Planning
Designing an Outdoor Living Space for Fall Enjoyment
Story Highlights
With cooler temperatures, vibrant colored foliage, and wonderful scents in the air, Fall is an absolutely remarkable time to be outdoors. Whether planning a patio, deck, or poolscape, you'll want to include elements that will enhance your outdoor living during the Fall season.
In this article, we provide ideas that will help you create the perfect fall-friendly outdoor living space.
The no-brainer:
Include a Fire Feature
There are few things more inviting than a fire feature during the autumn season. The flickering glow of the flames, the sound of crackling embers, and the unbeatable scent of a wood-burning fire are all quintessential elements of this time of year. Whether it's an outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or fire wall, a fire feature is an absolute must for enjoying your outdoor living space during the Fall.
Consider adding a...
Grill for Game Days
Though it is also a staple of the Spring and Summer seasons, many could argue that grilling is best in the Fall. Grilled and smoked meats are essential for Game Day parties and a great way to upgrade holiday staples like turkey and ham. Whether it's a grill island, an expansive outdoor kitchen, or a nice standalone unit, make sure that your outdoor living space is equipped for Fall grilling.
Another game day essential:
Outdoor Television
Outdoor televisions are a fast-growing trend in outdoor living. One of the biggest reasons for this rise in popularity is sporting events. Instead of choosing between watching the game and doing your outdoor chores, outdoor televisions allow you to do both without sacrifice. Additionally, outdoor televisions allow you to transform game day gatherings into a tailgating-like experience with grilled foods and yard games.
Design Plenty of Room for
Outdoor Dining
As temperatures begin to drop and insects die off, outdoor dining becomes even more inviting. When designing your outdoor living space, be sure to plan plenty of room for dining. If entertaining larger groups is a possibility, be sure to incorporate extra space for large or multiple tables that might be needed outside of everyday use.
If the temperatures are mild and the weather is clear, consider hosting Thanksgiving outdoors this year.
early sunsets increase the importance of...
Low Voltage Lighting
With the time change and earlier sunsets, outdoor lighting is of the utmost importance for enjoying your outdoor living space in the fall. To create a balanced lighting plan, be sure to mix up the style of fixtures. Consider wall lights on sitting walls, pillars, and steps. Light up walkways and areas of egress with path lights. Highlight your house, trees, and special features with uplights. And finally, whether on a pergola, pavilion, or a set of mounting posts, be sure to make a plan for bistro string lights.
soften, brighten, & compliment with Fall
Landscape Interest
When planning the landscape portion of your project, be sure to include plants that provide Autumn interest. For quintessential fall foliage consider maples, crape myrtles, and cherry trees along with shrubs like burning bush, fothergilla, and viburnum. To complement the warm-colored foliage, add fall-blooming plants that offer cool-colored flowers. Consider shrubs, like camellias and encore azaleas, and perennials, like asters, anemone, and chrysanthemums.
Extent your Swim season:
Add a Heater
In your backyard, the swim season doesn't have to end on Labor Day. In Central Virginia, we often have very mild Fall seasons where temperatures regularly find their way back into the upper 70's and lower 80's. With a heater, your swim season can extend through the Fall. Pair it with an automatic cover that insulates the heat and you will increase the heater's effectiveness and efficiency. At Outdoor Dreams, we've had clients swim well into the holiday season.
Another warm water opTion...
Include a Hot Tub
Another great way to enjoy the water during the Fall season is to add a hot tub to your patio, deck, or poolscape. Whether it's built-in or a standalone feature, hot tubs are a great way to stay warm outdoors during cooler weather. Design it close to an outdoor television or fire feature to increase the usability and ambiance.
Holiday Decorating Tips for your Patio or Deck
Holiday Decorating Tips for your Patio or Deck
Whether you're incorporating your outdoor living space into your holiday gatherings or you simply want to see something festive when you look out your back windows, our tips will help you to create a beautiful holiday scene on your patio, deck, or porch.
Tips for Grilled and Smoked Chili
Tips for Grilled and Smoked Chili
Whether it's for a game day party, a chili cook off, or just a run of the mill Tuesday, we recommend kicking your chili up a notch by making it outdoors. In this article we provide all of the tips you need to prepare chili on your grill or smoker.
Landscape Plants That Create Stunning Bouquets
Landscape Plants That Create Stunning Bouquets
In this article, we suggest a wide variety of landscape plants that can be used to make wonderful and unique flower arrangements. We hope that this comprehensive list inspires you to start clipping the garden and bringing it inside!