Creating outdoor living spaces on a budget

Creating outdoor living spaces is as limited as your imagination…and your budget. The nice part about creating outdoor living spaces is that you don’t have to do it all at one time-consider it a work in progress and add to it, change it, move it around. Whatever it takes to make your Feng Shui work!

Check it out!

One of the best ways to start creating outdoor living spaces is to study your area and see what works best. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you have a pool?
• Does your land slope?
• Are there big potholes that will need to be filled?
• Are there a lot of trees? - Which ones need to go? - Which ones will you keep? - What will you do with the ones you keep?
• Will your outdoor living area be completely enclosed? Covered? Open?
• Where is the shadiest part of the yard?

As you can see, there are many more questions along this line that you will need to consider before you can begin designing your outdoor living area. However, don’t limit yourself. Your outdoor living area does not need to be confined to one spot. You can create several areas that are connected with pathways, gardens, pergolas, arches, etc.

To the drawing board!

Now that you've had time to look things over, it’s time to take some measurements. If you don’t have a solid idea of what it is you would like to do with your outdoor living area(s), visit some of your local home improvement centres and get some ideas, prices etc. Go online and search for garden ideas/outdoor living spaces as well as the type of outdoor furniture you may consider. Your home improvement centres carry’s books and magazines with lots of ideas. Take a few home with you and cut out the pages that really appeal to you. Check out some of the outdoor area rugs, oversized umbrellas, outdoor kitchen equipment and start picturing in your mind how you want your Garden of Eden to look when you are done. Once you have the measurements, transfer that information to paper or download some free garden and outdoor living area software to help you design the perfect layout. After these tasks have been completed, some new questions may arise:

• Do you want a covered outdoor living area?
• What style should I have? Shabby Chic, Modernistic, Contemporary, Traditional, Retro, Nostalgic?
• Do you want an outdoor kitchen area? - If so, what appliances do you think you would like to have?
• Will you have an outdoor fireplace? - What materials do you want your fireplace to be? Brick, stone, steel?
• Do you want a water feature?
• Do you want a lot of flower beds? A small vegetable garden?
• Will you have a formal eating area or just a bar & barstools overlooking your outdoor kitchen?
• What types of floors will you have? Concrete, wood, flagstone, fieldstone?
• Will you have area rugs defining the different sitting and eating areas?
• Will you have an outdoor entertainment centre?

Here again, as you can see, planning and making some important choices will make a difference in your final design, the cost and the materials that will be necessary. Whether you are a do –it-yourselfer or not, having things planned out will help you talk with an outdoor living area designer/architect and will save a lot of money.

Decorating on a shoestring budget

Decorating your new outdoor living area is all about expressing who you are. If you like bright colours, choose to use these. Visit garage sales on the weekend and pick up some easy-to-restore pieces of furniture and accent pieces. Re-covering these little gems takes no time at all. Paint them, stain them, and express your style. But most importantly, enjoy yourself! For a do it yourself dining set, shabby chic is currently trending. An old dining table painted in light, earthy tones, along with 4 non-matching chairs will create a look that's not only on trend but one that will create a very casual, airy feel to your outdoor living space. If you have a pool and dripping water is of concern, be sure you have some water-resistant fabrics as well as water-resistant paint or stain on your furniture. You can have a lot of fun decorating outdoor living areas.

Final touches

Op shops, hard rubbish collections and garage sales will become your favourite haunts. Strawberry baskets with silk plants, brass spittoons, umbrella stands, hall trees, decorative flower pots with ivy, etc. The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating and accessorizing. If you prefer live plants, be sure to mix things up – get some tall planters, short planters, wide ones, narrow ones, and wild coloured ones. Your family and friends will love your panache for colour and design! When visiting yard sales or thrift stores, remember: don’t go in with any ideas or expectations. Instead, look around at all of the pieces and accessories they have and try to visualise them in your new outdoor living space. Look at your choices from all angles and think about whether the items make you feel good. Creating the perfect outdoor living area is all about creating the perfect place where you, your family and your friends can gather, relax and feel good about sharing time together as well as good food, good laughs, and good company.