In our eyes, the outdoor space of a home is one of the most important ones, especially in a place like Texas. When times are normal, it’s where friends and family are hosted, where dinner is made and served on beautiful evenings, and where we like to sit when it’s a perfect day for enjoying a cold drink.
Now, during these current times where we’re trying our best to stay at home as much as possible to slow the spread of COVID-19, we think it’s more important than ever to ensure that you have a comfortable, functional outdoor space.
In today’s blog from Custom Rock Works, we’ll be talking about the benefits of a great outdoor space during these times and how the unique boulder products we offer can help you create one.
Keep reading to learn more.
Why Is An Outdoor Space Important
No matter what your outdoor space looks like, it’s surely something you appreciate and likely use often. From a spacious landscape surrounding your home, to a small patch of grass outside – the size of your outdoor space doesn’t matter as much as its existence!
There is plenty of research that shows the benefits of spending time outdoors, putting your bare feet on the ground, and breathing in fresh air. All of this is to say, there are direct benefits to simply being outside. And after all, who doesn’t love stepping outside, feeling the sunshine, and just observing all there is to see?
While all of this is always important to keep in mind, it’s so important right now! While society is slowly opening back up and trying to return to normal, we’re still largely working to socially-distance, stay in our homes, and be cognizant of COVID-19.
This means that a lot of the outdoor time we usually take for granted isn’t a part of our daily routines any more. If you’re working from home, you’re no longer going outdoors to walk to your vehicle, office, or wherever you had to go on your normal schedule.
Where we’re used to going out to restaurants or movie theatres for celebration and entertainment, we’re now ordering in and working to go into public only when essential.
All of this is to say, there is so much outdoor time we’re missing out on! Hopefully, you’ve been able to integrate regular walks, bike rides, hikes, or whatever outdoor activities that fill your cup into your new normal, but even if you have, it’s vital to consciously add more outdoor time to your daily life.
And this is where an outdoor space at your home comes in! If you get nothing else from today’s blog, we want you to consider how you can create or better utilize the outdoor space(s) where you live. This could mean picnicking in your backyard, or it could mean making the tiny porch at your condo complex comfortable and relaxing.
Now that we understand why an enjoyable, accessible outdoor space is so important, let’s talk about how you can make that happen!
Optimizing Your Outdoor Space
No matter the size of your outdoor space, there are some factors that you can consider to make your outdoor space accessible and attractive. These factors are functionality and atmosphere. While the size of your outdoor space will affect the function and atmosphere you can create, any space can be made to be functional and atmospheric!
Function
When determining what the function of your outdoor space will be, simply ask what you want to and can use the space for! Is this going to be a place for relaxation, recreation, eating and entertaining, or a combination? Since we get to live in Texas, this also means you can create a year-round space that you can enjoy and utilize.
In fact, you could even turn your outdoor space into a primary area for entertainment and relaxation. The size of your space will definitely set the limits of what you can do with its function; however, by considering the desired function of your outdoor space, you’ll be able to make strides towards getting it just how you’re imagining.
If it’s a space for recreation, you’ll need an open area and some features that allow you to partake in and host fun activities. If it’s for dining and entertaining, you’ll need seating and surfaces — you could even include an outdoor kitchen! And when it comes to relaxation, that’s wholly up to you! However, we might suggest an ethereal, captivating boulder element like a fire pit or water feature to set the tone for your relaxing space.
Atmosphere
Once you’ve decided on a function for your space, it’s time to think of what atmosphere you’re looking to capture. Fortunately, you can let the function of the space guide the atmosphere. For instance, if you’d like to create a space for entertainment, that’s a great opportunity to let your personality show! Enlist unique, soft lighting, decor, and accessories to transport yourself and your guests to a unique, exciting place.
If you’re looking to create a relaxing oasis, embrace natural elements like stone, wood, plants and water. With elements like fountains, wind chimes, or even a zen garden, you can create a place to be mindful and reground yourself.
And if you’re limited on space, don’t fret! Take this advice and scale it to your space. If you only have a tiny balcony in a complex, outfit it with some nice lighting, your favorite plants, and a place to sit and relax!
Getting Started
Optimizing any area of your home can be overwhelming and stressful, we totally understand! Our best advice is this — when considering the function and atmosphere of your desired space, also consider what is going to get you outside and enjoying the space!
Furthermore, know that we’re here to help! At Custom Rock Works, we specialize in creating unique features to elevate outdoor spaces in a way that makes them personal and engaging. From our unique, custom boulder seating and signage, to flag poles, custom fire pits, and stone drink dispensers, we create products that can set or supplement the theme of your outdoor space.
Plus, we don’t just craft unique, functional boulder products, we also excel at engraving our creations! From memorializing benches, to paying homage to your favorite sporting team with a gorgeous garden rock, we can personalize the boulder creations we offer to truly match your style and preferences.
If you’d like to gain a deeper understanding of the interesting outdoor products we offer to inspire your own outdoor space, check out these resources:
Additionally, if you have any questions about optimizing an outdoor space or you’d like to learn more about obtaining the products we offer, don’t hesitate to contact us today! We’ll be happy to walk you through any questions you have and guide you through the process of working with us.