Have you seen the latest landscaping trend? It’s outdoor rooms. These are super patios with weather-proof furniture, full kitchens, fountains, garden art and all the comforts of a living room outside.

Outdoor rooms are actually an extension of your home, like going from your  living room to a family room, except that this room is outdoors. Since your outdoor room will be an extension of your home, it should be professionally designed. You wouldn’t think of adding on to your home without first consulting an architect. You wouldn’t think of a major redecoration project without the help of an interior designer or decorator. Why would you not consider a landscape designer to help with your outdoor room? Remember, you aren’t just doing a little landscaping. You’re building a whole new room – an addition to your home.

If you read home and garden magazines, watch similar television program or visit such sites on the Internet, you have seen plenty of outdoor rooms. These can serve as inspiration. Our landscape designers can also show you some of the outdoor rooms they’ve designed for other local homes to give you additional ideas.

Outdoor rooms are exposed to the elements 12 months a year, and this has to be taken into consideration at the design stage. That is true for any climate. Most of the outdoor rooms pictured in various media are in the south, especially the southwest where they are very popular. That means they are exposed, mostly, to rain. In the southeast, some may have to withstand an occasional hurricane and, in the southwest, an occasional sandstorm. Here, however, they have to withstand frequent snow and ice storms every year. This means protecting furniture, plants and appliances in winter.

Our designers have the experience to provide for adequately covering furniture and appliances, shutting off water and gas, and working with you to find winter storage for potted plants, even tender tropicals.

If you are thinking about a new or expanded patio this spring, think big. Use the winter to research outdoor rooms, formulate your ideas and work with one of our professional designers to make your dream a reality that you can enjoy three seasons of the year.