Top Tips for an Outdoor Room (continued)

Look for sustainable materials.  The principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and rebuy  work well when shopping for your outdoor room.  As you add new elements, a wide range of sustainable materials are available – from porous concrete pavers to the new wood free decking, from bamboo shades to solar lighting, or from recycled furniture to reused brick.  Today, the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Another sustainable practice is to look for local suppliers for your purchases, or shop online.  You will be saving both time and energy. 

Don’t forget safety, warmth, light and comfort.  Outdoor lighting and electrical outlets are an important safety feature and one that needs about 10% of your budget to cover. 

Keep any heating elements safely away from furniture.  This may mean keeping the scale of the furniture in mind so that there is enough room.   

Fireplace
Photo Credit:  Leigh Melander/
Photobucket

In this case, bigger is not necessarily better

Always insure that the flooring has at least a 1% slope away from the house, garage or retaining wall to drain away any water that gets in.  Flooring should also have a skid proof surface.

Arrange a seating area similar to one you would use indoors.  Conversation is facilitated when the people can face one another, so arrange groupings accordingly. 

Accessories are a part of any outdoor room.   These need not be expensive, but comfortable cushions and color coordinated fabrics and wall accents make for a more pleasurable place to relax. 

Finally, give yourself a little pat on the back.  Deciding to take on a project like an outdoor room is a major investment in time and money.  It is hard work, but, it is work that comes with a built in reward for you, your family and your friends. 

When you go greener with your outdoor room, you double your satisfaction in knowing that you have chosen wisely for your home and your planet.  

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