Outdoor Living

Lakeside Outdoor Furniture Minnesota Interior Design
(Jordan Powers Photography)

It’s officially that time of year again! The time when we spruce up our outdoor living areas in preparation for what we hope to be a wonderful and social summer. This year that the last sentence takes on a whole new meaning. But let’s think about this one. This summer is either going to be a time where we finally get to have all of our favorite family and friends we’ve been missing over for a barbeque… or it’s going to feel similar to where we are now but with warm weather, we can soak in in the comfort of our own homes. 

I’m sure at this point we’ve all become best friends with our house and chores and may not even need a blog post to pump us up, but today we are talking 5 ways to MAKE your outdoor living area.

 

1. Multiple seating areas. 

Think about your house. You use different types of seating for different purposes. Some may be more casual, some for when you invite friends over, one may be for when your children have friends over, and others where you share a drink or socialize while someone prepares a meal. Each of these interactions also happens outside, so our number one priority when creating outdoor spaces is to have multiple defined areas. Your space doesn’t even need to be large to do this. Perhaps you get an indoor/outdoor area rug to make your lounge seating area feel separate from your grill that may only be a few feet away. Use large planters to direct traffic flow in from one area and block off the other. Get creative with the space you have - transforming it into multiple will maximize the ways you and your family can use it!

Outdoor Patio Furniture Interior Design Minnesota
(Troy Thies Photography)

2. Plants. 

Yes, yes, we know this one is obvious. But get creative! Find a focal point in your space and find a plant that you use in that space every season. Once you figure that part out, all you have to do is change it four times a year - it babysits itself. Perhaps that is a long floral arrangement in the summer, a row of small pumpkins in the fall, a wreath in the winter, and back to flowers in the spring? If you don’t have a large focal point think of creating multiple spots of interest by using large urn planters with hardy florals and greenery. Lastly, for small areas like tabletop arrangements get practical. Think about an herb that you use often and put it in a small heavy pot that can last the season.

3. Designated food and drink station. 

Having a designated station helps break up the area and lets you use it in a similar way to your kitchen. Forget the days of lugging sodas inside and out, and cheers to actually having a space to put the tray of ready to grill hamburgers down! While this is usually completed as a built-in area to your patio, don’t let yourself believe that it has to be. You can attain this kind of area with bar height tables and chairs or maybe even an outdoor bar cart area.

Outdoor Fireplace Living Area Interior Design Minnesota
(Troy Thies Photography)

4. Get yourself a fire.

 

Yes, you called it, a Minnesota favorite! Luckily, this one can be achieved in many different ways depending on your layout, budget, and preference. You can get a fire pit big enough for the whole family to sit around and have a real fire just about anywhere. You can also invest (and there are some pretty affordable options, too!) in a gas fireplace. Both of which can get sent right to your door if this quarantine lasts through our summer days. Lastly, and probably our favorite to execute is an outdoor fireplace. It feels elegant, is easy to start up, and creates that same focal point that it brings to an indoor space.

Outdoor Furniture Textiles Interior Design Minnesota
(Pictured: One of my favorite indoor/outdoor lines: Inside Out)
Outdoor Furniture Textiles Interior Design Minnesota

 

5. Just because you’re outside doesn’t mean you can’t go crazy with textiles! 

There are so many lines that carry fantastic indoor/outdoor materials to last you many seasons. Oftentimes we settle for patterns or styles we like less when it comes to outdoor spaces because we bank on them getting trashed. We can assure you that sure we do that sometimes too, but there is SO much value in investing in better performing selections that are designed to last outside. From pillows to umbrellas and outdoor rugs and more we would love to help you transform your space to be exactly what you hoped it was.

 

Leave a Comment