Turning a merely functional outside seating area into a cozy outside seating area can be accomplished with a few accouterments and tricks of the trade.
Creating a cozy outdoor seating area relies on many of the same techniques used to create cozy indoor seating.
How to Create Borders to Make the Outside Seating Area Feel Cozy
Cozy need not mean closed but it does usually involve some degree of separation from a larger yard area.
Landscaping is one cost-effective way to create a border for your cozy outdoor seating area. Uneven plantings tend to provide a warmer, more intimate feel than a simple wall made of shrubbery.
A trellis covered in vining plants is another easy way to create a border to give an outdoor seating area a cozy feel.
Attractive pavers can also be used to create visual separation of an outdoor seating area that helps foster a cozy appearance.
Placing colorful flowers near the outdoor seating is an inviting touch for your outdoor seating area.
Choosing Furniture for a Cozy Outside Seating Area
Choosing furniture for a cozy outside seating area is a little trickier than choosing indoor cozy seating since the furniture needs to be weather resistant.
Warm colors, curved lines, and plump cushions designed for the outdoors can be used to create that inviting feeling that will make guests want to sink in and stay.
Minimize the amount of furniture in an outdoor seating area to avoid a cluttered look, but be attentive to the needs users of the area will have. Small, unobtrusive tables are often helpful to hold refreshments.
How to Place Seats in Creating a Cozy Outside Seating Area
When trying for a cozy look that will accommodate guests, place seats close together and facing toward one another to allow for intimate conversation.
However, be sure there is enough space to comfortably move in and out of the seating without feeling crowded.
For smaller spaces designed mainly for personal use, place the seating among colorful flowers or other visually attractive elements of the outdoor seating area.
How to Choose Lighting for a Cozy Outside Seating Area
When choosing to light for an outside seating area, avoid floodlights or string lights, instead choose soft lighting and fixtures that blend into the décor of your outside seating area.
How to Add Warmth to an Outside Seating Area for a Cozy Effect
On cool spring and autumn nights, a cozy outdoor seating area can feel much cozier with a little warmth courtesy of a patio heater. Gas flame heaters and fire pits create a cozy feel much as a fireplace does.
How to Personalize an Outdoor Seating Area for a Cozy Feel
A visual focal point helps create a cozy feel in your outdoor seating area. This focal point might be a firepit, fountain or statue, or even flowers.
There’s no magic to creating a cozy feel for an outdoor space; the key is incorporating design elements that make the space easy to use, comfortable, and attractive.
