Using An Outdoor Canopy To Create New Living Space

 Creating “backyard living spaces“ is one of the hot trends in garden landscaping and home décor. Whether your desire is for a place to host parties, or simply to sit back and enjoy a quiet place, the idea is simply to get away from it all right in your own yard. Adding the right outdoor canopy provides has a special role in creating the perfect environment.

As more people view their backyards as prime living spaces, the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living areas become blurred. Even remote corners of the backyard have become places of refuge and entertainment as we look for ways to make our yard a place to “be”, instead of simply another pretty landscape to look at.

Of course, the backyard has always been one of our favorite places to gather with family and friends for entertaining, cooking, or just plain relaxing. It’s also the easiest way to get everyone away from the television, and outside to enjoy the nice weather.

Another motivator for increasing the usability of the backyard is the increasing costs of housing and land. Although not as expensive as a room addition, even patios and wooden decks are plenty pricey. This moves people to create more with what they already have, especially if budgets are limited.

Creating A Room Without Walls

If you are willing to do a little planning, even a small yard can become a prime living space, without the exorbitant expense of a home add-on or renovation. The great advantage of your 'backyard room’ is flexibility, and there are many ways to create a backyard ‘room’ that is both beautiful and functional.

You can select functional ‘furnishings’ such as the lovers’ swing, a hammock, grill, chaise lounge, or a patio dining table. Then create the atmosphere and decorative style you want by integrating such elements as a fountain, trellis, or special flower plantings. There is no need to fill every space – let the wide-open outdoors give a sense of roominess to even the smallest garden spot or corner.

However, you’ll still need to define the edges of your ‘room without walls’ in order to give it a feeling of completeness. Creating a sense of enclosure ties everything together in the style and purpose that you want – all without obscuring the best views of your garden. This enclosure can be achieved with a patio border, a bed of flowers, or decorative benches. Then consider one of the many styles of outdoor shade canopies.

An outdoor canopy unifies the furniture and other items in your ‘room’ by creating a ceiling and a sense of defined space. It should blend into the theme and style of your landscape. And from a distance, an attractive shade canopy is also a focal point that invites anyone who sees it to approach and enjoy its’ shade.

Choosing The Right Outdoor Canopy

The many colors, styles and sizes in garden canopies makes it easy to find the right choice for a specific event, or to fit naturally into the landscape design. Most are made from weather-resistant polyester, or a sturdy polyethylene material. Both types are easily cleaned and will last several years.

Whether your backyard is large or small, formal or informal, there is a canopy size and style to fit. For the large yard, shade canopies up to 20x30 are excellent as a poolside shelter, party tent, outdoor dining area, or the centerpiece for a family or social gathering.

For the small yard or a tiny corner of a larger area, one of the popular 10x10 pop-up canopies works perfectly. It has plenty of room for a patio table and seating for 6-8 people, and can be setup and taken down in minutes when the mood or weather dictates. And without canopy sidewalls, even the smallest area will maintain that all-important open and airy look and feel.

Outdoor canopies don't have to be costly. You can get a cheap version at your local discount store. But this is a bit like a $2 umbrella in a rain storm – you take your chances. Like any piece of furniture, pay for quality, and you’ll get much more enjoyment and longevity for your money.

There are many ways to create an outdoor space that is both beautiful and functional. And your "room" can easily evolve over the years as your needs and landscape changes.

By selecting the right outdoor canopy, and doing a little planning, you'll find yourself enjoying the great outdoors more than ever – right in your own backyard.

 John Bri

More Articles 

Ceiling Fans – That Don’t Require The Ceiling - Beverly Marshall
The trend in remodeling homes is to expand the outdoor backyard or patio into a lovely room where you can entertain. It just makes sense to extend your surroundings to be more useful. Some are going all out and installing outdoor kitchens while...

Watching Your Children’s Garden Grow - Rondi Hillstrom Davis
Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their own garden patch and a spot to dig. Children love getting their hands dirty and watching things grow. Be sure to buy good quality, child sized gardening tools. Plastic toy versions...

Odors Can Make or Break The Sale of Your Home - Raynor James
It’s amazing how important the sense of smell is to many people. If you’re selling your home, and this applies across the board to houses, townhouses, condos, apartments, or whatever, you need to be aware of the power of odors. An odor like...

Tool Trends: Laser Levels - Cathy Peterson
You may have heard of laser levels and wondered how much of an improvement they are over traditional hand sighting levels and if you are one of the people whose life could be made easier by purchasing one. Here are some basic...

Selecting The Right Bonsai Pots Is Very Important - Andrew Green
As with all types of plant pots, Bonsai pots are available in a huge array of sizes, shapes and colours but making sure you select the correct pot for your Bonsai tree can make the difference between a good looking Bonsai and an...

Indoor Hot Tubs vs. Outdoor Hot Tubs - Terri Greene
Purchasing a hot tub is a large investment which means you will want to make sure it is located in the perfect place. One of the biggest decisions you will have to make regarding your hot tub is whether you want it indoors or outdoors. There are...

Starting Plants From Seed - Jonathon Hardcastle
One of the most fun and rewarding aspects of gardening is starting plants from seeds. And it's not that expensive either. To start, you will need basic materials like containers, soil or a soil-less mixture, light, water, a fan and a plastic cover...

Picnic Tables - Cat Greenbriar
No outdoor area is complete without a picnic table. Picnic tables have been an outdoor staple for generations for many reasons. They are comfortable, convenient, serve many purposes, and are very durable. Picnic tables can be made out of many...

Basil for Everything - Judi Singleton
I planted three kinds of basil today. I love basil it is one of those herbs that just is is truly indispensible in the kitchen. Ocimum basilicum, Sweet Basil, is the most common. Two or three plants will keep you in fresh Basil all summer, and give...

Warm and Toasty Outdoors with Patio Heaters - Nicholas Webb
The Heat is On with Patio Heaters. Any outdoor lover will tell you that the right patio heater will allow you to extend your love of the open-air life all year round. A 15-20 foot circle of heat can easily increase the outside...

Turn Your Patio Into A Voluminous Vegetable Garden - Jill Homer
My first apartment was a second-story condo in an urban complex, far displaced from the groomed suburban landscapes and sprawling gardens I had grown up with. My only connection to the outdoors was a small porch, surrounded by brown siding and a...

Home Cooling – Tips For Keeping Energy Costs Down - Beverly Marshall
When it comes to cooling our homes and businesses, the cost of air conditioning just seems to keep going up and up. This year is no different. We like the cool comfort of dryer less humid air and we are willing to pay for it. However, there is no...