Top 5 Tips for Transforming Your Outdoor Space 

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Your outdoor space is the first thing you and your guests see when entering the property. If it's bare, it can be less appealing and limit social interactions.

A well-designed exterior—with proper lighting and sitting areas—looks good, and your family and guests will want to spend more time in the serene outdoors. 

Here are some tips to improve the appeal of your outdoor spaces, make them more functional, and improve your property value.

1. Pools, Hot tubs, or Fire Pits

Adding pools, hot tubs, or fire pits creates a visual focal point, makes your space more open, and encourages participation in outdoor activities.

From Spring in March to Fall in September, New Orleans experiences mostly favorable daytime weather for get-togethers and festivals. You might be hosting a lot during this time or just want to spend more time outside.

During the day, a dip in the pool can be very refreshing, while a hot tub or pool can be a welcome relief on cold days. If you’re hosting, guests can take a break from indoor environments without standing awkwardly outside or ‘feeling lost’ as they can continue their conversations and socializing in the pool.

Your family can also gather around the fire pit on weekends and chilly nights to share a meal, play trivia, or watch a movie.

2. Energy-Efficient LED Lighting

An outdoor space without lights cannot be used at night, making it underutilized. Add energy-efficient LED lights to your outdoor space to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere at night and support nighttime activities. Consider adding solar power to your home for use with LED lighting (it can increase your property value!).

Solar-powered LED lights lower electric bills, ensure paths are clear to observers, and prevent accidents. 

Different lighting types serve various functions. For instance, consider adding string lights to garden plants for a whimsical look, especially when celebrating holidays.

Add task lights along walkways and driveways to illuminate paths and accent lights under a tree, near a water feature, or other interesting architectural features you’d like to spotlight. Accent lights draw attention to the objects they are placed on.

With durable LED lights for illumination, having more cozy night-outs playing games or having outdoor parties will be a lot easier.

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3. Vibrant Plants to Create a Lush Landscape

Plants are not only fantastic to look at, but they also give a HUGE lift to an environment's appearance. They can add depth to a space, making it look well-kept, lively, and tranquil. Plus, they provide privacy.

In short, get plants. Flowering plants. Tropical plants. Shade solutions. Grass. Get all the plants you can, following the New Orleans garden guidelines.

Some flowering plants that do well in New Orleans and give your yard a lush look include hibiscus, cashmere bouquets, butterfly shrubs, and birds of paradise.

These tropical plants produce a variety of flower colors. You can plant them in different sections along walkways, driveways, or flower gardens.

Plant plants that thrive in shaded areas around other large canopy trees within the compound. Consider adding climber vines to fences, trellises, or other visually attractive areas.

With a new breath of life added to your outdoor space, people will spend more time relaxing in the garden and engaging in more outdoor activities. The serene environment is ideal for meditation, painting, backyard games, or an outdoor movie night.

4. Add a Backyard Sauna

Adding a sauna to your backyard is unconventional but oh so totally worth it if you value activities that improve health. Plus, an outdoor sauna can increase your property value.

You can place the sauna near the pool, with glass windows or doors facing your plants or garden. Looking at nature is calming and improves mood, and doing so during a sauna session can help bathers relax more.

Additionally, such placement lets you quickly jump into the pool to cool off after a steamy sauna session.

Ensure you purchase an outdoor sauna with an all-weather exterior to withstand changing weather conditions. 

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5. Sustainably Sourced, Durable Furniture

It would be rather inconvenient to have an outdoor activity and have no place to sit or place your drink, don’t you think? A seating area is essential in turning your outdoor area into a functional space. 

Consider adding sustainably sourced, comfortable furniture that’s durable too.

Some great options include furniture made of recycled plastic lumber—recycled plastic bottles and milk jugs—aluminum furniture, or furniture made from FSC-certified wood. 

Add white, beige, or light blue lounge chairs paired with colorful yellow or turquoise throw pillows for the pool area.

Favor warm, inviting colors for cozy spaces such as the firepit area. These can include armchairs and ottomans in brown shades.

Image Source: Pixabay

Experience the Perfect Outdoor Retreat

Creating a serene, functional outdoor space is within your grasp. Adding key entertainment spots that allow socialization, such as pools, hot tubs, or fire pits, can encourage more people to spend time outside.

Grass and plants create a serene environment, so people can lie on the grass if they just want to chill or practice yoga and meditation. Alternatively, they can lounge by the pool after a dip or play board games by the fire pit.

Most importantly, adding energy-efficient LED lighting throughout your outdoor space enables you to use it at night while ensuring everyone’s safety. Improve your outdoor space to enjoy such experiences today.