6 Ways to Make Your Outdoor Living Space Perfect for Year-Round Enjoyment

Some home buyers are willing to sacrifice indoor space for more outdoor living space, but shorter days and cooler nights can often send homeowners indoors. Even though the weather may not always be ideal, we believe that enjoying your home’s outdoor space should not be limited to the warmer months of the year. Come winter, the only change you should need to make to still enjoy your outdoor space is a few cozy blankets and a glass of mulled wine. Make the transition between seasons seamless with these 6 suggestions on how to make your outdoor living space enjoyable year-round.

How to Upgrade Your Outdoor Living Space

1. Bring the Inside, Out
Bring the comforts of the indoors outside by creating a space that feels cozy and inviting. Utilize covered spaces to create an outdoor living or dining room and set up your weather-proof furniture accordingly. Other indoor amenities such as a television or bar can turn your outdoor space into your favorite room of the house – and one you’ll spend more time in.

2. Open Up to The Outdoors
Shea’s flexible floorplans make it easy for you to blur the boundaries between inside and out. If you do not have the space or budget to create a full outdoor room, you can bring the outdoors in with multi-side, bi-folding, or sliding glass doors. Incorporating wide-opening doors into the layout of your home allows you to connect your indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly, while still allowing for each of them to be their own separate spaces.

3. Temperature Control
Don’t let the temperature stop you from enjoying your outdoor living space any time. Consider it an extension of your home – you’ll need to have the right heating and cooling system for any occasion. For colder months, an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or built-in heaters are essential to stay warm. Plus, your friends and family will love sitting around a fire on a crisp fall night. For summer months when temperatures climb, umbrellas and outdoor fans will help to keep your patio area cool.

4. Brighten the Space
Whether you use your outdoor living area as an entertainment space, or just a space to relax, your time outdoors should never be limited to just daylight hours. By using a mixture of bright built-in lights and soft accent lights, you will be able to brighten or darken the space depending on the mood or occasion. In areas where you cook or eat, as well as near any doors, use bright lights that illuminate the whole space. Around seating areas, use accent lights, such as string lights or lanterns, to increase the ambiance and make every day feel a little extra special.

5. Give Yourself a Reason to Get Outside
When was the last time you had a nice juicy burger, or a sweet cedar plank salmon fillet cooked on the grill? Prepare your favorite meals every day and motivate yourself to spend more time outside by adding an outdoor kitchen or grill to your space. By placing your grill or kitchen close to a covered space, you can still fire up a grill and cook a delicious meal, even when the weather is not cooperating.

6. Make it Cozy
Embrace the hygge and cwtch design trends and make your outdoor space a cozy getaway. Start by adding comfortable seating to the space – the cozier the furniture, the more time you will spend in your outdoor space. Be sure to purchase high quality furniture frames with weather proof cushions so that the pieces can withstand the elements without you having to bring them inside e very time there is a storm. Also, consider using an outdoor rug, decorative pillows, and having fuzzy blankets handy to make the area feel more comfortable and warm.

Year-Round Outdoor Living with Shea

While your home may have the perfect outdoor space for you, sometimes you just need to get away. Many Shea communities offer shared spaces that give homeowners access to a variety of different outdoor amenities. Here you can host a large picnic with all your friends and family, take a dip in the pool or hot tub, or kick-back by a fire with your favorite book. While the exact amenities will differ depending on the community you choose, these shared spaces will allow you to maximize outdoor time year-round.

Whether it is in the comfort of your own home, or part of the shared space, Shea makes it easy for residents to enjoy the great outdoors.