Outdoor, Garden rooms
Quick. Which is the most expensive room to decorate? If you answered the kitchen, you’re not alone. You might like to consider the possibility that your garden is the most expensive room to decorate. Although a kitchen renovation or makeover is costly the investment immediately begins to pay back. Not the garden. A garden requires continuous, ongoing maintenance, and year-round renewal. Since you can spend so much time, energy (and money) reining your garden in, you can imagine you may want to enjoy it on every conceivable occasion. Creating well-defined outdoor garden rooms allows you to use your garden more often and more effectively. Rather than just plonking some furniture into the garden, chose to create your own private paradise.
Delineating Garden Rooms
Like interiors, our exterior rooms function better when we carve out specific areas for relaxation, recreation and tasks. Consider the various rooms, which might suit your garden.
Alfresco Dining Room
Even a tiny portion of deck, patio or grass can be converted into an al fresco dining room. Choose an area close to the house, facilitating easy serving and clean up and providing shelter from excess wind. Choose a table that complements the scale of the deck or patio. For example, to accommodate a 120-150cm-diameter table, a minimum 3 metres by 3 metre space is required. Allow for movement around the table.Although the majority of outdoor furniture can withstand inclement weather, most will last longer if it is moved to shelter during the winter. For this reason, unless you have an enclosed structure, consider lightweight furniture options such as wicker, resin, and metal frames with woven seats.
Cook Centre
More and more outdoor enthusiasts are looking beyond the barbeque to full service cooking centres. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by purchasing or building a barbeque station. An instant kitchen, the barbeque station might include storage space, warming drawers, and even a small refrigerator, depending on budget.
Play areas
For a lucky few, a swimming pool is the ultimate backyard extravagance. Beyond a pool there are dozens of options for play areas; a hot tub
, sand box, croquet court, or trampoline are just a few. Make sure to position any play area away from eating areas to avoid accident.
“Thotful Spot”
There’s no spelling error, but a lesson learned from one little orange bear named Winnie the value of creating a quiet spot for reflection. To create your own Thotful spot, position furniture arrangements towards the best view, facing away from the house if possible and put as much distance as possible between you and interior distractions such as ringing phones.
If outdoor reading is a priority comfortable seating is essential. A high back chair with arms, whether woven, wicker, or wood, cradles the body and soul, and offers an immediate sense of security. Add a small table to accommodate a glass, or cup, of something.
Add ambient sound such as a trickling water fountain or playful wind chimes to mask un-welcome sounds. Consider flower plantings such as rosemary, lilac, lavender, night-scented stock and jasmine to give surroundings a delicious fragrance.
Steps to creating a garden room
When you devote the same careful consideration to outdoor space planning as you might to indoor space planning the rewards are gratifying. Here is a suggested work order.
Space planning.
Determine the specific tasks involved in each area before you make any purchases. A landscape architect or garden designer (even some interior designers) can help with decisions.
Furnish by function.
Prior to purchasing furniture, consider the number of people who will use the area and the time of day it will be used. A comprehensive lighting plan, using a variety of light fixtures, is essential if you plan to enjoy the area at night as well. Add Colour.
When decorating interior spaces we rely on fabrics and wall colour to determine a decorative palette. Outdoors we rely on plants and flowers 
for much of the impact. Again, it’s wise to hire a professional or consult a reliable nursery before making any purchases.
Accessorize.
No room, whether indoors or outdoors, can be considered truly personal without the addition of valued objects. A stone sculpture, a mercury gazing ball, a weathered sundial, or an inviting birdbath increase personal satisfaction within your outdoor oasis.
For anyone who prefers dirt under the nails to a French manicure, or a family barbeque to dinner in a fine restaurant, a well-designed garden room provides a full year of satisfaction.