Outdoor Living Space

A growing trend in residential landscapes is the
idea of extending indoor living spaces outside
into the landscape, creating outdoor rooms. The
patio space becomes the “floor” of the new outdoor
room. When designing a patio space, the
three key components are the size, intended use
and material.

Outdoor Kitchen – as seen on HGTV (Schaumburg, IL., by Schmechtig Landscapes)

The size or scale of the patio should be determined
by the size of the yard, size of the home
and how many people will be using the space.
The design of the patio is based on how the family
will utilize the new space. Is it a quiet space
for the family or is it a social space that will be
used for entertaining? Also what components
will be included in this new space.

The material used for the patio is determined by the style of
the outdoor room and of the home.

Outdoor Dinning Room, as seen on HGTV by Schmechtig Landscapes

Typically a patio would be built using bluestone, flagstone,
brick or a combination of materials. Using rich,
natural materials for the patio offers a great start
in creating a unique outdoor room.