Creating Multi Purpose Outdoor Rooms

Make the most out of your backyard space without breaking the bank by creating the ideal outdoor living area with just a few key design ideas and some creativity. Your backyard could become the place for entertaining friends and family or simply unwinding at home.

Add a reclining chaise lounge for poolside relaxation, or create the ideal outdoor bed with a DIY hanging daybed. Lighting also helps add warmth and create a relaxing environment.

Dining

Dining outdoors adds another element to a multipurpose garden room concept, adding yet another function and dimension. By installing outdoor tables and chairs, a barbecue or pizza oven and seating areas with benches, lounge chairs or hammocks it becomes an inviting space to dine outside.

To extend the dining season, consider creating a shade structure to provide shelter from the sun and warmth in chilly weather. An organic feel can be achieved using light wood tables with living succulent centerpieces and soft green lawns as focal points, and in gravel courtyards fairy lights weaved through fabric flowers add romantic ambience.

Partition walls can be integrated into wooden garden buildings to divide up a single room into several separate zones for reading, relaxing, working, exercising or studying. This is an effective way of creating yoga studios, home offices or relaxing summer houses.

Entertaining

Garden buildings offer many exciting possibilities when it comes to multipurpose use. You could create an office that doubles as a summer house, a gym with shower facilities attached or even a yoga studio complete with storage shed – there are numerous ways to do it!

Partitions are one option for creating different zones within a garden building, but furniture placement can also serve to divide an individual room into distinct sections. By positioning tables and chairs against one wall of an entertainment space that can be folded away for leisurely dining when meal time rolls around, creating a separate area just for this activity. Likewise, this same approach can help separate living room sections for working, relaxing, and socialising purposes.

Create an inviting entertainment zone to entice guests and keep them outside long after the sun has set. Consider setting the scene with a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, comfortable seating area with cushions and pillows, an all-weather dining table, stackable chairs that can easily be reconfigured when hosting larger gatherings, etc.

Entertainment zones need a dedicated workspace, especially as remote work becomes more prevalent. Add tables, chairs or storage benches that can easily be pulled away from the wall for extra working space – or consider modular furnishings like Palm Casual’s configurable outdoor sectional sofa that can easily be reconfigured according to any occasion.

Relaxation

Add relaxing areas to any multipurpose garden room as part of its design for dining and entertaining, such as lounge chairs, daybeds or hammocks with soft throw pillows and cushions for an inviting relaxation space. A hammock offers a snug spot to read a book or take an afternoon nap; sun beds offer the ideal place for sunbathing; positioning equipment such as computers or gym equipment can further help to define distinct uses in one space.

Entertainment

Make every space multipurpose by including an entertainment area in any multipurpose space. By including an outdoor kitchen or bar as part of this entertainment zone, your entertaining potential increases and guests have something fun and interesting to discuss over some cold beers.

An entertainment space must also have the flexibility to transform from lounge, dining area and playroom with ease. Movable furniture such as modular sectional sofas and tables can help create zones dedicated to different activities; you might also add outdoor audio system or TV for watching sports and movies depending on your preferences.

Shelter and shade should also be an essential factor when entertaining outdoors during the summer. A retractable awning or pergola is an effective solution for protecting guests from sun and rain while still offering stunning views, while installing an outdoor fireplace or fire pit could add warmth and conversation.

An outdoor eating space should be large enough for all of your family and guests to comfortably share meals together. For added appeal, add features like a grill and patio table set up or create a full outdoor kitchen complete with sink, refrigerator and bar for additional visual interest.

When designing a multipurpose outdoor room, be deliberate with your color selections and finishes. Replicating the color palette from your home interior will create an easier transition; for instance if your indoor color scheme features neutrals and blues, consider selecting furniture and accent pieces in these hues when decorating the outdoors space.

Level variations and decorative details like decking patterns can help to distinguish each space in a garden room by creating subtly defined borders between areas. A range of textures and materials, like natural stone, woven rattan and contemporary garden beds can add visual interest while adding plants further enhance livability by filtering light, increasing air circulation and combatting humidity.