Home and Garden Design Ideas

What Do You Want Your Space to Be?

What is your motivation for creating an outdoor area? Is it to spend time with family, establish a private oasis, or for dining? Set your goal early and stick to it, or procrastination and distractions may take over.

Existing Obstacles

The location of your new space is crucial for effective design and planning. Is it south-facing? Detached from the house? Are there limitations due to fences, pools, or other structures? Do you need to consider your neighbours? Instead of letting these factors deter you, incorporate them into your design and make them features.

Seasonality

Is your space intended for just the summer months, or do you plan to use it throughout the year? Take into account the weather, sun positioning, and prevailing winds in your planning. Setting up a new patio in a spot where the sun never reaches will be of little use, which is suboptimal in the long run.

Size & Shape

Maximising the use of your space is crucial; every inch should be considered during the planning phase. Think about the various uses you’ll want throughout the life of your property, including space for dining, drinking, relaxing, and playing with the kids. The shape of the area is also important—consider how you can utilise the natural curves and lines of your space.

Continuity & Consistency

If you’ve invested time and money into the design and enhancements around your home, ensure that your outdoor space complements this. Creating a seamless experience will make everything feel cohesive and well thought-out.

Budget

When setting your budget, determine how much you’re willing to spend and how you want to allocate it. While it’s tempting to look for cheaper options, avoid cutting too many corners. There are aspects of an outdoor area where compromising on quality is not advisable.

Outdoor shade is so important to enjoyment. Here’s a few solutions to outdoor shade.

Outdoor Umbrellas

Umbrellas are a very popular choice because they’ve got all the key features homeowners need. They’re stylish, flexible and provide UV protection while remaining very easy and cost-free to maintain and can last 10 years or more when you purchase a quality solution. Outdoor patio umbrellas are popular all over the globe.

Shade Sails

A popular permanent solution for shade, you can use them to create interesting shapes. They can be difficult to get down to clean and maintain, and their large coverage area tends to collect a lot of foliage.

Awnings

Wall mounted awnings are quite practical for deployment but the excessive moving parts and strain from the weight can cause them to become damaged, twisted and not work all too often. Great for covering a deck that’s lined up right next to your home.

Pergolas

These are permanent structures topped with open rafters. They look good but may not be the best solution if you need full shade. They also need regular re-staining or re-painting to maintain. Best paired with an outdoor umbrella or another shade solution to provide comfortable shade.

Louvre Systems

These structures function like interior blinds and are mounted above the area you are looking to shade. They are made of aluminium. Despite looking good, they are the most expensive shade system available and are inflexible. Difficult to maintain and repair, they’re best for outdoor rooms that convert to a full inside room during winter.

Retractable Screens

When the sun gets low or the wind blows, retractable screens are handy. They protect from angled sun rays and provide additional privacy. With the retractable option, they can be lifted when needed. Good, basic protection from low-angle sun, but they do require a permanent structure to mount off and are therefore another system that is best off having a symbiotic relationship with other shade solutions.