The lure of the outdoors is an irresistible pull once the warm weather hits, and with summer already upon us, we thought you might benefit from a few tips on maximizing your existing exterior space with your wishes to entertain outdoors.

With a few small adjustments, your outdoor area can be transformed into a gratifying haven for fun and enjoyment. Turning a yard, patio, porch or other external area into a functional living space can be greatly rewarding and extends your overall living space. Your desire to go “al fresco” for friends, family, and neighbors is close at hand!

  • Outdoor lighting. Some tasteful, dramatic, and effective lighting can instantly transform an outdoor living space and make it safer, too. Good landscape and deck lighting highlights the high points of your home or property, while allowing the less attractive features to recede into the shadows. Lanterns and torches can add a softer glow. Lighting around the outside of a house that is pointed upward dramatically accents the architecture of the house; light pointed downward creates a more subdued environment.
  • Outdoor kitchens have grown in popularity because cooking al fresco feels less like work and more like fun. As the kitchen is the heart of any home, so too an outdoor kitchen is usually the focal point of an outdoor living space. Besides a grill, build up your open-air kitchen with refrigerator, sink, and food-prep areas. Seating is critical to the kitchen theme, so place a picnic table, outdoor chairs, or maybe even a full bar with stools into the setting.
  • Backyard fire pit. Just the thing to keep you outside on cool summer and change-of-season evenings. A backyard fire pit can be as basic as a hole in the ground or as ornate as a marble gas-fueled fireplace. A good solution for many homes is a portable fire pit—an elevated fire bowl with a screen that can be placed in any safe area. Bricks and flagstones can help finish it out.
    Water fountains provide a soothing sound and bring a dimension of cool tranquility to any surrounding. Consider all forms, from small store-bought fountains to cascading waterfalls.
  • Purchase products meant for the outdoors. You can’t just lug out any old sofa onto the porch and expect it to endure unpredictable weather. Even good weather wears on furniture over time. If furnishing a deck or patio, look for weatherproof furniture that holds up under rain, wind, and direct sunlight without fading or diminishing. Properly waterproofed wood or metal benches can last for years without incurring damage.

Planning on making over your outdoor space? Grow that space with the help of North Alabama Builders. We specialize in home renovations of all kinds, indoors and out. Give us a call today at (256) 775-6457 or contact us through our web page. Let’s grow outdoors!