If you haven’t done so already, NOW is the time to organize a good plan together for your OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE! Whether simple or complex, all successful plans will help you avoid mistakes, save you time, and maximize the function! In all cases, as we MARCH into Spring, the consideration of TEXTURE is important and the opportunities are endless!

The opportunity to add texture in this example is clear! Woven outdoor pieces compliment the trees and bark of the space in color as well! Adding more neutral base cushions lets the client “re-create” the space each year by adding pops of colors with toss pillows and other accents. Notice how the brick in the second example successfully pulls directly from the home. One feels as if this a natural extension of the indoor space!

The textures are obvious in this next possibility and demonstrate a good example of what may go “wrong” in another wise beautiful outdoor addition. The idea of using stone textures to balance the softer natural grass and plantings is well played. However, the overuse of stone without any softening agents like fabrics or rugs make the covered dining area feel heaving and out of sync with the green-space beyond! While there is a good amount of fabric shown we almost miss it as all the pieces wash together. The idea of metal furniture only adds to the many “hard” textures which have already been committed in the floor, fireplace, and even the ceilings. Beautiful spaces that are out of BALANCE may not satisfy in the end!

The next example is what one might consider a perfect success! The extension of the viewable structure by adding the pool house to match, columns away from the immediate structure and green accents inside the new space are perfect ways to use texture! The stone columns create a fluid extension and the consistent use of the SAME texture makes it work!

Bringing natural and softer textures of the grassy space and plantings into the conversation area is clever. Simple idea really, the color choice is perfect too! One cannot disseminate where nature starts and man ends! Well done!

The final outdoor space for your consideration is one that takes an otherwise useless back yard and transforms it into a daily escape from everyday life! Because the back is immediately sloped into wooded area there was not much to be done. We started with a deck to create useable square footage and finished it in wood plank texture to blend with nature and white railings to compliment the home. We were then able to add pops of color in year one and more color in year two! This was done with the accents! The texture in woven frames conversation area, the more neutral tones of seat cushions blending into the texture of siding on the home, and the use of plantings to bring the woods and other natural textures into place are why this feels like a vacation retreat in the client’s own back yard… literally!   

In the end, your outdoor addition should offer months of comfortable living! Creating spaces using a good plan the may even be completed in stages will ensure a successful get-away for this period of time! Balance through function, style, color, and pattern are all required. BALANCE through good use of TEXTURE is a clever but essential addition to the list! Have a great Spring 2018 and share your outdoor living spaces with us on our Facebook Page… COOPORRIS18 – Space Planning & Design!