Adding Outdoor Appeal and Value $$

Outdoor spaces can add seemingly extra square footage to your home and therefore add value to your home. Because they feel like another room of the home, and extend the useful square footage, we don’t necessarily discount their value because they are outdoors. Who wouldn’t love another space in the home to entertain, relax or even work?

These spaces don’t have to be expensive to put together and can be very versatile in their function. Some outdoor spaces include kitchens and fireplaces, which have become very popular in recent decades. Some include roofs, tents, pergolas or cabanas. Others are pool side.

We know there are many health benefits to spending time outdoors. Fresh air, the uptake of Vitamin D from the sun, reduced stress, increased mental health, and a higher activity rate are all great reasons to go outside.

If you want the kids out of the house or you don’t want guest spilling red wine on your rugs, outdoor entertaining can be a great way to do more with less mess and less fuss.

All you need is a bit of creativity. Since most outdoor entertaining is seasonal you don’t have to commit to decorating a whole interior room. Just commit to some basics you can use year after year like the furniture and then refresh the little things each year like pillows, plants, candles, accessories.

With more outdoor furniture, rugs, lighting and textiles readily available these days, outdoor entertaining is not camping in the woods, it can be stylish, elegant and fun. Plus, as the host you’ll be less stressed if someone spills.

Take it outside this summer and we think you’ll have more fun.

Photo: Jay Greene Photo: Jay Greene