Outdoor living has been a significant garden design trend for the past few years and remains a major focus for many homeowners. This form of garden design aims to transform your landscape into a functional environment that suits your home and lifestyle.
Gardens are now more than just an outdoor space, but rather an extension of the home, complete with home comforts, decorative features, and practical elements that are suitable for year-round use. There is now a growing demand for patios, decking, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens to create a garden that can be used in all seasons.
At Andy Stedman Design, we have seen this increased interest in outdoor living garden design and continue to help homeowners achieve their ideal garden. Through our luxurious garden design service, we can transform your ordinary garden into a high-end outdoor living environment that perfectly aligns with your lifestyle.
To help you make the right choices and ensure your outdoor living garden design is successful, we are sharing everything you need to know about the trend in this post. We will discuss the key elements of outdoor living garden design and how you can customise the trend to suit your unique home, lifestyle, and personality.
From large families with children to small households or couples, outdoor living is a wonderful opportunity to increase the appeal and functionality of your home, without expensive extensions or planning permission. Instead, by making use of your available garden space, you can still extend your living space and have more room for entertaining, hosting, dining and relaxing.
To learn more about garden design for families and children, see our post How To Design A Family-Friendly Garden for inspiration.
Due to how attractive outdoor living garden design is, you can rest assured that your investment will be worthwhile. Outdoor living spaces can increase property value and make your home more successful on the property market.
Even if you are not planning on selling, your investment will be worthwhile, and the lifestyle benefits of more time outdoors and quality time with family will pay off, too.
To ensure that your outdoor living garden design is successful, we’d recommend working with professional garden designers. These professionals have the skills and experience necessary to renovate all landscapes and will work with you to create a custom plan for your outdoor space.
To ensure you are working with a suitable garden designer, see our post How to Choose the Right Garden Designer for Your Project.
With this understanding of the benefits of outdoor living and what it can mean for your home, it is time to consider how it can be implemented in your own garden. To do this, we need to address the key features of outdoor living and the specific garden design methods used to achieve these spaces:
A key feature of garden design is creating spaces for dining, relaxation and hosting. Your garden is now another room in the home, and therefore needs to provide space for hosting friends and family. Whether you are sharing a cup of coffee with friends or hosting a three-course al fresco dinner, your patio will be the centre of attention.
Beautifully crafted and installed from materials such as natural stone, porcelain, gravel, and composite decking, you can begin your outdoor living garden design with a dedicated space for most activities. To help you choose the ideal material for your patio, see our post Natural Stone Or Porcelain Paving?
It is essential that you pick an accessible and comfortable spot in the garden for your seating area, such as in the most sun-exposed corner or leading directly out from the back door. This can then be enhanced with weatherproof garden furniture, such as metal dining tables, treated wood seating or rattan sofas.
To extend the usability of your patio into the evenings, incorporate features like outdoor lighting and fire pits. Patio heaters, fairy lights and lanterns can create a comfortable atmosphere that is perfect for intimate dinner dates, family events or relaxing under the stars.
Cooking outdoors has come a long way in recent years. In outdoor living garden design, the humble barbecue has been modified and is now a complete outdoor kitchen. This dedicated area can be fitted with the latest modern appliances, benches, and worktops to make cooking outdoors easier than ever before.
Outdoor kitchens are designed for practicality, often placed close to the home for easy access. Frequently accompanied by a patio and dining area, kitchens are the focal point of your outdoor living garden design. They allow you to create an unforgettable atmosphere and transform every meal into a celebration.
To learn more about outdoor kitchen placement, see our post Where Should You Put Your Outdoor Kitchen?
For additional spark, outdoor kitchens can be kitted out with unique features like open grills and pizza ovens to accommodate your interests and skills.
Fire features are a top trend in outdoor living spaces across the UK as they make your garden safe, comfortable and inviting no matter the weather. With the fluctuating temperatures that can affect local regions in every season, having a fire pit or outdoor heaters allows you to use the garden at all times.
Much like outdoor kitchens, fire pits can become the centre of attention in your outdoor living garden design with the right placement and layout. Fire pits are a way to make seating areas, such as patios, more comfortable and offer a luxurious touch to standard outdoor spaces.
Whether you prefer a wood or gas-powered fire pit, these allow you to create a dedicated seating area in your outdoor living garden design. This space will become the living room of the garden, complete with comfortable seating and soft lighting like lanterns and candles.
Adorn these seating areas with structural potted plants, like ornamental grasses, and weatherproof soft furnishings to create a space that is just as comfortable as the inside of your home.
As the weather is unpredictable, having shelter from wind and rain is invaluable in garden design, and this can be achieved in several ways.
Depending on the kind of garden design you want to achieve, structures such as pergolas, louvred roofs or timber structures can be used to create sheltered garden rooms. These allow you to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor living, as they are comfortable yet still outdoors. With shelter, you can enjoy the sights and scents of the outdoor world without having to sacrifice your comfort or warmth.
Alternatively, garden rooms can be installed for year-round outdoor living garden design. Garden rooms take this trend a step further by providing a completely sheltered, separate space within your garden that can be used for hosting, relaxing or working. Garden rooms can be transformed into home offices, gyms, or guest accommodation based on your lifestyle, and are one of the best ways to make your outdoor space suitable for living.
Planting can be used to soften hard landscaping, create privacy and enhance ambience in all outdoor living environments with the right choices.
To complement your outdoor living garden design, consider planting such as:
Outdoor living garden design is a popular trend for homeowners looking to expand their properties without hefty construction fees or planning permission battles. Outdoor living spaces are designed for comfortable seating, relaxing and dining so you can make better use out of your landscape.
As a leading garden designer, Andy Stedman Design has helped many homeowners achieve their dream outdoor living space. We offer a comprehensive approach to garden design and can work with you to create the ideal outdoor living space for your needs.
To learn more about our services or book a consultation, contact us today.
Costs vary depending on size, materials, and whether features like outdoor kitchens or pergolas are included. A professional garden designer, like our team, can provide an accurate estimate after a site consultation.
Yes. With covered structures, weather-resistant materials, fire pits and proper lighting/heating, outdoor spaces can be enjoyed year-round.
Most simple structures don’t require planning permission, but larger pergolas, outbuildings, or installations with utilities, such as gas, electricity, and plumbing, may. A designer can assess this as part of the planning process and help you determine the best course of action.
