How To Create Elegant Outdoor Spaces for Your Home

2 years ago
3 min read
By Default Admin

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Kiwis love relaxing and entertaining outdoors. Creating the perfect outdoor entertainment area at your property can be challenging but rewarding. From choosing comfortable furniture to decorating the space with the right lighting, there’s a lot to consider. Below the Latitude Homes team offers some outdoor area ideas to get you inspired and dreaming of long, warm summer nights spent entertaining family and friends.

OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM

Interested in sprucing up your backyard with something unique and beautiful? Why not create a new patio area? A covered patio area maximises usable space on your property, allowing outdoor areas to be used throughout the year for relaxing and entertaining. Some outdoor patio ideas to consider include:

Stone pavers are an elegant and affordable option - with a range of colours & many ways they can be laid out
Cover with a pergola or retractable awning
Outdoor kitchen or BBQ area for entertaining
Vertical garden with herbs - make sure it's close to the kitchen or BBQ area
A fire-pit to sit around during colder months

With the right selection of outdoor furniture and plants, you can really make your patio area pop and provide a unique atmosphere for your home that accentuates outdoor living.

PERGOLAS

Whether freestanding or attached to your home, pergolas are a striking and functional addition to any home. Featuring cross rafters with no solid walls, you can enjoy a light, airy place to relax, dine or simply enjoy your garden or backyard. Pergolas make a perfect place for climbing plants/vines to intertwine themselves up and along, or you can add hanging plants from their beams. Or really set the scene of relaxation and attach a hanging chair to your pergola and wrap some festoons over the rafters, your options are endless.

RETRACTABLE AWNINGS

An outdoor awning is a simple and elegant way to add shade and protection to your outdoor space. They offer the same advantages as a traditional pergola but save more space and offer a modern look. Many awnings are also retractable, allowing you the flexibility of switching between enjoying the sunlight and providing shade. When motorised, outdoor awnings offer incredible convenience and add sophistication to your space.

CONSIDER PLANTS

Adding potted plants, is a quick way to add colour and interest to an area. Adding Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) in extra-large pots with a vining plant such as Star-Jasmine below creates an instant tropical feel. Or you can add a vertical garden filled with herbs next to your outdoor kitchen. Or adding herbs between pavers so their scents wafts up as you walk over, thyme is great for this with it's light aroma.

OTHER OUTDOOR AREA IDEAS

Get creative with how you want your outdoor spaces to work. Some other interesting outdoor area ideas include:

Outdoor spa
Pizza oven
Hanging chairs
A fountain or water feature

Style/theme will always be an essential factor when considering outdoor spaces. You want your outdoor spaces to look great and match the rest of your property aesthetically.

EXPLORE HOUSE FLOOR PLANS AT LATITUDE HOMES

Looking for a newly built home? At Latitude Homes, we have a range of great house plans available across New Zealand. Explore our house floor plans today or get in touch with our team if you have any questions.