Creating a New Outdoor Space

Even if you live in an apartment or your home doesn’t have much outside, you can still carve out an area to enjoy some outdoor living and enlarge your home’s overall footprint. At F&R Interiors serving the greater Los Angeles area, we have a few suggestions for how to approach creating your new outdoor space so that you can get the most of the area and enjoy it for years to come.

All Spaces Are Unique

From size to location to view to orientation, each yard, deck, patio, and home are different, and each person will have different goals for the space. Your yard might get lots of sun, while someone else’s might get lots of shade. You might want a quiet escape, while someone else is looking for extra space to entertain. Start by clarifying your goals for your new outdoor living area—that way, you can make the most of your budget and best achieve the look and functionality you want.

How to Start

We’ve often counseled that the best way to start is to look at the outdoor space the same way you would an interior space—measure it, graph it out, and plan for the features you want. If you’re someone who likes to entertain, think about seating, and be sure it will fit in the area. If your space is very small, you might need to lean on some clever space-saving solutions—but it’s all still doable.

Features to Consider

Think about how sun might impact your outdoor living space—you might need to add a pergola or sturdy umbrellas if it’s too sunny. Another consideration is airflow—will you need a ceiling fan? Or if the area catches too much wind, think about a hedge or a wind wall as a barrier. To add some beauty and demarcation, think about an outdoor rug, and if you need storage, look for furniture that doubles as a storage box or add cleverly disguised wall hangings that can hold your necessaries. Adding tiers can make your small space look larger—a raised plant bed or even large potted plants can give your area an aura of greater size. And don’t forget the lighting! If you will use your space in the evening or at night, you’ll appreciate light for safety and to set the mood. Walkway lighting (much of which you can find solar-powered), party lights, or even strings of lights can set the tone for your area.

Hunter Douglas Window Fashions

For a flexible sun screen, wind screen, and UV ray screen, explore designer screen shades from Hunter Douglas. They can provide privacy so passersby or peeping toms can’t see into your space. If your outdoor living area borders your home, it might impact your interior window fashions as well—if you’ve added a shade element outside, maybe you only need privacy protection or something with view-through inside, or perhaps just draperies. No matter the case, if your situation inside has changed because you changed your situation outside, consider upgrading your current window coverings—be sure to speak with one of our specialists today!

Outdoor Living in the Brentwood & Sherman Oaks CA Area

At F&R Interiors, we’ve been serving the Greater Los Angeles since 1990, with a showroom at 1529 S. Robertson Blvd. We offer the full line of Hunter Douglas window treatments including beautiful custom curtains, top treatments, pillows, and more. Our personalized service, quality products, and professional installation services ensures you’ll find the perfect window treatment solution for your home or business.

We service the Greater Los Angeles area including Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, and San Fernando Valley, CA and surrounding areas. Contact us for more details.