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7 Ways to Improve Your Outdoor Living Space for Year-Round Use
Did you know that spending more time outside is associated with a number of physical and mental health benefits?
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Realistically, though, Americans spend very little time outdoors. The EPA reports that the average American spends 90% of their time indoors.
Do you have a backyard that you feel like you don't get any use out of for most of the year? It doesn't have to be that way!
Check out these 7 ways you can improve your outdoor living space so you can use it year-round.
7 Ways to Improve Your Outdoor Living Space for Year-Round U
1. Build an Enclosed Patio
Patios are an awesome addition to any backyard, but when you enclose them with a roof or walls they become spaces you can enjoy year-round.
Covered outdoor living spaces, even if only partially covered, can help reduce cool winds blowing through and ruining your otherwise pleasant evening. When you have a roof over your patio, you can even enjoy raining days without getting soaked.
You can wall in your patio with screens or even just temporary barriers. This can help contain heat when you need to and block wind. Temporary wind barriers can be made even with a line of tall potted plants. Other options are adding outdoor curtains or privacy screens, which make your space more private and less susceptible to the chilly wind and rain.
2. Add a Heat Source
One of the best ways to extend your outside-time is by adding some heat near your seating areas. Whether you have outdoor living spaces with a fireplace or simply a firepit, there's nothing quite like sitting around a hot fire on a cool night with good friends.
Why not break out the smores supplies and make a night of it? If you're feeling really adventurous, why not play cowboy and cook your whole meal over the fire?
3. Illuminate Your Space
As the summer ends, the sun starts going down earlier. To help extend the amount of time you can use your outdoor space, install lighting to help brighten up your backyard.
There are so many stylish and interesting options when it comes to outdoor lighting. You can choose either LED or solar options, and you can mark your paths with lights, install them as spotlights, or hang trendy string lights.
4. Add an Outdoor Kitchen
Whether your outdoor kitchen consists of a grill or a fully functional second kitchen, cooking outside is one of the joys of life. There's no reason to stop grilling when summer turns to fall. When you have enclosed outdoor living spaces, it becomes even more possible to cook outside even through the winter.
Outdoor kitchens can help keep your house cool in the summer, increase the value of your home, and expand your living space. Entertaining becomes a breeze when you have an outdoor kitchen, too, as you don't have to constantly abandon your guests to grab stuff from the kitchen.
5. Make Your Outdoor Living Space Cozy and Beautiful
When decks and outdoor living spaces are enclosed, it means you can go all out making them cozy environments. By adding blankets, pillows, and throws to your outdoor furniture, you and your family will be much more likely to want to spend time out there all year.
Additionally, making your space beautiful will encourage you to spend more time out there. There is even some research to support that spaces that are beautifully designed support both emotional and psychological wellness, as well as foster collective community unity and engagement.
To help create a beautiful space you love spending time in, add some potted plants, sculptures, art, and furniture you adore. Make the space a sanctuary that you look forward to relaxing in after a hard day's work. You could even grow some seasonal vegetables and herbs in your outdoor space to use in your outdoor kitchen!
Similarly, consider decorating your outdoor space to suit the seasons and the holidays. This can be a fun project that helps you and your family acknowledge the changing of the seasons and the passage of time.
6. Get Weather-Resistant Outdoor Furniture
You probably won't spend much time outside if you don't have anywhere to sit. There are a variety of materials that garden furniture can be made with that makes it weather-resistant.
You can increase the lifespan of your lawn furniture by bringing in the cushions when it snows or rains. Even so, weather-resistant furniture should last you several seasons.
7. Install a Hot Tub
It's common for people to have outdoor living spaces with a pool, but why not have a hot tub, too? Hot tubs can be used year-round, and there's nothing quite like jumping in a hot tub on a cold winter's night.
Hot tubs aren't just great for entertaining, but they come bundled with a long list of health benefits. Using a hot tub can help you sleep better, decrease your stress and anxiety, ease your sore muscles, relieve symptoms of arthritis, and more.
Make Your Outdoor Living Space Your Favorite Spot on the Property!
Spending time outside can lead to significant health benefits. Studies have found that spending time in nature can help fight depression, improve memory, lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, eliminates fatigue, and reduce inflammation.
While we can't all afford to spend all day, every day hiking beautiful mountains, we can put a little time and energy into sprucing up our backyards! Any combination of these outdoor living space improvements will make you more likely to spend more of the year outside.
Did you find this article about making your outdoor living space year-round-friendly helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!
About the Author Laura Bennett
Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.
