When you live in as beautiful a place as Durango and its surrounding areas you want to take full advantage of what nature has to offer. So, you’ve planned and built a gorgeous custom home that embraces the views of your property, but you’re still experiencing only half of what your space has to offer. To truly embrace your surroundings you’ll want to create an outdoor living space that will pull you and your family into the sunshine and open air. Spending more time outside is easy once you’ve created a welcoming outdoor area that speaks to your lifestyle.

Decks & Patios

Building an outdoor area that you won’t want to leave begins with designating a space. Some of the best ways to define and create a sense of purpose in an outdoor living space is to build a deck or patio that will serve the dual purpose of establishing an area dedicated to relaxing or entertaining outside and creating a space that will invite people out.

Think about what you want to get from your outdoor space. While decks can provide gorgeous open views and are a wonderful solution to building on uneven or steep terrain, a patio really nestles you into your surroundings and can produce a comfy environment. Depending on the feel you’re envisioning for this space, you may be drawn to one of these options over the other as the base for your outdoor living space. For the best of both worlds, and if you have the space, consider building a deck that leads down to an intimate patio area.

Dynamic outdoor space helps you enjoy the most of your beautiful views!

Pergolas, Verandas & Arbors

Once you have your outdoor area designated with a deck or patio it’s time to think about whether you’d like to add a shade element to this space. We know that the Durango sun can become pretty intense during the height of summer, but don’t exclude those blazing days from your outdoor time. An umbrella or awning, while effective, can be very limited in the amount of shaded space that they actually provide. Depending on what balance of shade to openness you want, building independent or attached structures, like pergolas, verandas, and arbors, will provide stylish shade that can be built to whatever size you wish. Planting climbing flowers or other vegetation near these structures will not only add a beautiful element to that area but also provide additional natural shade.

Original materials can really enhance any home addition.

Outdoor Kitchen

Maximize your outdoor time by creating the opportunity to perform traditionally indoor tasks outside. No need to be stuck in your kitchen while the party hums along on the patio. By building an outdoor kitchen you give yourself the option of staying where the action is as you prepare the meal. Even if it’s just you and your partner making a simple lunch being able to cook outside is a luxury you won’t regret.

Covered outdoor kitchens can help bring the party outdoors even when it’s snowing!

An outdoor kitchen space can be as simple or as advanced as you desire. A grill and some counter space could be the extent of your setup, or you could go as far as building an area with its own oven/stove top, refrigerator, sink, and bar. Love pizza? Add a wood burning pizza oven. The limit is truly your own imagination when it comes to designing the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.

Take your outdoor kitchen area to the next level by building raised garden beds around the perimeter of your entertaining space. Pick your own vegetables and herbs and add them straight to your dishes without ever having to enter the house. Raised beds will also help to define and stylize the edges of your space to create a cohesive feel.

Picking fresh herbs straight from your garden in your outdoor kitchen makes every meal special.

Lighting

Half the fun of an outdoor space lies in taking full advantage of those warm summer evenings. While it is awe inspiring to spend those nights star gazing and watching excitedly for falling stars from your backyard, you’ll still want the option of having that area well-lit for entertaining. Electric lights are an easy and reliable option that can add a dazzling design element of their own but consider also using lanterns or torches to accentuate a cozy atmosphere.

Outdoor lights serve a both practical and decorative purpose. Such things as incorporating LED lighting into vegetation to add an edge of magic or placing lights in such a way that they also provide accent lighting to show off the architecture of your house can add an element of modern design and utility in your outdoor space.

Outdoor Fireplaces or Fire Pits

Add an element of fun to your outdoor area by bringing fire into the mix. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit can add an exciting focal point to a design and create an area towards which people will naturally gravitate. After a jovial dinner, as people begin to rise from the table and stretch their legs, they’ll be ready to move to a new area in which to congregate and socialize. A welcoming fire offers a setting that can be both casual and intimate where friends can gather and keep moods bright as the sky darkens. Additionally, adding fire to your outdoor area opens up the option of spending more time relaxing and entertaining outside during winter months.

Watch gorgeous mountain sunsets in the summer from an outdoor fireplace.

Water Features

Whether you live by the river or are tucked away from any natural water source, adding a water feature to your outdoor space is a wonderful idea. A trickling rock waterfall or a koi pond can lend an additional dimension of relaxation and tranquility to any area. You might even consider the combination of a water feature and a fire area to either contrast or complement each other in an outdoor space.

Privacy

Once you’ve planned and built your optimum outdoor living area you’re all set to kick back and enjoy the beautiful Durango weather. Something that can put a quick damper on your joyful situation is the thought of surrounding neighbors or passers-by peeking into your space. You’ll want to plan some form of privacy barrier to keep those curious eyes from wandering too far in your direction.

Of course, a fence is always an option but may detract from the open, natural environment you’re trying to create. Look towards vegetation as a solution. Strategically planted trees, or those climbing flowers that may be growing on your pergola, will block unwanted attention while maintaining the atmosphere of natural beauty that you’ve worked so hard to create. Use your imagination in regards to elements you were already planning in order to create privacy. Those raised garden beds that you may have been considering, the waterfall feature you’ve been planning for, any number of things could easily be planned to stand between your intimate space and that beyond.

In the end, the most important aspect to any outdoor area is that it must reflect you and how you like to interact with the outdoors. Whether you’re looking for more stimulation or relaxation in your outdoor living space, how you wish to realize that is up to you. Combine elements that speak most to your sensibilities to create a dynamic atmosphere and a versatile space that will make you never want to go inside again!

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