Home and Garden Design Ideas

What do you want your space to be?

What is the motivation behind creating an outdoor area? Is it to spend time with family? Have your own private oasis? Dining? Set your goal early and stick to it otherwise procrastination and distractions will start to take hold.

Existing Obstacles

Where your new space is located is important when it comes to designing and planning. Is it south facing? Detached from the house? Is the space limited by fences, pools or other structures? Do you need to take your neighbors into consideration? Don’t let these be detractors from your design, incorporate them and make them features.

Seasonality

Is your space just for the summer months, or are you planning to use it all year round? The weather, location of the sun and prevailing winds should be in your planning dossier too. There’s no use setting up your new patio in an area the sun never reaches otherwise you’ll never use it and that’s suboptimal in the long run.

Size & Shape

Finding the most optimal way to use your space is key, every inch should be considered in the planning phase. Think about the different uses you’ll want over the lifetime of your property. Space for dining, drinking and relaxing, and don’t overlook space to play with the kids.  The shape of the area is also important – think about how you can use the natural curves and lines of your space.

Continuity & Consistency

Have you spent time and money on design and enhancements around your home? Make sure your outdoor space flows on from this, as by creating a consistent experience everything will start to make sense.

Budget

When you consider the budget, you must ask yourself how much are you willing to spend and you want to spend it. While it may be appealing, it’s recommended you don’t cut too many corners. Looking for cheaper options is not always a good idea, there are some elements of an outdoor area that you shouldn’t compromise on quality.

Outdoor shade is so important to enjoyment. Here’s a few solutions to outdoor shade.

Outdoor Umbrellas

Umbrellas are a very popular choice because they’ve got all the key features homeowners need. They’re stylish, flexible and provide UV protection while remaining very easy and cost-free to maintain and can last 10 years or more when you purchase a quality solution. Outdoor patio umbrellas are popular all over the globe.

Shade Sails

A popular permanent solution for shade, you can use them to create interesting shapes. They can be difficult to get down to clean and maintain, and their large coverage area tends to collect a lot of foliage.

Awnings

Wall mounted awnings are quite practical for deployment but the excessive moving parts and strain from the weight can cause them to become damaged, twisted and not work all too often. Great for covering a deck that’s lined up right next to your home.

Pergolas

These are permanent structures topped with open rafters. They look good but may not be the best solution if you need full shade. They also need regular re-staining or re-painting to maintain. Best paired with an outdoor umbrella or another shade solution to provide comfortable shade.

Louvre Systems

These structures function like interior blinds and are mounted above the area you are looking to shade. They are made of aluminum. Despite looking good, they are the most expensive shade system available and are inflexible. Difficult to maintain and repair, they’re best for outdoor rooms that convert to a full inside room during winter.

Retractable Screens

When the sun gets low or the wind blows, retractable screens are handy. They protect from angled sun rays and provide additional privacy. With the retractable option, they can be lifted when needed. Good, basic protection from low-angle sun, but they do require a permanent structure to mount off and are therefore another system that is best off having a symbiotic relationship with other shade solutions.