Nothing beats those warm afternoons and long Winter nights spent outdoors with friends and family.

Whether you’re into bigger dinner parties or just simply lounging around reading your favorite book, we’ve got some great outdoor furniture ideas to inspire you for the coming months.

Define Your Style and Purpose

This is probably the most crucial step. Outlining the purpose of your outdoor area is an essential part of the planning process. Here you need to ask yourself questions about what it is you want to actually achieve and how much space you actually have in achieving it.

Are you the type that prefers intimate dinner parties or would you rather socialize cocktail style and without the formal approach?

Be sure to make a firm decision on how you would like to entertain your family and friends as this will help you choose seating and table arrangements and also what sort of atmosphere you are going for.

Weather resistant, couches, sectionals and other outdoor patio furniture work great with larger outdoor spaces, while dining tables, outdoor loungers and chairs suit smaller parties and patios.

Bring the Indoors Out

There’s nothing homelier than bringing the comfort of your indoors outside. The best place to start is by extending the inside feel of your home to your outdoor space. This way you will avoid being overwhelmed as it already gives you a foundation to work off and therefore allowing you to focus on what you currently have.

Try following the same color design and choose shapes that will compliment your current furniture. A little research into matching shapes and colors will give you a general understanding of what works well together.

Or, if you’re in the market for new outdoor furniture, then be sure to shop around as there are many styles out there to suit your needs. In particular, contemporary and modern outdoor furniture offer a lot of hybrid mixed material designs that seem to integrate well with many home designs, giving you a little more freedom to mix and match.

Make it Natural

If you’re an inner city urbanite then you would know that living closer to the city can feel a little unnatural at times, almost to the point where you feel like you’re living in a concrete jungle.

A great way to tackle this feeling is to add some pots and plants to give your area the natural outdoor feel. It will immediately invigorate your space and give it that natural element that makes us feel at home.

Vertical gardens are also great for people wanting to cover up that unnatural brick wall. For those of you with a little more space, try filling it with natural looking outdoor furniture.

Wicker is a lot more durable than it used to be and comes in an array of different styles and colors, meaning you can slot a piece here or there without changing the overall theme of your outdoor area.

Whether you require a whole set or just a chair or two, there are plenty of options that will suit your space and budget.

Create that Cozy Fuzz

Just because it’s your outdoor area it doesn’t mean that you can’t create that comfortable, relaxed and inviting vibe for you and your guests.

A great way to brighten up your outdoor furniture and make it feel like a cozy little space is by adding a variety of colorful pillows and throws. It’s a simple and effective way to make a big difference on a tight budget and will also keep you and your guests warm on those unexpected cooler nights.

Give It Your Own Personal Touch

Each season will bring with it new ideas and inspiration. It’s always great to refresh your outdoor area with the seasons newest looks and pieces.

Again, giving your outdoor setting a mini makeover doesn’t have to be expensive, so painting existing furniture a different color and adding some new additions from your local shop or market can really liven the place up again.

Some vintage pieces here and there can really compliment newer and more recent items and can add that extra charm that everyone will notice. Plus, you may indirectly even add some more space to seat any additional guests.

Head Towards the Light

Although Winter already provides longer nights than usual, there’s nothing worse when the sun eventually starts to fade for the day and the night abruptly comes to an end. That migration to bed seems like such a chore and you still have so much more to talk about.

But, what if you could avoid all of this by adding some lights and stimulating conversation for longer?

Easy done. You could go out and buy some patio mood lights, a fire pit or if you’re budget is a little tight, simply add some candles or smaller lanterns.

There are many shapes, sizes and colors to choose from to complement what you already have. A good place to start is your local store or flea market again, or a quick google search for ‘patio lanterns’ will provide an ample amount of options for you to choose from.

Creating your ideal outdoor setting should be a fun, invigorating and exciting experience. There’s nothing like coming home to your mini oasis and relaxing to the early hours of the night, escaping the confinements of the indoors.

So, remember when selecting outdoor furniture and accessories to make sure it fits with the theme and aesthetic of your house, your lifestyle and that creates that desired setting and feel you had in mind.

The post Outdoor Living Inspiration & Ideas appeared first on Outdoor Living Concepts.

By: Bob Clay
Title: Outdoor Living Inspiration & Ideas
Sourced From: olcdist.com/outdoor-living-inspiration-ideas/
Published Date: Mon, 08 Feb 2016 09:58:48 +0000

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