Have you been thinking about ways to get the most out of your backyard this fall? You can continue enjoying your outdoor spaces during the cooler months just by considering some of these ideas for your outdoor areas. If you’re not already set up for it, with a few considerations, you can change your outdoor living area to allow for year-round enjoyment.

Whether you are considering revamping your existing outdoor living area or are planning to build it from scratch, these ideas will help you create the perfect fall-friendly outdoor living space.

How to improve your fall outdoor living experience

By making some useful decisions for your outdoor living space’s design, you can maximize its functionality for use year-round. By adding some simple fresh design elements, your outdoor living area can be made to feel cozier too.

Backyard get-togethers with family and friends can continue throughout the cooler months. Use your outdoor living space as a spot to take a break from doing your fall chores like raking the leaves. Or just curl up beneath a blanket beside the warmth of a fire pit on a crisp fall day with a hot drink and a good book.

Here are some tips to improve your fall outdoor living experience.

Fire up the heat

An absolute essential to make your fall outdoor living experience more comfortable is a good heating source. When it’s chilly, nothing boosts the cozy feel of a space like adding some warmth to the area, especially if it’s generated by real flames. One such way is a fire feature, such as a fireplace, fire bowl, fire lantern, or fire cauldron.

Popular product choices to warm up an outdoor living area are fire pits (which also come in table and bowl designs), outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, propane patio heaters, and electrical heating appliances like infrared heaters.

You’ll naturally want to locate any heating sources as close to your seating and dining areas as possible.

A high-quality fire pit/table/bowl becomes the centerpiece of an outdoor room. It doesn’t only have a magnet-like effect on everyone because of the heat it provides, it also adds ambiance, a sophisticated touch, and visual appeal to an outdoor living space.

Before buying a heating product for your backyard, be sure to check on what your local laws allow for operating open fires. 

A heating source like a fire pit is essential for maximum comfort when using an outdoor living space in cooler seasonal times.

Enjoy your entertainment outdoors

An outdoor room with the right design can be used to bring the indoors outside and add another dimension to your home’s living space.

When coupled with a reliable heating source to help keep you warm and toasty, an outdoor living room can be used for longer into the year as an entertainment space.

Why not enjoy your favorite fall sporting events or a family movie night with your friends and family in the comfort of your backyard? An exterior entertainment space with an outdoor TV, a great audio system, and high-quality furniture creates a comfortable extension of your living space, bringing it from inside to outside.

To boost your comfort level, consider adding thermal outdoor curtains, or roller shade screens, which can usually be attached fairly easily to an outdoor living area’s overhead covering. They’ll help keep an outdoor living space’s heat in and are useful year-round for privacy, bug control, and blocking out the sun and wind. If you’re using a propane patio heater, just be sure the area has enough ventilation.

Have you considered an outdoor kitchen?

If you are planning on doing a lot of outdoor entertaining this fall, consider going beyond the BBQ and having an outdoor kitchen built. This can include a stove, sink, bar, and refrigerator, or just a grill and sink with seating for dining.

This not only encourages guests to stay outside and enjoy your backyard, but it expands your living space. The atmosphere that a pot of chili or steaming soup can add to the senses while enjoying a cozy fire is beyond words. And don’t forget the fleecy throws!

Any outdoor kitchen needs a good grill, so don’t cut corners when it comes to buying the most essential appliance in an outdoor cooking space.

Invest in a premium grill that provides a headache-free cooking experience. High-quality grills are more reliable and will:

• start up every time
• hold steady cooking temperatures
• cook food more quickly and efficiently than cheap grills
• allow you to grill foods at different temperatures with variable heating zones
• offer convenient features like smart tech and under-hood grill task lighting

Florida’s variable weather is a good reminder that your outdoor kitchen cabinet and countertop materials need to be of the highest quality to endure all weather conditions. Make sure to consult with me – I can help you find what’s most suitable for you and your needs.

Consider setting up a hot beverage station in your outdoor kitchen to feel cozier while spending time in your backyard enjoying chillier fall and winter days. Beverages like hot apple cider, hot chocolate, and pumpkin spice latte are perfect for autumn and will warm you up as you extend your fall outdoor living time.

I can help you design your outdoor kitchen so it’s available for convenient year-round use.

High-quality outdoor furniture is a must for your exterior living space

An outdoor living room’s furniture is another element where investing in higher-quality products will serve you better in the long run.

Changing and unpredictable weather conditions and harsh temperatures will take a toll on outdoor furniture, too, especially cheap furniture.

Spend a little extra to buy high-quality outdoor furniture that has everything you look for when buying indoor furniture, including comfort, visual appeal, and durability. The latter characteristic is a little more important with outdoor furniture, of course.

Prioritize buying outdoor furniture made with weather-resistant materials that will reduce the likelihood of the furniture rusting, developing mold, fading, and warping. These outdoor furniture materials are considered the most durable:

• powder-coated steel and aluminum
• wrought iron with a weather-resistant finish
• hardwoods such as teak, white oak, and eucalyptus
• polyresin wicker

Weather-resistant cushions are another essential for outdoor furniture. No one likes to sit on a hard surface at any time of the year and especially not when the weather is cooler. Metal furniture materials like wrought iron can feel ice-cold on a chilly day and cushions act as a welcome buffer.

Covering your outdoor seating area will not only provide you with much-needed shade from the Florida sun, but it will also help you keep in the heat when the temperatures start to drop. A cover such as a pergola or a large and sturdy umbrella will go a long way in keeping you comfortable while outdoors this fall. I’ll discuss more on this further down in the article.

Good exterior lighting is crucial for outdoor living enjoyment

As the days get shorter, the lights come on earlier. That makes having good lighting extra important for an outdoor living space that will be used during the fall.

Lighting that is dim and harsh can singlehandedly neutralize any of your efforts to make a deck or patio area feel cozier in the autumn with heating and some decorative upgrades. The look and feel of a space is hugely impacted by lighting and simply using more bulbs to brighten an area isn’t going to be a good strategy.

Incandescent and halogen lighting is considered by many to be outdated. Even relying solely on LEDs, today’s preferred exterior lighting choice, isn’t enough since there are a variety of bulb styles and colors that produce different results. Lighting also needs to be strategically located and thoughtfully considered.

I work with excellent lighting professionals who can help with your outdoor living area’s lighting. They’ll know how to achieve the best results so everything is well-lit for functionality and safety, as well as maximum enjoyment of your spaces. A pro will also know how to effectively highlight the best parts of an outdoor living space and its surrounding landscaping.

Cover your outdoor living spaces

Another of the essential fall outdoor living ideas to consider is adding an overhead covering for more comfort. A roof extension, covered pergola, cabana, gazebo, pavilion, or large awning are the most common solutions for covering an outdoor living space.

An outdoor living space should ideally have some sort of overhead covering to provide protection from the sun and rain during the summer, or any time when the weather conditions are enough to drive everyone inside.

An overhead covering also extends the life of your outdoor living products and allows you to continue using the grill year-round. When the weather won’t cooperate with your cooking plans, you won’t need to get out an umbrella before firing up the grill.

Lousy weather won’t limit the functionality of an outdoor living area if it’s got overhead covering.

It’s easy to add cozy fall touches

Cooler temperatures can make it harder to feel cozy in a space. Along with heating your patio area, add some decorative touches that incorporate fall-themed decor elements to infuse the outdoor living space with a cozier vibe.

It doesn’t take much effort to quickly change the look and feel of an outdoor space by getting creative with the décor. This can be done in several ways:

• switching out furniture cushions
• adding texture and softness to the space with outdoor area rugs, throw pillows, and blankets
• using fall-inspired colours on your furnishings to set a seasonal and festive mood
• adding seasonal accents like a table centerpiece and foliage garland
• light fall-themed candles to enhance the mood

Upgrade your fall outdoor living experience (for year-round enjoyment)

There’s no reason any outdoor living space shouldn’t be enjoyed throughout the year, especially in Florida!

All of the fall outdoor living ideas I’ve covered aren’t just practical in the autumn – they provide the same comfort and enjoyment benefits for whatever weather conditions come your way.

If you’re considering enhancing your outdoor spaces for year-round enjoyment, talk to me! Let me come by and see the areas you’re thinking of enhancing, and I guarantee I’ll have some ideas for you that will make your outdoor spaces delightful! 

These ideas are just the beginning of possibilities – let’s talk about it! Message me here, right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link, or you can email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com You can call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.