If you want to create a cosy outdoor space, choosing the right lounge outdoor setting along with appropriate decor will go a long way to helping you achieve your vision. Conveying the right atmosphere in your outdoor spaces can take a little bit of work, but once you have the balance right, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits that come with a cosy outdoor area. Read on to find out how.
Section Off a Smaller Outdoor Area
Feeling cosy is often about creating a sense of intimacy and sociability amongst guests. One of the best ways you can instantly achieve this sense of intimacy is to simply section off a smaller area of your outdoor space. This area should be specifically designated for dining and spending time with your friends and family. This also means that you can get away with having a more compact lounge outdoor setting, saving you money and time setting up a large number of furniture pieces and arranging them.
Include Some Creature Comforts
A great way to make yourself and any guests using your lounge outdoor setting feel cosy is to simply include some creature comforts from your indoor environment. This can include things such as your favourite type of chair, extra storage, or even blankets and throws that can be placed on top of your outdoor furniture. Including some of your personal creature comforts in your lounge outdoor setting will give it a bit of a personal touch which can help guests to relax and feel cosy, as the space won’t feel so formal.
Consider Functionality
Although your goal is to make the space cosy and relaxed, you should still consider its functional merits. The functional needs of the space will understandably vary from person to person, but ideally, you’ll want to have enough furniture and enough space to accommodate the occupants of the house as well as a few extra guests. Also try to design the space so that any tools and utensils you use frequently are kept within arm’s reach. Deciding exactly what the space will be used for is also smart at this stage, as a space intended as a cosy place to read a book is going to look and function much differently to a space intended to host family gatherings and parties.
Add a Low Ceiling
While it may not feel intuitive to try to create a sense of feeling contained when designing your outdoor spaces, feeling cosy almost always requires it. By adding a low ceiling, you can instantly create a feeling of relaxed constraint in your outdoor space. If you add a low ceiling to your outdoor space, it’s important to consider how this could affect your lounge outdoor setting, as your furniture arrangement may not work as well with a ceiling or canopy type covering.
Lighting
Lighting is another great way that you can optimise the cosiness and relaxed feeling of your outdoor lounge space. The right lighting will create just the right amount of ambience to help your space feel instantly more comfortable and soothing. While there are many outdoor candles, fairy lights and lanterns on the market designed to create ambience in outdoor areas, you’ll also need to consider how running these lights may impact your energy bills. Solar outdoor lighting is another option you could consider to keep costs down, as these types of lights tend to be more energy efficient.