Functional Space Ideas
Many of us neglect our backyards. The majority of our focus when it comes to our properties lies on the maintenance and improvement of our interiors. While this makes sense (seeing as we tend to spend more of our time indoors than outdoors), it’s also a shame that we tend to let the potential of our outdoor spaces go to such waste. After all, with a little work and dedication, our backyards could prove to be accommodating areas where we could spend plenty of time enjoying ourselves. So, it’s time to make a change! Here are a few different things that you can do in order to make your backyard a truly functional space!
Invest in Seating
If you intend to spend time in your backyard, your first focus should be seating. Why? Well, you’re only going to stay outdoors for so long if you have to stand the whole time. Your legs will quickly become weary and you’ll retreat indoors to the comfort of your sofa. If you have outdoor seating options, you can spend hours at a time away from the interiors of your property. If you want to go cheap, a standard plastic garden chair will do. However, these are likely to crack or break with extended use. Preferable options include deck chairs, wooden garden tables and chairs, or even outdoor suites that will have comfortable cushions.
Create Cover
While you may want to spend more time outdoors, you may not necessarily want to be exposed to the elements at all times. The good news is that you can consider covered decks, which will allow you to sit outside while providing you with a form of shelter at the same time. This way, you really can have your cake and eat it!
Invest in a BBQ
When it’s hot out, nobody wants to be slaving away over a hot stove in a sweaty kitchen. So why not take your culinary skills outdoors? A BBQ is great for all sorts of occasions. Whether you’re just feeding the family or are entertaining more guests. It allows you to make food while still engaging with all the fun that’s happening outside. Now, there are plenty of disposable BBQs out there, but it’s easy to under-cook food on them and difficult to feed more than a couple of people at a time. Instead, you should invest in a high quality gas BBQ. This will cook food more evenly and can cook sufficient amounts of food to feed your whole family plus guests all at once. If you don’t want to leave it out all of the time, consider options with wheels that can be wheeled into a shed or another storage space while it’s not being used.
Consider Your Lighting Options
Most families will have some sort of security light installed in their backyard. This will light up whenever a person or animal steps foot in your garden, adding a sense of security to your property, as the burst of light will generally cause the trespasser to flee. However, if you intend to spend time outdoors in the evenings, you may want to look into alternative outdoor lighting options. There are plenty on the market. For a subtle glow, solar-powered lights are great, as are outdoor fairy lights. However, you cannot entirely depend on them for constant and bright source of light. If you want something a little higher power, consider spotlights that can be installed by a professional throughout your outdoor space.
Provide Heating
What use is having great lighting options if nobody can spend time outside once the sun has set due to the temperature dropping? Well, there are plenty of options on the market that specialise in providing heat for those who want to spend time in their gardens later into the evening. One options are chimineas. These have gained a lot of popularity in the last decade or so and have been incorporated into tens of thousands of backyards as a result. They can be placed on your patio and will burn wood for hours on end. They are generally freestanding and made from clay, so are resistant to most weather conditions. While you may want to tuck it away in a shed for storage in the winter, it should never be used in any enclosed space. They have vertical vents which means smoke is exuded through the top and shouldn’t pose the problem that open fires often have of smoke blowing in your face. A second option is a fire-pit. This is a more permanent installation that you might want to try out if you find that the chiminea isn’t quite living up to your expectations. Fire pits can be larger and will provide heat for a larger number of people.
Keeping On Top of the Lawn
If you’re going to spend more time outdoors, you need to manage the lawn correctly. If the grass is of a manageable length, you may be able to simply run the mower over it. But if they are long and reaching part way up your calves, you have a bit more of a job on your hands. Your first responsibility when dealing with long grass is to check for debris. You don’t want to run the lawnmower over anything other than grass, so pick up any litter, rocks, or chunks of other materials. Once everything’s clear, you may want to use a strimmer to hack the grass down to a manageable length. Finally, run the lawn mower over the whole green expanse and you should have a wonderful lawn in no time. Rake up the cuttings and you’re good to go! If you want a particularly neat finish, you can run the strimmer around corners and hard to reach areas too.
As you can see, making your backyard a functional space is going to take a little planning, hard work, time, effort, and investment. But you don’t have to carry out all of these changes at once. You can implement one alteration or improvement at a time and slowly transform your outdoor space into an area that you, your family, and your loved ones will actively want to spend time in. So, start making some small changes today and your backyard will be the talk of the town in next to no time!
