Our 5 top tips for creating your dream outdoor living space

The beautiful thing about Australia is we have blue skies for 2/3 of the year. A lot of us have these big outdoor spaces but often don’t utilise them. When starting the process of building your dream outdoor living space, dream big. That’s right; outdoor water features, fireplace, television, lap pool, your dream barbeque. Write down everything you have ever wanted in an outdoor living space, and then strip back from there. We wrote down our top five tips for designing your outdoor dream space. 

1. Find the spot 
Spend some time in your backyard, and determine the suitable space for your outdoor living space. If your backyard is on a slope, consider finding the flattest part of the garden and laying some pavers down to create a flat surface. 

Typically you would place the outdoor living space closest to the home, as this brings more ease when entertaining and carrying food and drinks outside from your inside kitchen. However, don’t be discouraged if you feel the right space is at the back of the garden; there is potential to make that work. 

2. Create a comfortable living space 
There is no reason why your outdoor living space shouldn’t be as luxurious and comfortable as your indoor one. Create a space that your friends and your family will want to spend time in. If you build an area that doesn’t have a sense of comfortability, chances are you’ll end up sitting inside or in a more comfortable space. 

Consider putting in an outdoor fire pit or electric fireplace as a focal point to gather around. If you prioritse an outdoor television over an outdoor fireplace, consider buying a television that features an image or video of a working place. Even though this will not let off any warmth, people will naturally gather around this. 

3. Build an outdoor pizza oven or kitchen 
We all love sitting in a comfortable space, but a warm meal and a glass of wine will bring another level to the experience. Consider a side bench with a sink, outdoor stovetop or barbeque, and a fridge to pull together that dream outdoor kitchen area. Alternatively, consider building an outdoor pizza oven for a point of difference. Remember – think about what you prioritise, and build a space for that. 

4. Sound System 
Wire an outdoor sound system up so you and your guests can listen to music whilst outside. Consider rock speakers in the garden to keep the speakers hidden yet still creating ambience in the garden. 

5. Lighting 
Lighting is often overlooked but is one of the essential elements of any space. Ensure the living space is well lit so you and your guests can see where they are walking and don’t have to move inside when the sun goes down. Equally, build the lighting out into the garden to open out space, and consider uplighting some of the more beautiful trees and plants in your garden.