The Outdoor Living Room

Posted on 12th January 2016

Modern garden design thoroughly embraces the concept of ‘outdoor rooms’ an idea first developed in the early 1900’s by designers like Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, Lawrence Johnston at Hidcote manor and Gertrude Jeckyll.

These early garden rooms were novel in that they broke down the large landscape gardens into smaller spaces where collections of plants were grown, often themed and with the added interest of surprise as one moved from ‘room’ to ‘room’.

Today’s garden rooms take this concept one step further by generating spaces for outdoor living, creating outdoor versions of kitchens, dining rooms and relaxation spaces.

Garden furniture has recently become more luxurious and comfortable with sofa’s, dining sets and easy chairs available that can withstand the outdoor environment so why not go a step further and bring your TV, internet and sound system out into the garden too for a complete outdoor living experience.

Some may find the concept of having a television in the garden a little bizarre but why not use your outdoor space for ultimate relaxation when the weather is warm enough to sit outside watching your favourite programmes or a movie in the fresh air it is surely better than sitting indoors.

Outdoor televisions need to be weather proof but also need protection from extreme weather so should be housed within a protective case that can be closed while not in use. Outdoor electrics should also be fitted by a qualified electrician. Outdoor speakers or the use of multi-room speakers can enhance your viewing and you can also stream your favourite tunes into the garden. Subtle lighting can be used to enhance mood and can even be controlled with your smart phone so that you can control everything remotely.