Elements of an Outdoor Room

Photo Courtesy of Fire Stone Home Products

I got so excited writing about pergolas that I completely forgot to go back to the basic question - what elements make up an outdoor room?

There are a number of elements that are used to create an outdoor room but the most important thing to remember is that you do not need to incorporate all of the elements to make up an outdoor room and/or you do not need to do it all at once. That is the beauty of an outdoor room...just like furnishing and decorating an indoor room. You can do it in stages.

The basic question to ask yourself regarding creating your own outdoor room is how am I going to use this space? Relaxation? Entertaining? Quiet oasis?

The two basic elements of any outdoor room is shelter and flooring.

Options for a shelter element could be: a pergola (but of course!), awning, cabana/pool house, gazebos, etc.

Options for flooring: pavers, decking (wood and composite), stone, concrete (stamped and stained), etc.

The remaining elements to beautify and add comfort to your outdoor room are: cooking (grills, refrigerator, pizza oven, sink, etc), hearth (fire pits, fire places, chimneas, etc), furniture (dining tables, chairs, couches, hammocks, etc), accessories (heaters, artwork, sculptures, ceiling fans, planters, outdoor TVs and stereos), and lighting (table lamps, lanterns, sconces, etc).

Remember - adding an outdoor room can enhance the usable square footage and raise the resale value of your home by as much as 30 percent! In today's economic times...that makes cents!