5 Factors to Help Design the Right Size Outdoor Room

Do you want to add an outdoor room to your home? Outdoor entertainment spaces are a great way to maximize the value of your property, separate activities, and provide new and interesting experiences. But how large or small should your outdoor room be? While a lot of factors go into finding the right size for your yard, it's not all guesswork. Here are a few things you can identify to help guide your choices.

1. How You'll Use It

Certainly, the ways in which you intend to use an outdoor room is one of the biggest factors for size planning. If you only want a backyard retreat for cocktails with your spouse, the space can be quite intimate. If you want to be able to host parties of various sizes, you'll need a large, flexible, open area you can rearrange.

Start by identifying the type of outdoor activities you plan. Perhaps, for example, you want an outdoor dining room. Also consider if you want a formal space or an informal one because people move around differently in each style. Will you need to include space for shade structures? How will people access the room? And finally, what type of meals, drinks, or snacks do you tend to enjoy?

2. Size of the Property

Outdoor entertainment zones should look comfortably proportioned in their environment. A small patio attached to a large two story home is likely to look even smaller than it really is.

On the other hand, installing a sprawling outdoor complex into a smaller property will make it feel cramped and may overwhelm the house. You have many ways to maximize the design of a small space without crowding your yard.

3. The Planned Furniture

Did you know that various pieces of outdoor furniture come with estimated space requirements? For instance, a dining table that seats six generally calls for a space 12 feet long and between 10 and 12 feet wide. Adding a fire pit? With seating, earmark an area up to 15 feet wide and long. A simple table and two chairs? You may need 6 or 8 feet on all sides. Your design contractor can help with other calculations.

By thinking about the furniture you will likely want in your outdoor room, you can crunch the numbers to ensure you have enough space to be comfortable but not so much space that it looks spartan. Remember, though, that these are estimations to provide a design guide and you don't have to decide on all your furniture before building a patio.

4. How It Feels

One of the best ways to figure out what size feels right is to do a dry run. Rope off the area you think you may want to use. Add structural features like a pathway marked in twine or spray paint and doors for entry and exit. Place actual outdoor (or indoor) furniture in the space or mark off where it could go. Then, use the space to test it out.

Pay attention to how you and others are able to maneuver around the space. Does it feel natural and comfortable? Does it feel intimate or distant? Can you get good views? Is there room for growth and change? Do people have to yell to make conversation? Make adjustments and try again if necessary.

5. Natural Obstacles

Be realistic about any limitations to your structure and layout. Trying to force your will on permanent features like slopes, trees, outbuildings, property lines, and areas with poor drainage will only make your work harder and less successful. The shape of a patio also informs how large it must be. Curves and bends create unusable spaces, whereas squares and rectangles can maximize space.

Where to Start

Ready to start planning the perfect outdoor room? No matter what you have to work with, what obstacles you face, and how you plan to use it, the best place to begin is by consulting with the design pros at Genuine Home Builders, Inc. Call today so you can start enjoying your outdoor entertainment spaces as soon as possible.