How to Create a Year-Round Outdoor Living Room

June 19, 2012
Patio Design

Modern outdoor living accessories make it simple to create an outdoor room that’s comfortable enough to sit in all day. Here are some of our favorite ways to turn your porch or patio into an outdoor living room.

Buy Lounge-able Furniture Once upon a time, comfortable, attractive, well-made outdoor furniture was impossible to find. Now it’s everywhere. You can get couches, easy chairs, and matching pillows that look like they should be inside your home but are built to withstand the outdoors. They’re built with durable, easy-to-clean materials and come in every color imaginable.

Create Comfort for All Seasons
If you want to enjoy your outdoor living room year round, consider adding some cooling elements for the summer months and heating for the winter.

In the summer, the easiest way to stay cool outside is to install ceiling fans on your patio cover. Fans have the added benefit of keeping bugs away.

To stay warm, you have a few more options. Heating lamps are a great option and come in a variety of styles and price ranges. Outdoor fireplaces are an even more attractive option and can add to the overall value of your home.

Get Rid of Bugs!
No one wants to spend time in an outdoor living room if they’re constantly scratching – so come up with a plan to keep the bugs away. The most economical option is to buy mosquito repelling candles, but you will have to purchase quite a few to keep mosquitoes off your patio.

Adding a screen to your outdoor living room and creating a screened-in porch is a very effective way to keep bugs away. If you want to keep things more open, a mosquito misting system will keep your outdoor living room virtually bug free.