Outdoor living
space is a great way to extend a house or building. You need to first determine
the structure or style for your outdoor. This could be a static area, purely
for aesthetics or partly a children playing area. Also, you need to put into
consideration whether you will be using the place at night or solely during the
day.
For a static space, sculptures and water
features work well. These provide a focal point and can be the source of the
theme of your garden. The water feature also helps to create movement in a
static space. It also creates a quiet, calming sound of flowing waters.
For an interactive space, pots are great as
they keep the plants and flowers off the ground, away from prodding feet. The
flowers are more likely to be picked, but they will survive. Bench seats and
seating sets are ideal in these areas as you can sit and enjoy your garden. The
ideal situation for these seats is to have a solid ground, paving or concrete
so the table and chairs remain level and don’t wobble. Materials to be used for
these kind of furniture should be hardwearing, these include cedar or teak
timber, wrought iron, etc.
Think about how
you will move around your space. You want it to flow, if you are going to buy a
table and chair setting, ensure that you select one that allows for people to
move around the outside and push back their chairs without landing the legs of
the chair in the garden and toppling back.
If you have a centerpiece
table, it could serve as a great focal point. This can be as simple as a vase
of fresh cut flowers, a pot with spring bulbs, a pot of succulents, a prickly
cactus, or a small sculptural piece.
If you will be
using the outdoor space at night, then you will need lighting. You can either
use permanent wired light fittings fixed into the ground. These look
spectacular and provide a great deal of light. You can use solar lighting, but
the glow is usually very dim. Candles or lanterns work well.
If you plan to do
cooking in the outdoor area, you need to ensure that the place is safe, free
from tinder type garden in case of fire. Install a solid surface under if you
have a mobile BBQ. Also, if you have a fixed hot plate built in, you need to
ensure that there are solid non combustible materials around it. Place it far away
from any windows or doors of your house to prevent food smells or smoke entering
your house.
Ensure that the
hotplate is high enough to discourage active little kids from touching it. Allow
some lay off space close by to place your food before and after cooking.
At Rosemary’s
we delight in transforming your home and office into a haven even with a
limited budget. We also offer consultancy and advisory services on all aspects
of interior decoration.
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