People are imagining the extension of indoor living qualities into backyards everywhere, blurring the line between coming in and going out. Influenced by the sluggish economy folks are taking fewer vacations. National home and gardening experts predict integrating outdoor living into daily life will continue to grow in popularity. With people working long, hard days and tending to stay home more, it is especially convenient to have an outdoor place of their own to turn to. Homeowners are expanding their interior sanctuaries beyond the back door to create exterior living spaces with amenities that range from patios with all-weather furniture and outdoor lighting to fireplaces, pergolas and outdoor kitchens. It comes as no surprise that during these warmer months we move more of our attention toward the outdoors. Thoughts of sipping cool beverages relaxing on cozy lounges and backyard barbeques instantly come to mind at the mere mention of summer. The last few years, however, have brought a dramatic increase in the dollars and time spent on improving our outdoor living spaces, and designers have responded to this trend and are seeking to provide us with our ideal backyard paradise, a space to relax and renew the soul.

Courtyards and patios have been an important architectural feature for thousands of years, and through time, their popularity has not waned. Today these outdoor living spaces play both a decorative and functional role where water, walls, lighting, plants and sky all combine to convey security, calm and quiet. In Chinese culture, wind and water are associated with good health. Feng means wind and shui means water. Feng Shui is based on the Taoist vision and understanding of nature, particularly on the idea that the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy. Feng Shui is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. The goal of feng shui as practiced today is to situate the human built environment on spots with good Chi; the \”perfect spot\” is a location and an axis in time. Outdoor living spaces and backyards are places of good Chi. Backyards have always been hubs for relaxation and gathering, a private haven to get away from it all. Today, almost any activity you enjoy inside your home you can bring to the outside.

While backyards have never truly been simple nor ordinary; outdoor living spaces are becoming increasingly popular for many reasons. People are choosing to create backyard retreats where they can relax, entertain, and spend time with their family and friends. Most backyard escape havens include a swimming pool with a grill, fire pit, and lavish gardens, but now there are more items than ever to choose from to create the backyard of your dreams. Most of us take pride in our homes, investing countless hours rearranging and remodeling the interior. But it can also be refreshing to step out of the confines of the inside and spend some time outside. It\’s especially enjoyable during the spring, summer and fall months. When the weather is favorable, it\’s difficult to miss out on a nice day outside.

Why stay cooped up inside when it’s simple to extend the livable portion of one’s property by creating outdoor living spaces? It certainly isn\’t difficult to build outdoor living spaces. We take it for granted that our houses are divided into rooms, but the concept of having similar \”outdoor living spaces\” may sound odd, at first. Indeed, the biggest impediment standing in most people\’s way is that it just doesn\’t occur to them to divide up a yard so as to maximize their enjoyment of it. Not consciously, at least. Yet the more conscious we become of outdoor living spaces, the more we can tailor them to suit our needs. Spending time outside doesn\’t mean we have to forfeit our creature comforts. With a few small changes homeowners can make their outdoor space comfortable and inviting. Turning a yard, patio, porch or other outdoor area into a well-designed living space will be a rewarding enterprise.

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Category: Home Management
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