Outdoor Spaces

USE OUTDOOR SPACES to expand your home

By Dani Messick House and Home Feature Writer

When planning your summerscapes, seating design and layout is key to creating a space you, your family, and your friends will enjoy for years to come.

The most important thing for designing an outdoor space, Debbie Carpenter, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, of Sweet Water Interiors said, is knowing how big the space is and exactly how that space will be used.

“Is there going to be a firepit? Is there going to be a grill? That helps determine what pieces that you would search for. What are the activities that area is going to be used for?”

Will your gatherings require loveseats? Sectionals? “You have everything from aluminum frames, to iron, to a faux wicker that can accommodate the outdoors. It’s made for outdoors.”

Create a plan before you get started so you understand exactly what you’re looking for. Box stores and local craftsmen sell a variety of options, but you can also opt for more custom designs and fabric. If you’re buying furniture designed for outdoor use, especially by outdoor companies, Carpenter says it’s a given that the fabric will hold up, but precautions should always be taken. Carpenter recalls adding a custom fabric she used from a company she trusted to an outdoor table and chairs set.

“I put this colorful pattern print, and the flowers faded,” she said. “Just because it says it’s good for outdoor use, you can’t be 100 percent that it will always be fade-proof. At some point in time that does want to happen. There’s different qualities, I think, too, of fabric.”

Even the best fabrics, can’t hold their colors forever without some support. “There can come a point when fading can still happen because it would be difficult to control mother nature. The sun can just be very damaging.”

As a result, one of the most important parts of any outdoor layout to Carpenter is covers. “It’s a given that most outdoor companies, they’re going to have the finishes that will work for outdoors, however, I do believe in covers,” she said. “If you’re not going to be using the furniture for any length of time, cover it.”

shutterstock.com She added that rugs are crucial to any area where furniture is placed, even outdoor spaces, but make sure you’re getting the right rugs. Most outdoor rugs are made of 100% polypropylene, but they, like everything else, need the proper precautions to ensure longevity.

When it rains, or when your rug remains wet for too long, mold and mildew can still grow, even on material designed for outdoor usage. Flip rugs to allow the sun to dry the area out.

For those looking for an even cozier design in their outdoor landscape, there are also options for lighting. Carpenter is fond of the idea of custom lighting fixtures.

“If someone is building, and they’re doing a patio area, think ahead of time if the floorplan is mapped out, they could literally have outlets where they wanted them,” she said. “That would be nice, to be able to be in the middle of the backyard on your lawn in the evening and you have lamps that are lit, but in that case, it’s because you planned for it.”

For those who aren’t in the process of building and just looking to create something in their existing space, there are other lighting options, too.

Carpenter is also fond of plant details. “I think plants are important too around a nice outdoor area,” she said. “I don’t know that the type matters. I’m thinking palm or some fig trees, but I do think they add (something to the space).”

Then there’s artwork - special artwork designed to stand up to much of the weather outdoors. They can be positioned on an easel, or hung on a screen, or even on the siding of the house.

“Sometimes people’s outdoor porch areas are literally right outside their house and you could even hang artwork above your sofa, and it might be on the siding of your home, but it is able to accommodate the weather.”

In the case of artwork, especially, having an awning or covered porch is important, again, to prevent fading.

When coordinating outdoor design from a custom design company, Carpenter said one of the most timely pieces of information is to realize that wait times aren’t what they used to be.

“It’s many more months than it used to be, and by that I mean it could be 10 months before you have everything, easily,” Carpenter said. “I’ve had situations where the furniture is ready and it’s in the warehouse to be picked up but there’s no trucks available to pick up the merchandise to get it to Elkhart.” n