Hi, I'm Lisa from Grapevine
Designs, and today we're going
to talk about designing your
outdoor space.
A well designed outdoor space
really maximizes the potential
of how you're going to use your
space and you can enjoy it with
friends and family for multiple
months of the year.
When you're planning your
outdoor space, you need to
decide first, how you want it
to function. Are you going to
sit in the sun and read a book?
Are you wanting to dine,
entertain, cook?
First, decide what's most
important to you and then you
can figure out how to plan your
space. Here we have a fairly
large square footage so we were
able to achieve a number of
functions. We have an area to
dine and then we have a
lounging area where we can have
seating for multiple guests.
We can cook or we can just sit
and enjoy our morning coffee.
Next to you want to consider the
aesthetic of your outdoor
space. You really want it to be
an extension of the interior of
your home. Of course, you can
change up some of the colors,
but you really want it to be
consistent with what you've got
going on inside.
Ultimately, you don't want to
feel like somebody else's
backyard. When you think about
the furniture placement, think
about how you move in your
space. We move most often from
the door to the pool or the
barbecue to the dining table.
So you want to make sure you
have adequate space in those
areas to move around.
Then think about what you're
looking at or what you want to
look at here.
We want to look at the
fireplace and we want to look
at the pool. So the primary
seating is situated to have
the best view of those two
areas. Now that you've planned
the layout of your outdoor
space, you get to go to the fun
part and that's buying the
furniture. This piece of
furniture is our family
favourite. We are always
fighting over a spot on this
chaise. I think, because it's
super comfortable with all the
cushions. But with the cushions
come a bit of work. You can buy
furniture that have no cushions
and that's really low
maintenance, but it's not as
comfortable. You can buy covers
for your furniture, but you
just need to consider whether
removing the cover is going to
deter you from using the
furniture. So for us, what we
do is, although these are
outdoor cushions, when it
rains, it takes a long time to
dry out. So when we know it's
going to rain or we're going to
go away, we just drag all this
stuff under cover.
The seat cushion for this
furniture, it's made from
reticulated foam.
So it's a much more porous foam
which allows the rainwater to
run right through and it
doesn't get absorbed.
However, if it gets wet, you're
still going to need to give it
time to dry out.
It's always a good idea to use
outdoor forms for your
cushions. This one is not it's
a feather. It's just this is
under cover and it's just much
more comfortable to use a
feather cushion, but it's just
not going to stand the test of
time. This cushion is made
from outdoor form.
And as you can see, it's just
stiffer and it's just not as
comfortable. But it will stand
up to the elements.
You really want to consider
using outdoor fabric, because
it just will stand up to the
sun and the rain, especially if
they are going to be exposed to
the elements. This cushion here
was not an outdoor cushion and
it's faded and it's gotten wet
and not dried out properly.
And it's turned mildewy.
So that's just the risk that
you run if you don't use an
outdoor fabric, and that won't
happen to these ones. Another
thing you want to consider is
the position of the sun.
For example, if the setting sun
is shining on your dining
table, it's just going to be
too hot to eat there and you'll
never use it. So something to
really take into consideration.
Also, if the sun is shining on
your furniture, you want to
make sure that it's made out of
UV resistant material.
Otherwise it'll start to break
down. Another really nice thing
to add to outdoor spaces is
candles. They just add another
extra element that is just
really warm and cozy.
Just make sure that they're not
exposed to the direct sunlight
because you'll find that
they'll be in a puddle at the
end of the day. You can also
get candles that are great for
repelling mosquitoes.
If that's an issue in your area
and it's definitely an issue in
ours, you might want to
consider getting citronella
candles. Right now, there's
just some great products that
really help in repelling the
mosquitoes, but my favourite is
just to diffuse some citronella
oil in a diffuser.
And that seems to do the trick.
And if there's any way that you
can add a fire to your outdoor
space, fire tables are really
popular right now.
There's just nothing like
gathering around a fire.
But depending on the fire table
that you purchase, it might not
be super great to provide heat.
So if that's a consideration,
you might want to go for a
fireplace. If that's not
possible, then there's just a
wide variety of heaters -
overhead, standing, gas,
electric. Those are great at
throwing heat. And it just
allows you to sit outside
longer in the evening and even
longer into the year.
Choosing the right outdoor
furniture can be a great way to
expand your living space, but
make sure you have enough home
insurance coverage at the same
time. Just like your indoor
furniture, most home insurance
policies will include your
outdoor furniture as part of
your personal property
coverage. This is because it
faces most of the same risks,
like fire or water damage.
But outdoor furniture faces a
few additional risks, like
theft or the elements.
Think about the elements.
Wind, hail and even theft are a
much greater concern for your
outdoor furniture than the
property you keep inside the
house. Also, keep in mind that
certain types of damage are not
going to be covered by your
home insurance policy, like
wear and tear or discoloration
caused by exposure to sunlight.
Remember to think about how
you're going to protect and
store your outdoor furniture
either at the end of the season
or when you're not home to use
it. Preventing damage from
occurring is still the most
convenient and cheapest way to
go, instead of making claims
under your home insurance
policy. Finally, keep in mind
that your outdoor living space
is more easy for the public to
access. So make sure it's kept
in safe condition at all times
to reduce the chance that
someone could be hurt and
create liability issues for you
down the road. For more
information, visit
Squareoneinsurance.com.
Keep in mind, every home is
unique, but hopefully with the
information we've talked about
today, you can design an
outdoor space that's perfect
for you. Thanks for watching.
See you next time.