but you also need an adjoining space to dry off, change, or take cover from the weather. Fountains are the simplest choice and are easy to install. All-in-one sets come complete with the pump installed, just connect to a water feed or hose.

Get more from your garden and make it a part of your daily life. You may have lots of space you are not using, waiting for you to make it your new living room. With a platform to build on you have plenty of options open to turn your outdoor space into the centrepiece of your home.