Making Your Outside Space More Useable

Your garden can often be an extension of your home, and after the pandemic, we may be appreciating outside space far more than we ever thought.

However just because you have the space doesn’t mean you are making the most of it. It may be neat and tidy and it could even have real potential, but how do you make it a more usable area of your home? How do you encourage yourself and your family to spend more time out there? With that in mind, here are some suggestions.    

Credit: Unsplash

Create zones and different areas

One of the first steps to take would be to create different zones and areas. This could include things such as a patio and then a separate lawned area.

The patio or deck could be used for entertaining, reading a book or working from home.

The lawn maybe for recreational activities such as outdoor workouts or a place for your child to play. You may want to invest in a lawn mower or find lawn mower parts to fix your current model so that you can start to create a neat area.

You could also create a vegetable patch and grow fruit or vegetables in your garden. This can be a great way to make your garden usable by enabling it to feed you and your family and work for different things. 

Add Greenery and Privacy

Incorporate plants, flowers, and greenery into your outdoor space to add beauty, color, and texture. Choose a mix of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees that thrive in your climate and growing conditions.

Use landscaping, fencing, trellises, or outdoor curtains to create privacy and seclusion in your outdoor space. This allows you to relax and entertain without feeling exposed to neighbors or passersby.

Take the cooking outside

Dining outside is great, but why not think about doing the cooking outside as well? So many more people are opening up to the idea of eating outside and cooking outside can be all part of the fun.

Again, you can keep things really simple and invest in a BBQ. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that this is the budget option, as some of these BBQs are full of outdoor stoves and can potentially cook all sorts, maybe even encouraging you to just cook your meal on the grill and eat inside if the weather has gone a little chilli.

However, a BBQ can just be the start of your outdoor kitchen, and people now love the idea of creating outdoor work surfaces, adding on things like a pizza oven, an open fire to keep you warm and even an outdoor sink to keep things clean and tidy. There are some amazing examples of outdoor kitchens online that could tempt you into investing in creating one yourself. 

Credit: Unsplash

Socialise more in your garden

Socialising can often be seen as something you do inside of your home. After all, that might be exactly why you invested in extending your kitchen and dining areas or even having a fancy plush kitchen installed into your home.

However, socialising can now be extended to your outside area and there are some amazing ways you can do that to create a really nice sociable environment.

You can go trendy and consider having LED lighting, a pergola zoned seating area or even a den around a firepit.

This can add a real fun element to your garden, while also helping to give some light and warmth as the night draws in.

Let’s hope that these suggestions help you to make your outside space a little more usable, grab your marshmallows for the firepit!