Ideas for Outdoor Living Spaces

by Marsha Charles 09/05/2021

No matter what your local climate is like, you don’t have to stay cooped up in your home throughout the year. If you spend little time in your yard, adding an outdoor living space is a great way to encourage you to get outside more. Outdoor living spaces provide a way for you to enjoy fresh air while getting more use out of your yard. Consider the following ideas for outdoor living spaces to get you started on planning your own.

Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor kitchens allow you to prepare entire meals on your patio or deck. These kitchens aren’t just for grilling. While you can have an elaborate grill setup as part of your outdoor kitchen, you can also have a cooktop or oven installed for preparing other kinds of foods. Your outdoor kitchen can also have a fridge to make it much easier for you to get ingredients you need for cooking, as well as beverages and ice. These kitchens can also have cabinets installed for storing utensils, plates, pots and pans, measuring cups and other items you normally use when making meals.

Outdoor Living Room

Outdoor living rooms provide a great place to relax in the open air. These living rooms can be covered or uncovered, depending on how much heat and sunlight you want in them during the day. You can fill your outdoor living room with a sofa, love seat and armchairs that are made for outdoor use. You can also add side tables or even a coffee table to hold drinks and other items. To make your outdoor living room even cozier, consider adding an outdoor fireplace. This allows you and your household to sit comfortably while gathered near a fire for warmth on chillier evenings and nights.

Outdoor Dining Room

Outdoor dining rooms offer a place for you and yours to enjoy meals and fresh air. These dining rooms can be designed to hold as many people as needed. For example, you can have a larger outdoor dining room that seats eight people if you have a big family or if you have guests over often. If you only need a dining room for a couple of people, you can set up a smaller table and chairs. Your outdoor dining room can have built-in or portable storage to hold plates, utensils and anything else you might need during your meal, so you won’t have to go in and out of the house. You can also add a fire pit nearby to create a cozy atmosphere while also staying warm in cooler weather.

Outdoor Theater

An outdoor theater provides a convenient place to watch movies with your family. Depending on how much space you have available, you can set up a projector screen to make it feel as though you’re at an actual theater. For more limited space, you can mount a large, flat-screen TV. Your outdoor theater can have comfortable seating and a concession stand, so you can easily grab drinks and snacks before watching a movie. If your outdoor theater is covered, you can add curtains around it, so you can watch movies without glare during the day or have more privacy overall.

About the Author
Author

Marsha Charles

Consistent top listing and selling agent receiving Chairman's Club award for superior sales achievement almost every year while associated with Preferred Properties, Inc. Consistently receive the International Presidents Premier award for sales volume since joining Coldwell Banker Realty and ranked in the top 1% of agents in Connecticut and Westchester County. In 2021 I received the International Society of Excellence award for sales volume in excess of $100,000,000. I have been named a Top Five Sales Agent for customer satisfaction since 2010 (longer than any other agent in Connecticut) and listed in Connecticut Magazine. Named one of the Top Agents in Connecticut by Real Trends since 2018. 

I work with sellers and buyers and also have a strong understanding to needs of those who are relocating . Background and experience in advertising, public relations and photography offer creative and innovative marketing plans for sellers.  

Realtor designations include: Graduate Real Estate Institute, Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Residential Marketing Specialist, and Pricing Strategy Advisor. Served as President of New Canaan Board of Realtors (two terms), Director (three terms) and currently serve on Professional Standards Committee. Named Realtor of the year by the New Canaan Board of Realtors in 1994and again in 2022. 

Married and mother of other of four children who attended and graduated from the New Canaan School System, Member of New Canaan, Darien, Greenwich and Statewide MLS systems. Areas covered include New Canaan, Darien, Greenwich, Rowayton, Norwalk, Wilton and all of lower Fairfield County.