Outdoor Living Spaces: How to Make Your Backyard Feel Like a Second Home

With Washington’s rainy season lasting most days out of the year, it really makes those sunny days a time to be outside and enjoy! The end of spring and summer days with sunsets that last a little bit longer, we’re trying to spend all of it outside! Your home deserves to have a backyard that you’d want to spend sunrise to sunset in alone or with friends. Your home will also appreciate a nice refresh to enjoy those beautiful days in the sun!

Seattle Outdoor Living Space by Dana Webber Design Group

You can take the design of your outdoor living space to be as grand or intimate as you please! Whether imagining gatherings around a bar, barbecue or elegant dining area—perhaps all three- our mission is to actualize your backyard dreams!

Finding harmony between your indoor and outdoor realms is a reflection of you and your home’s identity! A seamless transition from your front façade to your backyard amplifies the allure of your home and will make it stand out to all your guests! Yet, there are still many different decisions to be made to make your outdoor space just as enjoyable and comfortable as your indoor one!

Protecting Your Space

One of the most important parts of blending the outdoors to indoors is how it connects to your home, if at all. There are many different directions it could be taken. A stand-alone structure within your backyard creates a great focal point that can be emphasized and decorated with the surrounding landscaping, or you could also extend a part of your home into the backyard to create a seamless indoor-outdoor feel. This also increase backyard space if you choose to use it as a garden or play space for children!

A pergola-styled roof can give some European charm to your home’s landscape. Pergolas provide the right amount of shade while allowing nature’s elements to interplay with your living space. Using a fabric canopy or awning is another interesting way to cover part of your backyard. Through the many different shapes and forms they come in, a fabric awning can cast enchanting shadows and dappling light across your patio. Both of these offer protection and permeability, creating a delicate balance between shelter and exposure.

An independent pergola structure over a cute and rustic dining and barbecue area

Extending part of your roof is always an option too! This might be the best choice if you’re choosing to have a more cohesive “indoor/outdoor feeling” to your home. The extension can be as big or small as you choose it to be!  

A fully covered outdoor living space that has ample lighting and heating

Perfect harmony of covered and uncovered spaces with the same roof

As shown in some of these photos, the structure can be completely covered allowing recessed lighting and easier controls of how much light can be used during darker times. By contrast, you can extend your roof into a pergola-like extension. The structure of the home and outdoor living space are connected but using a pergola-styled roof keeps some distinction between your indoor and outdoor space because of how exposed your patio will be exposed to the elements. A happy medium between the two is shown in the picture below, where some areas of your roof expose full light while others are covered. This would be a great option if you want to keep a seating area exposed to the light while a barbecue area can be protected from potential rain, etc.

Materiality within Your Backyard

Using organic materials to form zones and spaces within your backyard is a great way to create different focal points throughout your yard. For example, using stone pavers as a pathway or to outline your outdoor living space is fun way to create “organized chaos” with natural materials. Pavers are also a great way to designate more sedentary versus playful areas.

Using pavers to set furniture on creates distinct zone between areas of play and gathering.

Plants are also a great way to form paths and smaller spaces within your backyard!  Using taller hedges to create a boundary between a child’s play area and a small seating area is a great example of using organic materials to your advantages. Even using small shrubs and groundcover to outline a path is a fun way to create visual interest and organization to your backyard.

A Tudor garden that uses plant beautifully to layout and organize space

Similarly, adding wood features to your outdoor living space will warm up the area in general and create a nice contract to the typical greens we see within the backyard. Using wood furniture pieces such as tables, chairs or to accent a barbecue area creates a more “rustic feel” that we all love to see in the backyard.

The use of stone creates great visual contrast, but adding some wood accents to this barbecue area adds some warmth without being too much.

Illuminating Your Outdoor Living Space

Exterior lighting is just as important as interior lighting especially if you plan on spending many summer nights in your backyard! Its versatility allows you to craft an ambience that suits your mood, whether whimsical or contemplative. String lights are always a cost-effective option to add across your backyard to give it some charm. While using wall sconces with a diffused covering can soften the light and make it a moodier space. Recessed lights (as pictured earlier) ensure your outdoor area remains inviting long after  the sun descends.

Compared to other images, this area relies mainly on the fire’s glow and soft lighting from the wall sconces that make it a dimly-lit but pleasant space to sit around.

Another great source of light that’s a bit more playful for everyone is your fireplace! An outdoor fireplace is a great focal point and gives off enough light and warmth for all to enjoy! While you might enjoy more light than your fire’s glow to illuminate your indoor living space, it is a great option especially if you want to keep your backyard to maintain its organic essence over a structured design.

This fireplace creates a great focal point while giving off light and warmth to those around it!

In Washington, every sunny day is a gift. Your outdoor living space will become a sanctuary and place to savor nature’s beauty while creating lasting memories with loved ones and friends! So, embrace the possibilities of your dream oasis and let us help you create an outdoor living space you’ll never want to leave!