Tips for designing an outdoor living room you'll love

As the divide between indoor and outdoor living space continues to blur, homeowners and designers continue to think up new ways to enjoy the outdoors. Living room furniture and design ideas are perfect for helping connect two spaces with comfort and functionality.

While designing an outdoor living room is similar to designing an indoor space, there are some specific ideas you can use as inspiration:

Use plants as a focal point

While an indoor living room commonly features a television as a focal point, it can be more practical to turn to nature in designing your outdoor space. Try creating a focal point with plants instead. A single tree or collection of container plants add greenery and depth to the outdoor room. To save space, you can plant a living wall or horizontal garden as a focal point.

Break up the space with levels

Creating multiple levels in outdoor spaces can create the illusion of more space while also adding a cozy vibe. To use this design tip, try creating a classic sunken room design by raising your deck or patio surface. You can also define your outdoor room using raised garden beds, platforms and plant stands of varying heights.

Illuminate with an outdoor lighting scheme

With the right lighting, you can enjoy the ambiance and functionality of your outdoor living room well into the evenings. Start by bringing the traditional indoor lighting concepts outside: combine ambient, task and accent lighting outdoors for a perfectly lit space. Solar lights are environmentally friendly and an extremely low maintenance choice for illuminating your space.

Create a seamless flow

The flow of a room is just as important outdoors as indoors. Make sure to arrange outdoor furniture with accessibility and comfort in mind. If you need additional methods of creating flow and definition between other parts of the yard, you can mix flooring materials like pavers to designate boundaries and create pathways.

Along with your outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area, an outdoor living room will provide you hours of comfort and enjoyment of your outdoor space.