How to Build Outdoor Living Spaces

This outdoor living space includes landscaping and a spacious patio.

Outdoor living spaces have evolved into far more than a patio occupied by wicker furniture and a barbeque grill. In recent years, outdoor living spaces have helped to expand a home's useable space throughout the year. According to Landscape Designs, an online landscape design company, outdoor living spaces now include outdoor kitchens; beautiful outdoor furniture; multi-level decks and walkways; fire pits; and water features such as ponds and waterfalls. Seasonal plants and flowers provide an ever-changing palette of colors and textures.

Instructions

1. Sketch out your outdoor living space. Decide what's important to you and your family. Do you really like cooking and entertaining outdoors? Do you find waterfalls and ponds to be calming and restful? Would your friends like to gather outside, even in the winter? Using the answers to these questions, sketch a design of the outdoor living space you want. If you are on a limited budget, break the project into several phases

2. Engage a professional landscape designer. Landscape designers translate your rough sketches into actual scale drawings containing the elements of your outdoor living space. If you want an outdoor kitchen, for example, the designer can place the stone patio, kitchen fixtures, and seating groups in their proper places. If trees and flowers are a major component of your outdoor living space, the landscape designer will include them on the plan. In addition, she will list each plant variety she thinks is appropriate for that location. If necessary, she will help you obtain and install that greenery. The Association of Professional Landscape Designers website can help you locate a landscape designer in your area.

3. Ask about permits and professionals. Ask your city or county building inspector's office if permits are necessary for this project. If you will be installing propane gas hookups, electrical connections, or outdoor appliances, you may need to hire professionals to safely complete these installations. If you're not experienced at patio paver work, for example, recruit a professional flooring contractor so your patio avoids that "wavy" look when it's installed.

4. Order your fixtures and supplies. Although your landscape designer can help you compile your list of project supplies, you can also visit local outdoor living and gardening stores. Larger home improvement stores may also have a good selection of outdoor grills, fire pits, outdoor furniture, and materials for building ponds and other water features. If you plan to purchase most of your fixtures and supplies from one store, talk to the manager about a discount on the overall purchase price.

5. Install your outdoor living space elements. Work with your landscape designer (and other professionals) to logically progress through your outdoor living space installation. Before you complete the patio paver project, for example, button up any gas or electrical connections that will lie underneath the patio. If you're installing a pond, ensure that all drainage systems are in place before filling the pond and creating landscaping around it. Finally, remember that your outdoor living space can evolve over time, as new products and features become available.

References

• Landscape Designs/overview of outdoor living spaces
• Landscape Design Advisor/role of landscape designer
• WDWells/landscape design & build/installation process

Resources

• Association of Professional Landscape Designers/find a landscape designer
• Ice and Wine/outdoor appliances
• Patio Productions/all weather wicker furniture